Bror-Erik Wallenius
Encyclopedia
Bror-Erik "Bubi" Wallenius (born 1943) is a Finnish
sports commentator
who works for Finland's National Broadcasting Company YLE.
Wallenius had a great passion for sports since his childhood. When he was a little boy he organized sports competition in Kruununhaka
, Helsinki
, the neighbourhood he lived, and collected entrance fees from the adults who came to audience. Wallenius learn to read when he was four years old, and practised verbal expression. He recited poetry in front of the class. In the 1960s he studied languages and social sciences in the University of Helsinki
. At the end of the 1970s Wallenius got job from the Swedish
sports editorial staff of YLE. Before that he had worked ten years as a salesman for IBM
. Wallenius' first play-by-play sportscast was women's 60 meters hurdles, which he watched from videotape
, for radio
.
In the 1980s Wallenius worked mainly in the Swedish language sports staff, but also did some newsflashes for Finnish language sports news Urheiluruutu
. In Swedish he sportscasted the 1988 Winter Olympics
in Calgary
, among others. In the beginning of 1990s he made a permanent move to the Finnish side of sport staff. The first sportcasts were mainly cross-country skiing
competitions. Nowadays Wallenius is a real multi-skilled sports commentator who can commentate every sport. He usually commentates athletics
together with Antero Mertaranta
, basketball
with a colour commentator (Jukka Toijala and Henrik Dettman in the 2000s), and skiing with color commentator too (Juha Mieto
, Pekka Vähäsöyrinki and Kari Ristanen
in the 2000s). In the skiing season 2006/2007 Wallenius himself had made a move to a colour commentator, and the main play-by-play commentator was a young Jussi Eskola. In the 1990s Wallenius also commentated ice hockey
, and football so far as second half of 2000s. He was one of the main commentators in FIFA World Cup
s and UEFA European Football Championship
. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup
he wasn't anymore a play-by-play commentator, but had his own intermission show Bubin vaihtopenkki ("Bubi's substitution bench") where he discussed about the events in football with many celebrity guests and football personalities. "Bubi" has also commentated many other kind of sports, like strong man competitions
.
The commentating style of Wallenius is very restful, genial and philosophic. That arouses many kind of opinions among sports fans. Many people consider him as a "walking sport encyclopedia", but others think he is boring chatterers. The integral part of his style is to tell simpe things in quite complex way and fall into very deep philosophic contemplation. He has spoken up for his calm analytic style by saying that shouting should only be done in the army
and by the police
. Wallenius had been married twice, but has been a bachelor for the last 20 years. He retired in December 2008.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
sports commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
who works for Finland's National Broadcasting Company YLE.
Wallenius had a great passion for sports since his childhood. When he was a little boy he organized sports competition in Kruununhaka
Kruununhaka
Kruununhaka is a neighbourhood of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.Kruununhaka became the area next to the harbour and the center, when Helsinki was moved from the earlier location in the mid-1660s...
, Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, the neighbourhood he lived, and collected entrance fees from the adults who came to audience. Wallenius learn to read when he was four years old, and practised verbal expression. He recited poetry in front of the class. In the 1960s he studied languages and social sciences in the University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
. At the end of the 1970s Wallenius got job from the Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
sports editorial staff of YLE. Before that he had worked ten years as a salesman for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
. Wallenius' first play-by-play sportscast was women's 60 meters hurdles, which he watched from videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
, for radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
.
In the 1980s Wallenius worked mainly in the Swedish language sports staff, but also did some newsflashes for Finnish language sports news Urheiluruutu
Urheiluruutu
Urheiluruutu is a daily sport news television programme in Finland's National Broadcasting Company YLE.The programme originally launched on August 18, 1962. The sportsreader was Anssi Kukkonen and the programme was gathered up by Seppo Kannas. Kukkonen is also the father of the name Urheiluruutu ...
. In Swedish he sportscasted the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, among others. In the beginning of 1990s he made a permanent move to the Finnish side of sport staff. The first sportcasts were mainly cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
competitions. Nowadays Wallenius is a real multi-skilled sports commentator who can commentate every sport. He usually commentates athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
together with Antero Mertaranta
Antero Mertaranta
Lauri Antero Johannes Mertaranta is a prominent Finnish sportscaster and TV personality and former elementary school teacher....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
with a colour commentator (Jukka Toijala and Henrik Dettman in the 2000s), and skiing with color commentator too (Juha Mieto
Juha Mieto
Juha Iisakki Mieto . is a former Finnish cross country skier who competed during the 1970s and 1980s. He won five medals at the Winter Olympics...
, Pekka Vähäsöyrinki and Kari Ristanen
Kari Ristanen
Kari Ristanen was a Finnish cross-country skier who competed during the 1980s. He won a bronze medal in the 4 x 10 km relay at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo....
in the 2000s). In the skiing season 2006/2007 Wallenius himself had made a move to a colour commentator, and the main play-by-play commentator was a young Jussi Eskola. In the 1990s Wallenius also commentated ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, and football so far as second half of 2000s. He was one of the main commentators in FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s and UEFA European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
he wasn't anymore a play-by-play commentator, but had his own intermission show Bubin vaihtopenkki ("Bubi's substitution bench") where he discussed about the events in football with many celebrity guests and football personalities. "Bubi" has also commentated many other kind of sports, like strong man competitions
Strength athletics
Strength athletics, more generally known as strongman competitions, is a sport which tests competitors' strength in a variety of different ways. Some of the disciplines are similar to those in powerlifting and some powerlifters have also successfully competed in strongman competitions...
.
The commentating style of Wallenius is very restful, genial and philosophic. That arouses many kind of opinions among sports fans. Many people consider him as a "walking sport encyclopedia", but others think he is boring chatterers. The integral part of his style is to tell simpe things in quite complex way and fall into very deep philosophic contemplation. He has spoken up for his calm analytic style by saying that shouting should only be done in the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
and by the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. Wallenius had been married twice, but has been a bachelor for the last 20 years. He retired in December 2008.