A few months back we speculated that Cleveland’s new AHL franchise would resemble newspaper-wrapped fish in its Reebok uniform system next season, as word leaked that management had secured a patent on the name “Fighting Walleye.” But we underestimated the impact of focus groups . . . or Internet message board ridicule. Cleveland’s AHL franchise will begin play next season named the Lake Erie Monsters! And affiliated with the Colorado Avalanche.
Its mascot simply must be named Herman.
And like the New Jersey Devils, there’s regional mythology behind the moniker. (Hopefully, they’ll play more exciting hockey than the Devils.) The team’s web site (rather impressive, btw) includes a history of the dreaded aquatic beast:
“Somewhere below the surface of Lake Erie, it slithers, a mysterious and misunderstood creature. On rare occasions, the creature rises above the surface, but usually just ends up startling fishermen and sending boaters speeding for shore.
First sighted in 1817, The Lake Erie Monster has captured the imagination of Northeast Ohio residents for nearly 200 years. Often described as a 30-40 foot serpent, hundreds of residents have witnessed and come forward with tales of what they have seen in or around the lake.
Described as a passive creature, the legend of the Lake Erie Monster was heightened when the creature was blamed for an attack in 1992 that killed three people in Port Dover, Ontario. The survivors of the attack say the creature’s head was as large as a car. This prompted a group of local businessmen to offer a $150,000 reward for the beast’s live capture.”
Don’t know about you, but we’re more scared of a January layover in Cleveland.
2 Comments
Additional observations:
1. He kinda looks like Sewer Urchin from The Tick.
2. The “M” in Monsters reminds me of the “D” in the Anaheim Ducks’ new logo.
Pretty fun name/logo for an AHL team…But then again there is the Ducks/penguins in the NHL (horrible names).
Post a Comment