Yoavoshimaru

This is a very good point. I would guess that if you look at the percentage (instead of absolute numbers) of NSK revenues spent on rikishi salaries, it'd be much higher than the corresponding number in the organizations mentioned above.

Here's a forecast: Asashoryu tying Musashimaru and the ill-fated Futabayama with 12 yusho, 2 short of Wajima.

Interesting stuff...Thanks for researching and posting it. An azukari every other makuuchi basho on average for this guy is an unusually high rate, no?

Wow, very strong words.

I know whenever I have a long project or system name, I try to rearrange it so that its acronym is catchy of funny. It's good to see I'm not alone ;) BTW, I've read the MIT thesis mentioned above, it's quite good. I'm writing my own at the moment. It has nothing to do with sumo or sport, but maybe I'll sneak it a fun acronym or reference...

I am very late on this, but it's important enough to chime in with a personal congratulations anyways. Well done and keep it up! (In a state of confusion...)

I actually think Kokkai is improving at a decent pace. For him to push Chiyotaikai off at the tachi-ai is a nice feat. It's much better to have pure power and need to learn the rest than have the rest but no pure power.

What did Kaio really say where you quote "that's the way the cookie crumbles" ? ;)

The woman (?) in the left-most position in the top picture in this thread looks like an evil witch. Maybe the witch of the west? Guy in pink shirt and red tie in 2nd picture looks familiar, oyakata...

You're not wrong, and not much has changed since I left ;)

Hmm, yeah, I see that I was confused by the fuku-tate-yobidashi situation as well. I've been gone for a while, yes, and I anticipate my posting rate to remain negligible. School has been consuming most of my awake time. It's surprising (maybe ;)), but I have less time to surf and watch sumo nowadays (not to mention play online...) than I did when I had a full-time job... (Shaking head...)

IIRC it depends on the number of yokozuna: if there's a tate-yobidashi, he must handle all yokozuna matches. (The same thing holds for the currently highest ranked yobidashi, which as you pointed out is 2nd rank). So right now it's 1 match, Asashoryu's.

Even without the geographic implications as explained above, the bad luck due to quick intai is reason enough to never use a shikona again.

I would hope that as his girlfiend you would know more about him than anyone here on the forum (I am not worthy...) Welcome abord (Sign of approval)