Juha Mieto, Björn Borg, Masken Carlsson, Martti Vainio and so on. Pentti Salmi and Anssi Kukkonen are the only surviving blue and white commentators, writes Pekka Holopainen.
Pekka Holopainen Sports journalist
There was laughter in Helsinki’s Kruununhaa on Monday of last week. The host of the evening ran a Manitbois sketch series from more than 30 years ago on YouTube, whose classic characters included Pirkka-Pekka Petelius brilliantly interpreted by the narrator legend Juha Jokinen.
White teeth, copper-brown skin, unforgettable language manners, the most famous of which is Jokinen’s way of pronouncing ordinal numbers without inflecting their first part.
The audience was divided by a generation gap. The few of us born in the 1960s had the most fun; for some of the younger ones, both Jokinen and perhaps Petelius were strangers.
Friday night came, and now the jokes and skits were running low. Yleisradio said that the blue-and-white voice, which was one of the most famous and respected in the company’s history, left this reality at the age of 85.
I didn’t know Jokis personally and I can’t know if he wished for something for the one who was inevitably approaching at that age.
However, it was very symbolic that a physical education teacher who played tennis passionately at his age met his end right on the tennis court.
Jokinen was the narrator who, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, made Finns familiar Björn Borg, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors players like
At that time, when Yleisradio coldly interrupted the extended Wimbledon matches in the middle of the next program, the public’s fury was also directed at the incompetent commentator.
Goldilocks
This tells, above all, what kind of status the star announcers, called “golden cucumbers” in Yleisradio, still enjoy in a very backward and impoverished Finland. For better and often for worse.
On Wednesday, not only the ashes of a fit and energetic pensioner were carried away from the tennis court, but the very last corner pieces of what can also be called an era of unified culture in sports.
The eight largest
Juha Jokinen, Pentti Salmi, Victory Raatikainen, Antero Green field, Raimo Häyrinen, Anssi Kukkonen, SpongeBob Noponen, Antero Karapalo.
There are the eight greatest blue-and-white visual and audio radio legends of my generation. With them and their interpretation, millions of Finns lived the joys and disappointments of sports.
Salmi, 95, and Kukkonen, 89, are now alive.
Jokinen and Kukkonen are good examples of what kind of larger-than-life character the narrator could be in Finland when there was only one sport, ‘s tutti.
Which of the modern narrators would be Petelius and Aake Kallialan as a sketch character when there are countless channels, the supply is unlimited and there are at least a hundred people who earn more or less by explaining?
The only thing that could possibly be used to fill these boots is Antero Mertarantaa voice worker who has already passed the official retirement age.
Maximum utilization
Kukkonen made the most of his huge fame after his dismissal – he became extremely wealthy as a gig worker.
In the 1990s, Juha Jokinen didn’t really enjoy being in the public eye after retiring relatively young and, above all, young. The family’s fame in the eyes of modern generations is his son, who has merited as a film director Antti.
The visit to Puheen’s Lindgren&Sihvonen program was a rare exception and a nostalgic gem.
Finally, let’s put my own, strongest, sports memories in order, which Juha Jokinen was able to put into words:
1. Juha Mild 100% loss at the Lake Placid Olympic Games in 1980.
2. Jokinen revealed to the Finns Martti Vainion accused of doping when the Lomakouhero sweatband unexpectedly did not appear at the finish line at the 5,000-meter Olympic final in Los Angeles in 1984.
3. Swedish Anders “The Mask” Carlsson turned Leijoni’s two-goal lead into a draw in the final minute at the 1986 World Cup in Moscow.
Rest in peace, legend.
You can discuss the topic until Tuesday 25.7. until 11 p.m. Tunnus is required for commenting.