Frankenstein's Monster

I was reading an article on Grantland by Chuck Klosterman that reviewed this video in (excruciating) detail, and was reminded of when I first encountered the Edgar Winter band and 'Frankenstein'.

The setup is that about 22 years ago I was working at the Sheraton Cavalier as a lifeguard and being a huge NFL nerd at the time, I had recently taken the local office football pool down for a cool $200. After being handed my cash by the Sheraton's Event Manager - Barry, I was asked if I would join in their new hockey pool. Not knowing much about hockey, but seeing a chance to perhaps earn some extra cash I agreed.

A month or so later I was briefed on the rules of the hockey draft I would be entering while drinking beers at the apartment of the pool manager - Steve, who I worked for. The teams would be 22 players, and you had to draft a minimum of 8 defensemen and three goaltenders. Each week you would dress 9 forwards, 6 defensemen, and two goalies. Trades were allowed (even encouraged), and stats would be kept from the moment the trades were negotiated (i.e., if I traded you Robitaille for Turgeon, at noon on Wednesday, the Wednesday nights games would be effected). Goaltenders were scored in a way I had never heard of before as they received 5pts for a shutout, but lost a point for every goal scored on them in a game.

I thanked the hockey gods I was not responsible for stats keeping.

Each GM was expected to name their team after themselves in a humorous way. Wayne Flaman's team became the 'Flaming Flaman's', a fellow named Joel called his team the 'Joel's Autos', etc. After a Letterman sketch popular at the time, I christened my team the 'Late-Night Thrill Cams'. The beer was cold, and it was good times all around.

A month or so later I walked into a Sheraton Cavalier conference room with a raised dais at the front. Barry and his fellow league commissioner sat a table at the front with a ghetto blaster on it. To inaugurate our first draft the commish cheerfully pushed play on an ancient cassette tape and I was introduced to 'Frankenstein' (and later 'Godzilla' by BOC) for the very first time.

Three months into that first hockey pool season I found myself in first place. A couple of weeks after that I missed a waiver draft (in my mind I tell myself because I was with a girl, but it was more likely I just forgot), and the league decided to kick me out and refund my entrance fee. A few weeks after that I had my last shift as a life-guard with them and resigned. I may have been a little bitter.

That summer I approached Dan and Doug with my ideas for how to improve the template they had given to me. Sort forwards by position, add tough guys, etc. Not long thereafter the FUNHL was officially born.

I can't say I like the song all that much, and I never went out of my way to listen to it again. But reading the Klosterman column I was transported back to that room in the Cavalier with the cheesey low-fi sound pumping out of the boom-box.

Frankenstein created quite the monster that day.