ScreechingOwl

The condition for each rikishi is that they win on the final day. Winning the yusho (or a playoff) is never a condition.

For years I couldn't really tell Takekaze and Yoshikaze apart. In the last half dozen years their careers have diverged, with Yoshikaze having a late renaissance and spending much of the time in the sanyaku and jo'i. I can't say I'll miss Takekaze, as his style of fighting was replete with henka and pull-downs, although I admire him both for staying competitive for so long and knowing when to retire.

I've had my best start in several years in this basho. After nakabi, in the head-to-head games I'm 7-1 in SG, 6-2 in Toto (where I'm kadoban), and 5-3 in Bench. I'm 5-3 in ISP and Quad. I'm also 5-3 and in the top 10 in TTT and have 59 points for 6th place in Odd. A number of off days in a row has me tied for 37th place in Tip-Spiel. And I finished in the top 10 (along with 19 other people) in Chain, good for .05 of a point. In the pre-basho games, I'm in the top ten in Roto (6), Bingo (3), SalaryCap (7), and Upside Down (9). I'm nowhere near the top 10 in Oracle, but with my low bet on Kisenosato I may end up there. This is grind out time in the dailies, and wait and watch in the pre-games. Ganbarimasu!

Kisenosato made juryo when he was still 17, makuuchi when he was 18 (from which he was never demoted), and sanyaku days after turning 20 (the announcement coming when he was still a teenager). He famously ended Hakuho's 63 match winning streak in 2010. Then his career stalled for a bit. He got pipped both for ozeki promotion and winning a yusho by Kotoshogiku, a rikishi most people (myself included) didn't think was as talented. I was a fan of "the Kid", but by the middle part of this decade I doubted he would ever win promotion to yokozuna. Of course I was wrong, and Kisenosato won consecutive yusho, and after the first was promoted to yokozuna. Ironically, it was in winning the second yusho that he sustained the injury which lead to his intai today. It's been an ugly ending for a checkered career with many high points. I hope he has a long and successful career as an oyakata.

You make a good point, Nantonoyama. What I did not articulate precisely enough is that 8-7 wouldn't be a bad record for Kisenosato, it would be a good one. And it wouldn't be a one off either - every basho would be wondering how bad Kisenosato would be, not how good.

Betting against Hakuho is still almost always chasing fool's gold. We'll never see another rikishi like him.

Whatever happened to yokozuna pride? How can Kisenosato look retired yokozuna in the face? I feel badly for him, but dragging out this embarrassment is now his own doing. Over the ten previous basho he was 23-30-97. Now he can add two more losses to that total, to extend his own record of consecutive losses by a yokozuna. His injury hasn't healed, his power has diminished, and his form is bad. If sumo were a boxing match Kisenosato's performance would be ended by a TKO. Some people have written that if only Kisenosato can only muster up an 8-7 finish he can continue. Since when is 8-7 an acceptable yokozuna performance? (Yes, I know there's been one in the past, but it wasn't following 23-30 over the previous 10 basho.) Can anyone honestly say they look forward to seeing Kisenosato compete at this point? It's unfortunate he was injuried - and didn't have it treated properly. It's only a tragedy, however, because of how he refused to acknowledge in a timely manner what we all can see.

3 yusho, 1 zensho, 5 basho entered

Registration for both Sumo Game and Bench Sumo is now open for Hatsu 2019!

1 A 2 B 3 B 4 A 5 B 6 A 7 A 8 A 9 B 10 A 11 B 12 A 13 A 14 A 15 A 16 B 17 A 18 A 19 A 20 B 21 B

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me eight times....No surgery, no recovery, no likelihood Kisenosato is ever going to wrestle well again.

1-5: Pandaazuma (the once, present, and future dai yokozuna) 6-10: Gurowake (Still finished in the top 10 despite having an off year) 11-20: Andonishiki (Unlikely to have two digits next to his finishing place in '19) 21-40: Achiyama (The second American on my list seems to have an Angel watching over him) 41-80: Jakusotsu (One of the legion of talented German players) 81-120: McBugger (He comes from a land down under, but his sumo gaming skills are anything but) 121-200: KikoCookie (My third - and favorite - American! Now get back to your university studies....) 201+: Hana-Ichi (I always enjoy her comments in Bench)

The Link for Day 15 was mislabeled "Day 14" by Achiyama. It's three entries above mine.

Neither Taka looked very good in that bout. Given their respective senshuraku aite, it's highly likely there will be a playoff. I'd expect Takayasu to be the favourite and to come away with his first yusho.

It's amazing how quickly things can turn around in sumo. Less than two years ago, in Haru 2017, Kisenosato won his second yusho in a row and Terunofuji finished with the jun yusho, and looked like it was only a matter of time before he too became a yokozuna. It seems like another lifetime ago for both rikishi. The truth about Kisenosato is that since his injury he hasn't been capable of fighting at yokozuna strength. As I've previously noted, last basho's 10 victories were completely unconvincing. Maybe 0-4 is surprising, but can anyone say they are surprised that Kisenosato is struggling - or that they don't expect him to struggle every single basho from now on? It's always difficult to watch great athletes (or near great ones) continue when they've lost their mojo. It's like being in a dead relationship - there may be a few more dates, but everyone knows it's over.