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Hernando Today

Rayhawks All The Rage

By BOB EAST III

. Thomas Bracken and his assistant Sharene Dahmer - and their cat Smokey - show off their support for the Tampa Bay Rays with fresh Rayhawk haircuts Wednesday. The longhaired Persian sports a Rawhawk made with cat-safe hair gel. Longtime Rays fan Bracken said he wanted to show his support for the team "that’s gone from worst to first."

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: October 2, 2008

Some call them Mohawks. Others say Fauxhawks. Still others prefer the name Rayhawks.

But whatever you call them, they are the hairstyle of choice of the Tampa Bay Rays and, it would seem, scores of their fans.

These days, young and old are willing to let their hair down - or more appropriately, take it off - to show their support for the little team that could.

The team that went from last place in 2007 to division champs this year has ignited fans throughout the Tampa area, including Hernando County.

As a show of solidarity, most of the Rays got their hair shaved off on both sides of the scalp, except for that strip down the middle.

Local barbers say the style is de rigueur among fans these days.

"This is the Rays craze, I call it," says Denise Foote, owner and barber/stylist at Brooksville's Haircuts Express, who did three of them last week. They are popular with younger guys, she said.

Foote says the style is similar to a Mohawk, only the sides of the head are not shaved as much and the center strip of hair is longer.

Foote says it's wonderful to see the local fans supporting their team. It's been a long time coming, she says.

"It's only hair," she jokes. "It will grow back."

Mark Byers, barber/owner of the Head Shed in Spring Hill, said he had a rush on Rayhawks last week when the team clinched its division.

Kids and adults are coming in asking for the popular cut.

Byers says it doesn't take long to do the "hawk" - after clipping the sides the stylist leaves just enough hair to push to the top of the head.

"We enjoy doing it and the customers enjoy watching us do it," he says.

As for Byers, he doesn't plan to get one anytime soon. Not enough hair on top, he jokes.

But he applauds the fans and the team.

"I always knew they (the Rays) had the potential, even in the past," he says. "But I never thought they'd get it together."

Roxanne Baxter, a stylist at Chatty Patty's Family Hair Cuts in Brooksville, said she had four Rayhawk requests last week.

Her opinion of the style: "It's not bad - it's different."

The new style prompted Baxter to sharpen up her Rayhawk-shaping skills.

"I had never done one until last week," Baxter joked.

And, she says proudly, it turned out great.

Wilbur Bonilla, owner of Ciao Bella off State Road 50, has done some of the cuts for the Rays players.

He says he goes to Tropicana Field during the team's home stand.

"It's awesome," Bonilla says of the Rayhawk.

He says he's been doing the cut all year long and it caught on with other players.

"They all wanted to be the same," he said.

It's not only humans who are catching Rays fever. It's also going to the dogs.

Debi Cummings, who works at Westside Grooming in Spring Hill, decided to dye Ming, her white Chinese Crested Powderpuff, blue to match the color of the team logo.

And she added a Rayhawk to the 3-year-old dog.

"We just thought it would be pretty interesting," Cummings said.

The specially made dye will not harm dogs, stressed Westside Grooming owner Sandi Lowe, herself a huge Rays fan.

"It's a white dog, so it will show up really nice," she stressed.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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