Takamizawa

If this whole thing didn't piss me off so much, this would be hilarious. Actually, it's still pretty damn funny. Still, doesn't NHK pump enough shite on the air -- I thought PBS was bad. Yup, let's not broadcast or promote the kokugi! Let's show diet sessions, children's sing alongs, and handicapped tenns! Woo.

Well this just flat out sucks. Guess I won't be using my TV for another 2 months then... as if I'd actually turn it on to watch NHK's other (crap) programming. Pfff (Holiday feeling...)

Wait wait wait, the women pay?! Damnit, I got in the wrong profession!

I appreciate you elaborating on this for me. Obviously I feel very differently towards the situation, but you've helped me to understand where all those voting against coverage are coming from a bit (I've always had problems with empathy..). Thanks :-P

Haha I love this quote! :-P I wish there was some sort of super ultra-thumbs up I could give this.

Ya, you're right, I didn't really look at it from the NHK's point of view. For them it makes sense to at the very least consider the possibility of cancelling/reducing coverage. If they don't want the association to a scandal-ridden sport which is lacking in popularity, that is there prerogative, as much as it may piss me off. I was directing my comments at those non-affiliated folks in support of canelling coverage, as I can't really understand why any of them would wish it. For us as fans, I just don't see how it's good, so why promote the idea? I mean honestly, what sort of fan wants to see less coverage of the sport they love in action? For me it doesn't compute.

I fail to see in any way how cancelling the NHK coverage will benefit anyone; they will still have to pay the NSK for the rights, no? The only group it affects are fans who want to watch on TV, and if so many fans don't want to watch, well they can just turn their TVs off! Don't punish those of us who still want to enjoy some sumo over July.

Still remains to be seen if he's as far on the way out as Wakanoho was, or gets to become an oyakata. Given that nobody really seems to know for sure whether he was in line for a suspension or a firing, this seems very much up in the air right now. :-( I'd love to see him stick around as an oyakata, at least so he could pass on his superb technique, knowledge, and skills to a new generation.

This whole scandal has given me ample time to prepare for this, but it still hurts like hell knowing he'll be gone. For me, sumo won't be the same for a long time without him on the dohyo... gonna miss him :-(

For me just playing golf is not fun at all! (Laughing...) Hehe no but seriously, when I used to have weekly poker games, it would have been sooo boring without at least SOME money riding on the game.

Not to sidetrack this to baseball anymore, but I'll go ahead and say that that I feel Bonds should have no place in the hall of fame (Showing respect...) . On the other hand, HELL YA, go Brewers! (Showing respect...)

Thank goodness! I'd have been pissed that I bought this new TV for nothing (and you know that whole not having a basho thing woulda sucked too)!

These are both very harsh generalizing statements. I feel like card games need a bit of a defense in this case, as your post paints gambling on card games in a very negative light. I have personally been extended credit from both friends and first time acquaintances for poker nights in my youth, and have never been "trapped" in any way. Obviously the situation you described is one danger of taking credit from a stranger, but speaking for gambling on cards, aside from professionals, most all people care more about the fun involved in playing cards rather than winning money from others. With inner-circle card games, the money is just there so that people actually try rather than just shoving "all in" or folding every hand. Card games are a simple, easy, and fun way to pass time when there is little to entertain oneself with (for example rikishi on jungyo). This sort of situation should really be no harm no foul; there are no yakuza extorting money from rikishi simply playing cards or mahjong. Saying if "anyone ever" offers you credit, it's a trap -- this is really not the case, but certainly one should be wary of who they take credit from, so I get what you're saying. As for friendly games between rikishi, this is ceratinly not an impossibility. Just because sekitori and lower ranked guys live such vastly unequal lives doesn't mean that there is necessarily any automatic bias in the sekitori's favor when it comes to intra-sumo gambling. Certainly the situation you described is one possibility for an unfriendly game where older rikishi take advantage of new recruits and younger guys, but this alone cannot disallow the possibility of friendly games. Just look at Kotomitsuki getting his baseball gambling ties through some lower ranked rikishi, who was clearly more in the "know" about gambling and the underworld then our poor ozeki. Who says that there aren't makushita rikishi who are far more skilled/knowledgable about card games? One's capabilities in card games has little to do with their skill on the dohyo.. There is just as much risk for a skilled younger kid to potentially hustle a sekitori. Additionally, this argument is sorta void when it comes to card games between similar ranked rikishi. For example, on jungyo a bunch of makuuchi guys might get together for a friendly game, and nothing about their ranks should really play a factor in them simply playing for fun. The point that most people don't care passionately about money when it comes to card games is also relevant, as no matter who is involved, as long as you aren't a professional poker/blackjack/whatever player, having a good time usually comes first. In fact, I'd go far enough to say that intra-sumo gambling is probably much safer, since most rikishi tend to at least know sometime of each other, even if it is just on the dohyo. This is far better than walking into a card game with complete strangers. For me, I don't give two damns about rikishi gambling -- illegal or not. There are definitely dangers, and you highlighted some of them well, but to seemingly condemn the entire practice based on some risks is a bit too much for me.

Great pics as always!! (Shaking head...)

Great pics guys! (Holiday feeling...)

This isn't anything scientific, but when I was doing college sumo there was tonsss of head to head contact at the tachi-ai. Usually if there wasn't a direct head-butt, your head was still hitting something (shoulder, chest, body, something) enough to rattle your marbles a bit. It's part of the reason I started coming out with nodowa more (Shaking head...) .

I'm glad to hear it! Puts my overactive mind at ease (Shaking head...)

I'm not sure if this has been discussed in any other threads on the subject of dame-oshi, but it seems to me like Kakuryu is often on the receiving end of these, especially from Hakuho and Harumafuji (and I'm not just referring to this tournament). Since this is just based on my own perception, has anyone else noticed this, or am I imagining things? Is it simply because of his sometimes evasive style sumo and that pisses his opponents off, or is there something else there? I don't know much about the inner relationships between rikishi, but I'd be interested to know if he is on friendly terms with his Mongolian seniors or other sempai since he gets such (at least peceived by me) rough treatment in the ring. Maybe I'm just reading too much into this, since I have a soft spot for Kakuryu since his expression always seems so meek and innocent (Whistling...) .

Eh ya, I figured I was just reading too much into it and being extra sensitive since it's Kakuryu. He does seem to be on the receiving end of dame-oshi more than others, but that explanation makes a lot more sense than my overexaggerated worries hehe.

Ok, this really rubs me the wrong way, since I feel I've seen Harumafuji/Ama perform farrrr more henkas than Miyabiyama over the past few years. Am I wrong?

Very good stuff man, thanks! (Laughing...) I read this as "I'd like to face Kyokutenho, too bad he's down at M7 =("

I think he's referring to the difference between a privately owned business and say a state/nation owned park/school/library/whatever. As an example we can use privately owned and operated restaurants. I'm not a smoker, but it seems like if someone wants to run their own restaurant and allow smoking within, there should be no problem. If someone really has so much of a problem with getting second-hand smoke, then they should take their business elsewhere. If a worker doesn't like the smokey work environment, they can just find a job at a different restaurant. This should really be the decision of the restaurant owner. A restuarant owner could also decide to ban smoking, but the decision shouldn't be forced either way. It's a whole different story for public (and I mean truly public) places. This entire debate isn't exactly applicable to the issue of smoking in the sumo-beyas anyway, as you don't really have the choice to go elsewhere once you're tied to a stable which is completely different from a restaurant. Hm.. I think this thread has become less and less about sumo..

Crazier than bicycles are people on motorcycles smoking and riding :-S I know how you felt Harry about not wanting to say something to your co-worker or whatever. Though I've gotten more bold with some people and say "no smoking area" and ask them to go elsewhere!!! Haha, off topic, but I'll one-up you guys. I've seen people eating instant noodles and riding a motorbike at the same time. I dunno how they manage (Shaking head...) . As for rikishi smoking, I feel like it's their own choice, as I doubt it has much effect on their ability on the dohyo. As a brass player, I just look at Louis Armstrong; the dude smoked tons (weed too!), but he still had the lungs to wail on the trumpet cause of his years of practice and playing. (Shaking head...)

I'll add a bump for "Mongolian Eagle;" I've been wanting to watch it forever, but all the versions online are blocked in my region.

The amazing levitating Kotomitsuki