Benevolance

The blackout thing *is* a thing. And it's not so much that you forget what happens, but that your brain actually stops recording, so you form no memories during that time.

If this is his last basho, his basho performance over the last year follows mostly the same exit pattern as most yokozuna in the last 50 years. Or do you have complaints about his fulfillment of off-dohyo yokozuna duties?

Yeah, it's called assault and battery.

Why can't Harumafuji still fulfill his duties? Was there a scandal or something? I'm sure there would have been a thread about it here.

For those critical of Takanohana's recalcitrance to work with the kyokai: consider first that nobody has ever tried to do this before, so he's making this all up as he goes; second, that the current leadership sees little wrong with beating someone until they bleed as a matter of building character and that what the kyokai dislikes here is having it public; third, the old boys thought Harumafuji's retirement was appropriate, while Takanohana called it unnecessary. Maybe what Takanohana is taking aim at is some of the more extreme behaviors and beliefs of the organization? I mean, geez, the top gyoji no longer have to kill themselves over wrong decisions, so progress is possible? But also, I'm still miffed at Homarenishiki's departure because of precisely this sort of behind the scenes behavior that Takanohana is calling out. So, like, I'm totally down with a bit of progress.

One of the things about great competitors, I suspect, is that they are rarely content with their efforts.

Kintamayama, wrote some excellent haiku. They were quite well done.

Maybe they see this as a way to extend Kakuryu's career...?

I have a theory...

Will Takanoiwa disappear next?

Don't tell anyone, but I made up the Wikipedia info on bearded gyojis, too.

Before this gets lost in all the cricket chirps: yes, it's legal. If you watch some of the matches where Hakuho and his opponent end up locked in a standstill, he'll give his opponent a hearty slap on the side. When they tense at the impact, he makes another move. Someone on the forum here (apologies, I forget who!) did a wonderful breakdown of this technique during one of the basho, with pictorial step-by-steps. Perhaps someone with more savvy search skills can direct you further?

And not if it's adjusted for differences in cultural exchange. Lacking a solid trading market for relative cultural values, we can erroneously substitute currency values into the equation. The tugrik is trading at 21.67 to the yen, so Hakuho's mongolian wins are currently worth about 1.85 Japanese yusho, and Haramafuji is trading an a measly 0.41 yusho, for a total of 2.26 yusho. On the face of it, Kisenosato's 2 yusho have generated roughly the same level of excitement as Harumafuji and Hakuho's careers combined, so these figures appear sound. Therefore, technically, Chiyonofuji has only 33.26 yusho in his kanreki dohyo-iri.

Have they checked it against Takanohana's handwriting?

Wait, are we giving up on Gagamaru for Yokozuna? I just got the t-shirts printed and everything...

I think Moti would sport the Tastunami hair style best.

Not looking so unridiculous now, is it?

Much like Goeidou, I've got nothing.

Maybe a scandal? Or even a double scandal? OMG, we could totally set this up! I know a guy...you'll recognize him by his scarf. Yeah, but Ikioi is a good counterpoint. He frequently lets up on his opponent at the tawari. It is really considerate of him, but the number of times he gets beat because he doesn't keep shoving his opponent is ridiculous.

I think Tanahohana was behind it.

And thus the real motive behind elaborately framing Harumafuji by staging a drunken assault becomes evident: to get off record as the unwinningest winner in all of Winsylvania! Tip your tinfoil hats, folks, because we've just cracked the case wide open!

But that's not always the case, is it? I seem to recall Orora losing a match in the last few years against a (possibly the smallest?) rikishi where he was lifting the little guy out of the ring, but lost sight of the edge and stepped out and thereby lost. There were lots of editorial cartoons following the event.

Has he considered hair extensions?

I find it unlikely Ichinojo lost that much weight. Maybe he grew, instead? :)

Hakuho is my obvious favorite and looks strong, but I'm pulling for a Goeidou yusho on this one. I mean, frankly, it cannot get much worse for him than last basho. (Or for me. Snorting sake is not recommended). I think that Goeidou's sumo was fine, but he lacked the high-stakes performance confidence that Harumafuji has accumulated due to experience. And so I predict this is the final seasoning that Goeidou required to settle himself down, and that he takes the Kyushu yusho and goes on a yokozuna run in January. I think it's his time.