CLEVELAND — All of Northeast Ohio and others around the NBA are still in shock after the sudden death of longtime Cavaliers broadcaster Fred McLeod.
McLeod called play-by-play for the Cavs on television for 13 years. Along with "Mr. Cavalier" Austin Carr, the Strongsville native endeared himself to fans and even players with his impeccable abilities and love for the game.
Along the way, Fred put himself in the same realm as men like Joe Tait and Tom Hamilton with a series of memorable catchphrases that captured the essence of Cleveland basketball, especially during the many playoff runs of the LeBron James era. Here are only a few of the best ones.
"Sweaty palms time"
Whenever a game would go down to the wire, Fred would usually remind us all at home to essentially brace for impact, as it was "sweaty palms time" at Quicken Loans Arena or wherever the Cavs were playing that night. We always sat on the edge of our seats, and many times, Cleveland came out on top.
"Right down Euclid!"
If a Cavs player would drive the lane for a score, Fred would often punctuate the moment by saying he went "right down Euclid!" More often than not, the player involved was LeBron James.
"The Bottom!"
The Cavs certainly hit many big shots from outside during Fred's tenure, and he usually would proclaim his excitement whenever they hit "The Bottom!" of the bucket.
"Mr. Fourth Quarter"
If a Cavs player went off in crunch time, he was that night's "Mr. Fourth Quarter." LeBron James and Kyrie Irving tended to earn that title most often.
"Just stop it!"
Sometimes, the greatness Fred was watching was too much for even him to handle, and he would have to ask the player to "Just stop it!"
"I got your back!"
Players often need to pick each other up on the court. These moments never went unnoticed by Fred, who would always chime in when a Cavalier said to a teammate "I got your back!"
"Goodnight!"
The Cavs would often rip their opponents' hearts out in the closing minutes. If that happened, Fred would wish the opposing city "Goodnight!"
"Can you believe it??"
Many times, the moments were so incredible, even Fred himself couldn't believe it.
"A Wine and Gold Winner!"
From 2006 to 2019, Fred's signature call was always "A Wine and Gold Winner!" after every Cavs victory. We are thankful he go to call so many during his time with us.
Rest in peace, Fred. We will miss you forever.