In Memoriam: Fred McLeod (1952-2019)

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 10, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Basketball fans all over Ohio and Michigan are mourning the death Monday evening of longtime play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod, who was known most for his broadcasts of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons over the last 36 years – but also made a few of the most memorable calls in MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals history.

McLeod, who was 67, was a voice of MHSAA Finals broadcasts from 1998 – FOX Sports Detroit’s first year of coverage – through the 2005 boys basketball championship games, his last before leaving FSD for FOX Sports Ohio.

According to a statement posted by the Cavs on their website, McLeod broadcast more than 1,000 games for that team during two stints, and 22 seasons for the Detroit Pistons, in addition to time supplying his voice for the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers as well over nearly four decades.

Below are McLeod’s calls from the final seconds of the 2005 Class D Final between Detroit Rogers and Bellaire and 1999 Class D Final between Detroit City and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian, both on FOX Sports Detroit.

State Champs! Michigan: Hangtime 2-17-23

February 17, 2023

Join Lorne Plant, TJ Kelley and Scott Burnstein for the seventh episode this season of STATE CHAMPS! Hangtime.
0:00 – Open
1:10 – Undefeated teams across the state
1:35 – Birmingham Groves, Return of Marc West
3:55 – OAA White
4:55 – Game Recaps
5:12 – Brother Rice vs UofD Jesuit
6:27 – Detroit PSL/CHSL Operation Friendship
6:59 – Rice’s big 3
7:57 – Saginaw vs Arthur Hill, last game ever between the two programs before merger
11:21 – MAC Red
15:03 – Warren Lincoln vs Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
16:34 – Hudsonville vs Grandville
17:11 – BCAM Chalk Talks with North Farmington Head Coach Todd Negoshian
19:00 – The guys talk about North Farmington
22:06 – TJ’s Top 20 Rankings
25:01 – Weekend outlook and conference playoffs
29:44 - Close