Fred McLeod (sportscaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fred McLeod
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McLeod in 2012
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| Born | September 1, 1952 Strongsville, Ohio, U.S.
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| Died | September 9, 2019 (aged 67) Ohio, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Point Park University |
| Occupation | Sportscaster NBA play-by-play announcer |
Fred D. McLeod III (born September 1, 1952 – died September 9, 2019) was a famous American sports announcer. He was best known for calling games for the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team. He was also the executive producer of multimedia for the Cavaliers.
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Early Life and College Sports
Fred McLeod was born on September 1, 1952, in Strongsville, Ohio. This is a suburb of Cleveland. When he was in high school, his family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He went to Point Park University in Pittsburgh. While there, he played baseball as a pitcher. His college team even made it to the NAIA College World Series!
Starting a Broadcasting Career
Fred started his career in sports broadcasting in 1974. He worked as a sportscaster at TV stations. His first jobs were in St. Joseph, Missouri and Steubenville, Ohio.
In the late 1970s, Fred came back to Cleveland. He worked for a TV station called WJKW-TV 8. He presented weekend sports news. He also called games for the Cleveland Indians baseball team in 1979.
Later, he moved to San Francisco. There, he was a sports presenter. He also called games for the Oakland Athletics baseball team.
Calling NBA Games
In 1982, Fred moved to Detroit, Michigan. He became a sportscaster for local TV stations. In 1984, he started calling games for the Detroit Pistons. This is an NBA basketball team. He was their TV play-by-play announcer for many years, until 2006.
From 2006 to 2019, Fred was the main TV announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He worked alongside former Cavaliers player Austin Carr. Together, they were a popular team. Fred also called preseason games for the Detroit Lions football team in 2019.
Fred McLeod passed away suddenly on September 9, 2019, at age 67. He is buried in North Olmsted, Ohio.
Fred's Famous Phrases
Fred McLeod was known for his exciting and unique phrases during games. Here are some of his most famous calls:
- Right down Euclid! - He said this when a Cavaliers player dribbled the ball quickly towards the basket. Euclid Avenue is a main street in Cleveland.
- ____ says "I got your back!" - This was used when a Cavaliers player grabbed a rebound and scored right away.
- Sweaty palms time - He used this during the last few minutes of a very close game.
- The bottom! - This was his call when a Cavaliers player made a three-point shot.
- Shakin' the lake! - He said this after a powerful slam dunk, especially by LeBron James. Lake Erie is near Cleveland.
- A wine and gold winner - This was his phrase right after the Cavaliers won a game. Wine and gold are the Cavaliers' team colors.
- Good night ____, we'll let ourselves out! - He used this when the Cavaliers won a game in another city.
- He shut off his water! - This meant a Cavaliers player stopped an opponent from dribbling to the basket.
- He blew a tire - This was for when a player dropped the ball and lost it to the other team.
- He's gone video game - He said this when a player was shooting very well or making many difficult shots.
- Convenient banking hours - This was used when a player shot the ball off the backboard and it went into the hoop. He often said it jokingly, as if the player meant to do it.
- He shuffled his shoes! - This was for when an opposing player took too many steps without dribbling, which is called a traveling violation.
Awards and Honors
Fred McLeod won several awards for his broadcasting work:
- He won four Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards. These were for his work with the Fox Sports Ohio Cavaliers broadcast team in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
- The media area at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (where the Cavaliers play) was named the "Fred McLeod TV Studio and Media Workroom" in his honor.
