Fred Cusick dies

Watched him on cable via TV38 when I was a kid. Always solid. RIP.

 

RIP from a longtime Bruins fan. Enjoyable, and yes, understated announcer.

 

A part of growing up in Massachusetts. RIP, Fred.

 

A very sad day for Boston sports. Fred was an outstanding announcer and a real gentleman.

 

Met Fred at Chicago Stadium, which was nearly as old as he was and not nearly as well preserved, many years ago. Splendid guy, and never missed a beat on his calls. He was the first U.S. television voice of the NHL, on CBS in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

 

It's funny. As a Whaler fan growing up, I HATED Cusick and Derek Sanderson. Hated. It remember watching Peter Sidorkiewicz give up four third-period goals in the '90 playoffs and having to watch the TV-38 broadcast, and I wanted to throw the television listening to Cusick yell "SCORE!!!!!!"

After '97, and some time passed, I started watching the Bruins and eventually became a fan. I watched the old broadcasts featuring he and Johnny Pierson, and both really grew on me, especially Fred. Few broadcasters displayed the know-how and passion for the team. He was really instrumental in the Bruins becoming what they were in the late 60s and early 70s -- THE team to watch in Boston. I'd argue that he and Pierson are the best hockey broadcasting team in history.

It should say something that he was in the inaugural class of broadcasters in the Hall of Fame, along with Danny Gallivan, Foster Hewitt, et al.

RIP. He'll be missed; something New England could call its own.

 

Here's Fred calling a fight at the Garden, featuring my boy John Wensink:

 

Gotta be a Miller-Nilan brawl somewhere on youtube. And the call of the Orr Cup winner has to rank up there in signature calls.

 

The best-known Orr Cup winner call is from Dan Kelly on CBS. Fred was on WBZ Radio that day.

 

How about the greatest injustice that he was to go in to the Mass. Broadcasters HOF TONIGHT. And somehow this jackass organization in the last two years has inducted the likes of Joyce Kulhawik and Bob Lobel ahead of Fred Cusick. (If you're from Boston, you understand). Just Awesome.

Fred is truly the voice of my childhood and it was tough to hear yesterday, a. that he had died, and b. that he was 90! Wow.

Great voice, great memories. Thank you sir.

 

Great blog column here, from Mick Colageo of the New Bedford Standard-Times:

www.southcoasttoday.com/rinkrap

He has some Fred-isms, including one of my favorites:

"OH, and that'll do it for O'Reilly."