Editor’s note: This interview originally ran on July 20, 2009. During Dan’s final vacation week, he will run the Best of Interviews in 2009.

Bob Lobel was a sportscaster at WBZ-TV in Boston from 1979 to 2008. Arguably the most popular television sports anchor in the Hub for much of that stretch, Lobel separated himself from other news anchors with his familiar rapport with the athletes and his audience. WBZ bought out Lobel’s contract in April of 2008 during a round of layoffs. He has since made occasional appearances on television and radio. Lobel was nice enough to grant an interview request last week. The transcript follows.

Why can't we get guys like that?

I was surprised to read you’re originally from Apple Creek, Ohio. You always seemed like a Boston native. How’d you end up here?

“It’s an interesting story. I went to college at Kent State, then I came to the University of Vermont and got a Master’s degree in education. I started in radio in Burlington, Vt. as kind of a hobby type of thing. I went from Burlington to Manchester, NH to Boston. I was pretty much in radio, that was it. I haven’t worked at a lot of different places. I’ve only worked at three radio stations and two TV stations. That’s been it. It’s been pretty simple — not very complicated.

“It’s one of those things where I was totally unprepared fro what I ended up doing. It worked by accident — really. I don’t know. I think I made a bunch of brave decisions during difficult times, and I had no idea what I was doing. There’s a lesson there. Sometimes the less you know, the better you are. All of the sudden, I end up doing TV in Boston. I’m like, ‘What am I doing here?’ I don’t know.”

So you never had a goal of becoming a sports anchor for a major television station?

“Not at all. When I started, the goal was to get through the night. Then it was to get to the next day. I had no interest in becoming a sportscaster on a major market’s television station. I have no idea how that happened. Honest to God, it just happened. I actually love radio much more than television. It just happened, though. I wish I could give you more interesting answers, but it wasn’t a lifelong dream. It wasn’t. It was almost a day-to-day proposition. I guess I was just fortunate to have the opportunity to do some of the things I had a chance to do. I think back and say, ‘Did that actually happen?’ It’s stuff no one could possibly imagine they’d be doing if they’re the least bit sports-inclined.”

When you started in television, sports segments would run 10-15 minutes in length. Late in your career, they’d give sports anchors 90 seconds to review the day’s games. Was that depressing to watch?

“Originally, the role was a story-teller. Technology wasn’t as advanced. Live shots were much harder to get than they are today. So you were really kind of a story-teller. If you told the best stories over the best video, you were the most successful. You had to have a sense of humor. You couldn’t take this seriously. I was real serious about not being serious. So I guess my success came from having a sense of humor and communicating it to that stupid television machine camera. You end up talking to a machine. Then you have to visualize in your mind who’s on the other side of that machine. Today, you don’t have to be a story-teller. You just have to get on, and get out.”

Did ESPN’s SportsCenter change the role of the sports anchor?

“Absolutely. No question. ESPN rules the world, and rightfully so. They became a national authority on sports. One thing that took them a long time to do was deal with local issues and local teams. There was still room for both ESPN and a local sportscast. But ESPN kept creeping in. For some reason, general managers of station — especially general managers from out of town — would make decisions. They didn’t grow up or live here, and they decided what we should talk about on the air. They’re the ones who should really be held responsible. They just didn’t get it. They didn’t get what sports in Boston meant. They didn’t get the relationship between the on-air person and the audience. Now, that’s over and done with. There’s no sense crying over spilled milk. That’s just the way things evolved.”

Did you have a personal connection with some of the athletes?

“The answer, I think, is yes. Friendly was probably pushing it. I think it was a mutual respect. I tried to respect their space. I felt that I knew what was reportable and what was personal. I don’t think I ever violated that. I did probably get too close to Carlton Fisk when he was here. Then when he left to go to Chicago, I held it against the Red Sox organization. But at the time, they did so many other stupid things. It wasn’t just that. But I would have to say the one friendship I had when I was doing the job was with Carlton Fisk. I had others, but they’ve come after they were done playing — guys like Bobby Orr and M.L. Carr. Guys like that. I’ve become pretty close with Dwight Evans and John Hannah.”

You once had Ted Williams, Larry Bird, and Bobby Orr on Sports Final for a panel discussion. Was that the pinnacle of your career?

“No. I wouldn’t say that. It’s nice for you to say, but I suppose that was probably the most unusual thing we did. It would never be done again. To say it was the pinnacle … I don’t know. That’s what we did. It wasn’t like we were trying to put out the best thing we could ever do. Our job was to put shows on. So let’s try to put together an interesting show.

“That happened to be the most interesting. I would say that. The further we get away from that interview, the bigger it becomes. Even in my mind, I didn’t realize how big it was until somebody brings it up like you did. Everybody remembers it. For some reason, I don’t think the biggest moment of my career has happened yet. I know it’s a stupid thing to say. I’m not ready to pack it in by saying that was the biggest thing ever to happen for me, career-wise. Maybe in the end it will be, but I’m not ready to say it is yet.”

Everyone associates you with the Boston Marathon broadcast. Is that your favorite day of the year?

“One of them. I loved doing it. It was live TV, Dan, for three of four hours. It really was challenging. I always felt that one of my strengths was being able to ad lib on live TV. It was just a great challenge to be to do that under pressure. You just have to keep focusing basically.”

When did you get a sense that your job was in jeopardy at WBZ?

“I probably knew a year or so ahead of time. I could just tell. I could get a sense of what was going to happen. It was hardly any surprise. I can tell you that. It may have been a surprise to other people, but it was not a surprise to me.”

Do you have a favorite Boston sportswriter?

“I love Bob Ryan. People like Leigh Montville. There are so many great ones. Ryan, Montville, Bud Collins. There were some great writers here.”

Who was your favorite athlete to cover?

“I liked guys who had a sense of humor — Bobby Orr. I enjoyed covering Carlton Fisk, M.L. Carr. Covering Larry Bird was like going to church. It was like Elvis leaving the building. Larry was special, as we know. I thought I had a great relationship with Ted Williams. I never covered him as a player. But I covered him post-career. Everybody has written books about Ted Williams, but I got to know him better than most. That’s the type of place it was when I was there. I was at the right place at the right time. I was very fortunate to be able to do that.”

In 2005, you sued cartoonist Darby Conley for drawing a comic strip that implied that you were drunk during a news broadcast. You ended up settling out of court. Where did he get that idea?

“That was really unfortunate. I still don’t know who the kid was. I’d be happy to meet him and give him a second chance. But I had no choice but to sue him. I had to bring a lawsuit against him. I had no choice whatsoever. It was so wrong. I didn’t care how it turned out as long as he retracted it. I was fine with that. It wasn’t something I enjoyed.”

Where did he get the idea that you were drunk during a broadcast?

“You’d have to ask him. I don’t know. I don’t know.”

How would you like to finish your career?

“I’m going to do some special stuff for Comcast. But I would also like to get back to doing some sports talk radio. I still don’t think I’m done with that just yet. I definitely think that would be something I’d agree to do if the right opportunity came along.”

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