ScreechingOwl

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Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Rando!

Five yusho for Haidouzo is simply astounding. Pandaazuma tops Randomitsuki's venerable most points in a basho record only to hold it for a mere one basho and have Haidouzo set an astonishing new record. As for Norizo, he wins three basho - three! - and finishes seventh for the basho in total points. I can't image that's ever happened before. Congratulations for all the top finishers who saw through the fog of the dohyo and made such great predictions.

It's interesting that Ichinojo will only get one prize despite being the jun yusho winner, and most likely with a very impressive 14-1 record. It's been a long time since someone has finished 14-1 and not won the yusho or at least been in a playoff for it. It's also interesting that the winner of the Aoiyama - Tomokaze bout gets a prize, while the loser gets bumpkiss. Finally, it's additionally interesting that five rikishi need to win today to avoid (likely) divisional demotion (Chiyoshoma, Daishoho, Terutruyoshi, Kotoeko, and Ishiura) and another rank demotion (Tochinoshin - and, as I believe Gurowake has pointed out, it's possible a win by Mitakeumi might save his rank as well). There will also be 8 rikishi fighting for their kk today. So there is a lot at stake in most of the senshuraku "undercard" matches.

Just another fortnight (plus one day) at the office for Hakuho. And he'll top it off extending his own yusho and zensho yusho record. I love it when people post here about how Hakuho will never win another zensho yusho, or how he is declining and almost finished. As if! Still, I suppose if is posted long enough some day it will come true. Just as decline will come for all of us. But mark my words, we ALL will miss him when he's gone. And we will never see another dai yokozuna as great as him. Maybe there will be one in the next century. But for people born in the year 2100, don't go holding your breath....

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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