Fred called BC Football? I never knew that
He probably put the gold on the statehouse dome too for all we know. The guy was everywhere!
Hard to believe it has been 10 years since Fred passed - and yes he was everywhere
He spoke to the Globe a few days before he died
Recent interview with Cusick | Boston.com
There is even a picture of him in the 1948 World Series program at Braves Field under media.
Fred Cusick was born in the Brighton section of Boston. A graduate of (and former hockey player at) Northeastern University in Boston, Cusick began broadcasting sports at WCOP in Boston in 1941 while a senior at Northeastern, crediting his hockey background as the entree to the position. He subsequently went into the United States Navy in World War II, rising to lieutenant in command of a subchaser. After the war, he worked for several radio stations, hosting the popular Irish Hour on WVOM in Brookline, which focused on sports, especially hockey. After a brief time in Washington during the Korean War and upon the retirement of Bruins' radio broadcaster Frank Ryan, Cusick – paired with ex-Bruin Jack Crawford – became the radio play-by-play broadcaster of the Bruins from 1952 to 1963, during which time he was also Sports Director for WEEI radio in Boston.
Cusick was the announcer for the first US network NHL broadcast (CBS-TV in January 1957); he would spend four years in all working the NHL Game of the Week for CBS.
Fred Cusick was the color commentator on WEEI for the very first game of the fledgling American Football League, a Friday night contest between the Denver Broncos and the Boston Patriots on September 9, 1960, at Nickerson Field on the campus of Boston University. He served as the color man for Patriots radio between 1960 and 1964. He also had a notable interview with golfing legend Francis Ouimet in 1963, on the fiftieth anniversary of Ouimet's 1913 U.S. Open victory. It is the only video interview of Ouimet in existence.
In the early 1960s, Cusick was responsible for getting Boston Bruins' games on local television on a regular basis. In 1963, Bruins CEO Weston Adams asked Fred and producer/director Neal P. Cortel to arrange the first-ever live telecast of a Bruins game from the old Boston Garden. The experimental telecast was wildly popular, and later during the 1963/1964 season, Fred hosted the Sunday morning rebroadcasts of edited CBC Television tapes of Saturday night Bruins games in Montreal and Toronto; flown back overnight with the team, seen first at 9:00 AM on WMUR-TV in Manchester, New Hampshire and WTEV-TV (now WLNE-TV) in the Providence/New Bedford market the signal of which covered most of the Boston area), then at 1:00 PM on the old WHDH-TV (now WCVB-TV) in Boston, WWLP-TV in Springfield, and WRLP-TV in Northampton. Fred's telecasts were enormously popular, and within a few years, games would be shown live on WKBG and later began a long run at WSBK-TV.
From 1969 through 1971, Cusick was the radio voice of the Boston Bruins on WBZ-AM 1030 (Bob Wilson replaced him on WBZ-AM starting in 1972) when they reached the pinnacle of their popularity, winning their first Stanley Cup in 29 years in 1970, and setting a regular-season record for points and goals scored in 1970–71. His broadcasting partners were former NHL players Johnny Peirson in 1969–70 and Cal Gardner in 1970–71.
In 1971, Cusick returned to television, succeeding Don Earle, who had been hired by WSBK when they began covering the Boston Bruins, as play-by-play man for Bruins' games on WSBK with Peirson as his color man; when NESN was formed in 1984, he did double duty for 11 years, calling games for both channels. In his last years before he retired from broadcasting the Bruins, Cusick did games only for WSBK.
What an amazing life! Thanks for posting that Fen. Fantastic stuff to read
Slightly off topic but media related, I discovered recently that I was blocked on Twitter by Bob Stauffer, the Edmonton broadcaster who is part of the Oilers broadcast team and a real 'company' man if you know what I mean. He was tweeting out line combinations in July for the upcoming Oilers season. I merely suggested (in what I thought was a good natured fashion) that he find a hobby or two if he was tweeting line combinations for a non playoff team in the middle of summer.
So there is another sensitive reporter/tv personality in addition to Haggs. There is also Conor McKenna in Montreal who I think blocks anyone with 'Bruins' in their Twitter handle.
Anybody else get blocked by these hypersensitive types for very little reason?
Haggs and KPD blocked me for what I would call innocuous commentsSlightly off topic but media related, I discovered recently that I was blocked on Twitter by Bob Stauffer, the Edmonton broadcaster who is part of the Oilers broadcast team and a real 'company' man if you know what I mean. He was tweeting out line combinations in July for the upcoming Oilers season. I merely suggested (in what I thought was a good natured fashion) that he find a hobby or two if he was tweeting line combinations for a non playoff team in the middle of summer.
So there is another sensitive reporter/tv personality in addition to Haggs. There is also Conor McKenna in Montreal who I think blocks anyone with 'Bruins' in their Twitter handle.
Anybody else get blocked by these hypersensitive types for very little reason?
Haggs and KPD blocked me for what I would call innocuous comments
Slightly off topic but media related, I discovered recently that I was blocked on Twitter by Bob Stauffer, the Edmonton broadcaster who is part of the Oilers broadcast team and a real 'company' man if you know what I mean. He was tweeting out line combinations in July for the upcoming Oilers season. I merely suggested (in what I thought was a good natured fashion) that he find a hobby or two if he was tweeting line combinations for a non playoff team in the middle of summer.
So there is another sensitive reporter/tv personality in addition to Haggs. There is also Conor McKenna in Montreal who I think blocks anyone with 'Bruins' in their Twitter handle.
Anybody else get blocked by these hypersensitive types for very little reason?
Fred even did a bowling show
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Fred became the sports and public affairs director at the old Channel 56 and they televised the Bruins in the 1966-67 season but the owners of 56 at the time decided to drop the Bruins for the Celtics and Channel 38 decided to give the Bruins a shot. We all know how THAT worked out.
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I remember when the Saturday candlepin show on channel 5, hosted by Don Gillis, drew HUGE ratings.
Given the mention of Fred Cusick, where is Johnny Peirson living these days? He and Fred on ch. 38 were a big part of my formative days as a Bruins fan. Along with the hockey beat, Johnny was also a successful furniture salesman.
Got blocked by Murph 4-5 years ago for something 100% innocuous. Wasn’t being a jerk - and I generally know when I’m being a jerk.
Surprisingly, didn’t get blocked by Haggerty years ago when he tweeted out something that made it sound like Patrice had the flu. It was the day Berry’s son was born - Haggs said “Bergeron not at practice. Many Bruins have the flu.” It was common knowledge that Zac Bergeron was an impending free agent, so I called him out on it.
I blocked Haggs anyway much later - don’t need that blather on my TL.
Haggs blocked me after I insinuated to someone else on twitter that he watched road games from his couch.
Came to the conclusion of your second paragraph 10 years agoDo any of you like and/or think Jim
Rome is talented or entertaining?
Everyone I know thinks he sucks, annoying, talent less, wants to punch him out or choke him out
He’s rolling in it and I am not seeing it and neither does anyone else I asked