The past year has been one of great change for the Lake Erie Monsters organization. After becoming the AHL affiliate of the in-state Columbus Blue Jackets and winning a Calder Cup, the Monsters decided to reimagine their identity as a franchise. On Tuesday, Monsters’ management unveiled this new vision at an event in downtown Cleveland, and the fans have not responded positively.
In short, the front office decided to change the name of the franchise from the Lake Erie Monsters to the Cleveland Monsters, a move no doubt meant to clarify the team’s location for those geographically-challenged fans. Additionally, the rebranding has supplanted the Blue Jackets’ red, white, and blue color scheme with the familiar red and gold of owner Dan Gilbert‘s other Cleveland franchise, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The #CLEMonsters will wear these NEW sweaters in the 2016-17 season! pic.twitter.com/2yjCMOvN2W
— Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) August 9, 2016
With Rebranding, Monsters Lose Sense of Identity
The first problem with the rebranding of the franchise lies in the name itself. In light of the city’s own attempt to redefine itself through marketing and creating a sense of civic pride, the name change is understandable. The goal is clearly to align the team’s image with the city rather than the general region. Yet, in doing so, the name becomes less meaningful, less unique.
The Lake Erie Monsters draw their name from the urban legend of Bessie, a monster said to reside within the depths of Lake Erie itself. Getting rid of the “Lake Erie” in the name and replacing it with the city would be equivalent to changing the New Jersey Devils to the Newark Devils. The “monster” is such a common mascot in sports that robbing the franchise of its folklorish origins consigns what was once a quirky, unique moniker to the depths of mediocrity.
While the name change is forgivable, however, the new color palette simply is not. Again, the idea is clearly to promote solidarity within the city, but the result is less than adequate. Upon seeing the new sweaters, fans of the franchise expressed their frustration with the change, and it’s easy to see why. Although the social media team has been adamant that the Jackets-themed sweaters will appear as alternates, it’s clear that Gilbert has had more influence on the redesign than he perhaps should have, leaving the Blue Jackets out in the cold.
The Real Problem
When the Jackets announced that the Monsters would replace the Springfield Falcons as the AHL affiliate, the purpose was to create a unified state of hockey, to “Battle Together.” The two clubs linked their identities, their staff, their prospects, in order to foster pride for the entire state of Ohio. Fans of the Jackets became fans of the Monsters, and vice versa. If one were to look at the Monsters’ rebranding today, however, that fact might not be so clear.
While it is understandable to want to promote the city of Cleveland, the new-look Monsters have done so at the expense of their affiliation and have drawn the ire of their fans in the process. For what it’s worth, they may as well have just changed the name entirely. After all, the “Cleveland Ice Cavaliers” has a nice ring to it.
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