Question about Cawood and Leach

[bbncal02]

"THEY ARE MOVING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ON YOUR RADIO DIAL""

What announcing should be. We've got a couple of local announcers that, bless them they try, but make it near impossible to listen to a game. When they update a score (if they do) they don't say which team is ahead. Drives me nuts! Like "The score is 25-15 and we will be right back" Ok, that tells me nothing but one team is winning, which I could assume that based on nature of how sports work. If I just tuned in, that tells me nothing. Announcers should always say what the score is at breaks and which team is ahead. It's not rocket science yet I hear more poor coverage and announcing daily.

 

[Johnfarrel]

Echoing many of the comments above, Cawood was a class by himself. He was a true champion of UK basketball and football but never thought of him as a Homer. If the Cats were playing bad, he called it out. And, was never afraid to ask the coach a hard question during post game interviews.
I remember how cool it was to be sitting in Memorial for a freshman game and the student section giving a shout “Helllloooo Cawood” when he’d walk into the press desk and start getting set up….he’d turn toward us with a wave.
Yep, Cawood was truly the Voice of the Wildcats and even though I like TL a lot, Cawood will never be replaced.
Something many may not be aware of today is Cawood was often called in to do NCAA basketball tournament games even when UK was not one of teams playing.

He was one of a kind.

 

[clevenger32]

Cawood stopped by my liquor store in St Matthews almost every Tuesday if there was a home game that night. He got a little bottle so he could have a "nip" after the game, so he could sleep and drive back to Jefferson County in the daylight. We talked B-ball some and about his helper announcer (Can't remember name). HELP someone.. This was in the ealry 70's as we owned the Ice House behind Bacon's in St Matthews. He wasn't afraid to spit it out if there was something wrong with the team.

Jack Cook...did halftime all by himself while Cawood went out to the corridor to smoke a couple of cigarettes. Lots of times he would interview beat writer for the team UK was playing or regional writer like the Nashville Tennessean's Jimmy Davey or Furman Bisher of Atlanta Journal Constitution.

 

[Bluesbrother]

Tom is the Goat. Ledford was good. A legend, but Tom is the greatest voice in program history.

Respectfully, I would strongly disagree. Compared to Ledford, Tom pales quickly, especially in his technical quality of the "call". Cawood was the consumate professional in every detail. You could almost imagine you were actually at the game watching. If there is anyone, ever, truly better than Cawood, I would love to listen rather than watch. Cawood is the STANDARD by which all others are measured, and no one has ever come close IMO.

 

[77blueuk]

I'm sure I'm not alone when I claim that Cawood Ledford has more to do with me being a life long UK fan than anyone or anything. As a small kid; I had a metal am transistor radio that I carried around; listening to every word Cawood said from tipoff/kickoff to post-game. He was magical; it was like you were at the game; before the days of color TV being common. We didn't have one then. Going to standing room only basketball games ($2 to enter and sit in the aisles); sitting in great seats at football games (my dad had season tickets); graduating from UK; those all contributed. BUT, Cawood was by far the most amazing announcer EVER. Hands down!

 

[JimBR]

Tom is the Goat. Ledford was good. A legend, but Tom is the greatest voice in program history.

I respectfully disagree. Tom is excellent but I grew up listening to Cawood and no one compares.

 

[KENTUCKY_FLYER]

What I like about Cawood is he just called the game. He didn't make every shot or steal or assist out to be the greatest play ever. Leach makes every play some sort of greatest ever play. Every assist, block, dunk or whatever it is, he drastically over reacts. Just a simple lay up and we have to hear what a great athlete he is or how his upper body strength allows him to do this or that. Hell... if a player makes a free throw we have to hear about how he worked out all last summer developing upper chest strength and calf control to hit free throws. There are one or two truly exceptional plays a game that need to be commented on. Leach does it EVERY play.

 

[jr40831]

I saw him at the Harlan Walmart, I didn't try to talk to him as he probably had to put up with people all the time. Ralph Hacker, his color commentator took over for him but was not too good at it. Leach kept Cawood's habit of describing the colors of the uniforms and which direction on your radio dial UK would be on offense.

 

[DreadLox]

Ledford's manner turned him into everybody's uncle, but I think Leach's ordinary descriptions are fuller and more accurate than Ledford's were. Ledford's descriptions over time became so minimal that the game seemed to be played at the pace of a baseball game. If it weren't for Leach's screaming I'd prefer his call to Ledford's. Cheez-whiz, guy. Turn it down.

 

[m080470]

Leach is fine and I like his enthusiasm but he doesn't compare to Cawood and it's ridiculous and sacrilege to make the comparison. Cawood was the voice of the Final Four on radio for years, the Derby, put in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and is/was considered by many opposing fans and his peers the greatest basketball play by play guy in history. If you think Leach is better than Cawood, you have to be under 35, just started UK basketball a few years ago or you're dumb.