Remembering Cawood

[Indy Cat]

How many of you remember Cawood's intro;

"Hello everybody, this is Cawood Ledford coming to you tonight from Memorial collesium on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington where the mighty Kentucky Wildcats get set to take on the highly ranked Commordores of Vanderbilt and it should be a barnburner."

With no TV back then, Cawood was our eyes & it was exciting & almost electric when he came on the air with that smooth, silky voice.
I'll never forget

 

[_Rooster]

I remember I'd hang out with Dad on his huge full-size bed listening to every word with visions of superstar action figures going thru my head. Sure was nicer than my lumpy rollway bed on the back porch.

 

[CatPhight]

Cawood was the man!

 

[hotelblue]

we for some reason got the feed all the way in eastern pa on this one particular 70's stereo. this was during tv, but still epic, we didn't have espn initially and weren't in jp's region. i'm kind of glad he didn't live to see pitino's downfall. got to meet him once once and he was very gracious.

 

[Kentucky fan 1989]

Bet the main reason we hate Laettner is because we wanted to see Cawood go out on top.

 

[Ineverplayedthegame]

The saddest moment in my UK fandom was when Cawood announced his impending retirement. I kept hoping somehow he would change his mind and it wouldn't happen. I missed him and dreaded the change more than the loss of any other coach or player.

 

[Mulder14]

Kentuckys moving left to right on your radio dial was part of his first words on the broadcast too!

 

[CatPhight]

"and The Kentucky Wildcats have defeated the top ranked Indiana Hoosiers to move on to the Final Four...and here comes
Bobby Knight...refusing to shake hands with Coach Hall, somehow I don't think he gives a damn" - Cawood, March 1975

 

[FlCATFan]

I think it takes a very special talent to paint a mental picture of a game in progress. Cawood was the best at it and UK Cat to the core.

 

[Kycatspaws]

 

[BoulderCat]

I go all the way back to '66 when I was 8 and first followed them. My dad and I would sit in a darkened room listening while he sipped a bourbon. Cawood was amazing really at being able to paint us a picture with his words. I don't think I saw that team play a single game on TV until the Final 4. And yea, I loved how he would tell us which side of the radio dial our Cat's were going. It helped me visualize. He was an extraordinary talent. That he's from the same place as me, and my dad knew his family well made it even better. He was one of our own.

 

[ram1955]

I go all the way back to '66 when I was 8 and first followed them. My dad and I would sit in a darkened room listening while he sipped a bourbon. Cawood was amazing really at being able to paint us a picture with his words. I don't think I saw that team play a single game on TV until the Final 4. And yea, I loved how he would tell us which side of the radio dial our Cat's were going. It helped me visualize. He was an extraordinary talent. That he's from the same place as me, and my dad knew his family well made it even better. He was one of our own.

I also sat in a darkened room. Listening to Cawood, made them seem bigger than life. For me bball is not nearly as good without him.

 

[TeoJ]

Turn down the TV,turn on WHAS.The only way to watch a UK game. I was lucky enough to meet Cawood in 1980,CLASS ACT.