Fred McLeod (sportscaster)
Fred McLeod | |
|---|---|
NBA play-by-play announcer |
Fred D. McLeod III (September 1, 1952 – September 9, 2019) was an American sportscaster who served as the executive producer of multimedia, and television play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1]
Early life
McLeod was born on September 1, 1952
Broadcasting career
McLeod began his broadcasting career in 1974 as a sportscaster for KQTV in St. Joseph, Missouri, and later moved to WSTV in Steubenville, Ohio.
In the late 1970s, he returned to Cleveland when he was hired by
In 1982, McLeod moved to
From the 2006-07 to 2018-19 seasons, McLeod was the television play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside former Cavalier Austin Carr. He also served as play-by-play announcer for Detroit Lions preseason telecasts in 2019.[6]
On September 9, 2019, McLeod died suddenly at the age of 67.[7][8][9]
Signature calls
- Right down Euclid! - when a Cavaliers player drives down the lane to the basket
- ____ says "I got your back!" - when a Cavaliers player grabs an offensive rebound and puts the ball in the hoop
- Sweaty palms time - during the closing minutes of tight games
- The bottom! - when a Cavaliers player hits a three-pointer
- Shakin' the lake! - after a powerful slam dunk by LeBron James
- A wine and gold winner - immediately after the final horn of a Cavaliers win
- Good night ____, we'll let ourselves out! - when the Cavaliers win a road game
- He shut off his water! - when a Cavaliers player stops an opponent from driving to the basket
- He blew a tire - when a player on either side fumbles the ball and turns it over
- He's gone video game - when a player is hot shooting or hitting multiple difficult shots
- Convenient banking hours - when a player shoots the ball off the backboard and into the hoop. The phrase is often used sarcastically as if the player meant to bounce the ball off the glass all along when it clearly was a mere happenstance.
- He shuffled his shoes! - when an opposing player committed a traveling violation
Awards and honors
- Four-time
- Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse media area named the "Fred McLeod TV Studio and Media Workroom"[13][14]
References
- ^ Cavs media guide - Cavs.com
- ^ "Funeral Service Information for Fred D. McLeod III".
- ^ McLeod online chat - NBA.com
- ^ a b McLeod bio - AEI Speakers Bureau
- ^ Indians broadcasters - Indians.com
- ^ Crawford, Kirkland (2019-06-04). "Detroit Lions tab Fred McLeod as new preseason TV play-by-play man". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
- ^ Bartkowiak, Dave Jr. (2019-09-10). "Fred McLeod, former Detroit sportscaster, dies at 67". WDIV. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
- ^ "Longtime Detroit sportscaster Fred McLeod dies at 67". 10 September 2019.
- ^ "A Very Sad Cavaliers Family Announcement". www.nba.com. September 11, 2019. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
- ^ McLeod's Emmy award - NATAS Lower Great Lakes chapter
- ^ 2017 Emmy winners - NATAS Lower Great Lakes Chapter
- ^ 2018 Emmy winners - Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards
- ^ Cavs name media area for Fred McLeod - Cavs.com
- ^ 2019 winners - Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards