Former WBZ Sports Director Bob Lobel honored with Gold Circle Award

BOSTON -- Former WBZ Sports Director Bob Lobel received a special honor Monday night. Lobel received the Emmy's Gold Circle Award, which is given to broadcasters whose contributions span 50 years or more. 

Lobel accepted the award with the self-deprecating humor that endeared him to his audience.

"That's the other thing about this award," Lobel said. "Just by its mere definition, you have to live long enough to get it."

Lobel is serious about sports, but never takes himself too seriously. He connected fans to the biggest moments in Boston sports history.

"One of the great things that was available to me at the time was a great audience that cared passionately about their sports and had a sense of humor," Lobel said. "If you don't have a sense of humor, you might as well pack it in."

He got the biggest interviews and even had a signature phrase: "Why can't we get players like that?"

"That's what I hear every day," Lobel said of the phrase. "Every day and I really kind of enjoy it."

He joined the WBZ sports team back in 1979, became sports director in 1981, and spent more than 30 years anchoring the nightly sportscasts, Sports Final, and Patriots 5th Quarter.

"I loved having fun. I loved dealing with the sports fans. I loved dealing with the subject matter and I loved the people I worked with," Lobel said. "We were blessed to have that chemistry. It was a family."