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 1-27-23
January 31, 2023
Join Lorne Plant, TJ Kelley and Scott Burnstein for the fourth episode this season of STATE CHAMPS! Hangtime.
0:00 - Open
1:54 - CHSL teams in playoffs
6:22 - Recap last weekend and Tuesday's games
8:58 - TJ talks Port Huron Northern
10:10 - Scott's take on Port Huron Northern
12:08 - TJ's Super 20
14:15 - BCAM Chalk Talk with Saline Head Coach Mike Marek
16:48 - SEC Red
19:02 - Tournaments, Tournaments, Tournaments
20:38 - Key games with Scott
26:09 - TJ's Fastbreak Invitational at Belleville
29:41 - Cardinal Mooney team manager Jimmy Downey makes his debut
30:19 - Close