On a bright day, walking into the dimly lit bar causes your eyes to go through that moment of blackout and then a slow readjustment. As they slowly get used to the dark, they fall upon the green Wrigley sign across the room.

Sportsman’s Lounge can be summed up by its ambiance — an old copy of “Inside Sports” hanging on one wall and Iowa State posters for basketball and hockey spread among the sports memorabilia on the other.

“Sporty’s is the oldest bar in town with the same name,” owner Mike Jacobson said. “It’s been known as the Sportsman’s Lounge for over 70 years. It is also Ames first true sports bar.”

The bar’s age is easy to tell by its exterior. Its weathered classic baby blue sign that reads “Sportsman’s Lounge” is beginning to peal against the brick building, one of the many that aligns the streets of downtown Ames.

However, this doesn’t effect the bar’s interior.

“At one time, it was a biker, rough and tumble kind of bar,” Doc Tegeler, former bartender and current regular, said. “After ‘Jake’ [Jacobson] bought the bar 12 years ago, it has become more like a neighborhood place.”

After noticing the bar’s sports memorabilia, the next thing a patron would probably notice is the bar’s “neighborhood” feel. It’s an image common in Iowa’s rural communities — several locals sitting at the bar watching TV, only being distracted when the random stranger walks in.

“There is a wide variety of ages that come in here,” Tegeler said. “From under-aged, although they always get kicked out, to older gentleman that are in their 70s and 80s.

“Like Hugo, you can clock it. At 3:45 p.m. he comes in and says ‘hi’ to everyone and leaves after a drink,” Tegeler added. “But they are all a hell of a bunch of nice guys.”

As the oldest sports bar in Ames, Sportsman’s Lounge offers patrons a variety of sporting events. With eight TVs and two satellite dishes, large sporting events are never missed.

Two of the bars most celebrated sporting events are the Superbowl and the NCAA tournaments.

“During the Superbowl I smoke a lot of game venison and duck and feed everyone here,” Tegeler said. “We don’t advertise it, but those who have been here just know about it.”

However, the most celebrated sporting event at the bar is the George Cup. The George Cup, an 18-hole golf tournament, began in 1994 after a local, George, had a canoeing accident and went into a coma. Although George died this past Thanksgiving, the tournament has continued.

“It gives friends a chance to get together, play golf and tell stories,” Tegeler said. “There are no prizes. It’s just a chance to get together. He was one hell of a guy.”

Sportsman’s Lounge also offers a bit of intellectual challenges for those who aren’t athletically inclined.

“When Jeopardy comes on, everyone is quiet and watches TV,” Tegeler said. “We host some of the best Jeopardy players in Iowa.”

What the bar doesn’t have a lot of is college students.

“It’s mainly because of the location and just because many don’t know about it,” bartender Chris Dvergslem said. “But all of my roommates are college students, and I can’t keep them out of here. It’s like being at home.”

“It’s not a college kind of bar,” Tegeler added. “But once they stumble in here, they don’t leave.”

Jacobson even stated that the type of “students we get are the ones who want to get away from the college bar areas.”

If the eight big screen TVs, two satellite dishes, the juke box (that “plays occasionally”), foosball, bumper pool and the classic video game 1942 aren’t enough for sports fans, maybe the drink specials are.

Sportsman’s Lounge is open “everyday of the year” from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m., with happy hour from 4 until 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Happy hour specials include dollar draws, 50 cents off liqueur drinks and $2 mixed drinks.

After happy hour, daily drink specials are available. Monday’s specials are $4 pitchers and $1.50 shots of schnapps, Tuesday’s specials are $1.50 bottles, Wednesday’s specials include $1.50 well-drinks and Thursday’s specials are $4 pitchers.

“The pitchers are large ones, not small ones,” Dvergslem said.

Sportsman’s Lounge is located at 123 Main St.