By Matt Hall
Rock River Current
Get our newsletter
Chicago sports radio broadcasting legend Les Grobstein is getting the bobblehead treatment.
Today on what would have been his 70th birhtday, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited-edition official bobblehead to honor the longtime Chicago sports radio broadcaster who passed away this past January. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also issued a proclamation declaring March 11, 2022, as Les Grobstein Day.
Wearing a press pass around his neck, the smiling Grobstein bobblehead is holding a microphone in his right hand and his trusty tape recorder in his left hand. He is standing on a circular base bearing his name along with the 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) logo. The bobblehead includes sound clips from Grobstein that play at the touch of a button. Each bobblehead will be individually numbered and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in July 2022, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.
Grobstein is a Chicago native and had a career that spanned over 50 years on the Chicago airwaves. Grobstein served as 670 The Score’s weeknight overnight host since 2009. In addition to his time spent at 670 The Score, Grobstein was the Sports Director at WLS-AM Radio from 1979-89 and he also worked for WLUP-AM and WMVP-AM. He had worked for Associated Press Broadcasting since 1975 and ABC Sports Radio since 1980. His career play-by-play assignments included the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League, Northwestern University Wildcats basketball, Chicago Hustle women’s basketball, Chicago Sting soccer, Chicago Horizons indoor soccer, UIC Flames basketball and hockey, Chicago Cheetahs roller hockey, the Chicago Sky of the WNBA, and many high school football and basketball games.
Of all his amazing achievements in broadcasting, he may perhaps be most famous for recording an infamous obscenity-laced tirade by former Chicago Cubs Manager Lee Elia in 1983, in which he ripped Cubs fans for failing to support the team. The clip remains popular almost 40 years later.
Les’ family made the following statement on the release of the bobblehead, “The family is still reeling from the sudden loss of Les, but we are thrilled to see this bobblehead released on his birthday. He was a bobblehead fan and would have loved seeing his bobblehead unveiled today.”