Benevolance

Sagatsukasa has technique and weight, but no height. Takanoyama has height and technique, but no weight. Hakuho is big and tall and he's got it all. I don't think height or weight are limiting factors in developing technique. I think the amount of time one has to train to become technically good is the factor, and spending the time is no guarantee you'll actually be good.

The channel does feature a lot of nearly naked men who can't keep their hands off each other...

And you need to slap an NHK (Now Here's Kintamayama) broadcast logo on the feed.

The blue box makes it looks like a professional sports broadcast. :-) Now you need some haughty-sounding British fellow to do voiceovers and call the matches and you'll be all set.

The way that Tochiozan was blinking when he got up, he might have caught Goeidou's shoulder with his face the wrong way. But it didn't look like very hard contact, sooooo....conspiracy!

Ha ha, true! But it's sometimes nice to get past day 12 and not have the yuusho already decided. Now I've got to pin my hopes on Aoiyama and hope that he...I can't even type that without laughing. Plus, as long as Harumafuji is around, the YDC will have someone to complain about. It might actually ease some of the pressure on Kisenosato!

The smile on the gyoji's face is priceless. "Hee hee! I bet they thought I was going to stop the match!" "I'm sorry, but I can't hear you over the sound of my awesome."

After mulling it over all day, I realized I'm more upset at Harumafuji ruining the yuusho race with his quasi-henka on Kotooshu than I am upset about HF's lackluster performance. It'd be one thing if he'd beat Big K head on. Or hell, had even actually fought Kotooshu. But this...this was just disappointing. Kotooshu was having a great tournament and deserved better.

What a genki pengi! But small? Nonsense. I have a feeling that if Tamanoi-oyakata measures him, he'll meet the 167cm minimum height requirement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUzeb5b7-k8'>Harumafuji vs Goeidou in Fukuoka 2012. I only recall that because I was sitting ringside. :-) Edit: Beaten to the post...

Not a comparison I would willingly make about a wrestler I like. :D I think Osunaarashi will be good. I think Endo will be good. Maybe one will be better than the other, and maybe they'll both be great in their different ways. I don't care. I'm excited about seeing both rise in the ranks and pushing some of the mediocre guys out of the makuuchi. As someone else mentioned earlier, right now it's not a question of who is going to win the yuusho, but whether anyone can challenge Hakuho. I'd like to see a tougher talent pool at the top for him to face. And to that end, I doubt the association will demand Harumafuji's retirement for one simple reason: right now, he's the only rikishi that has consistently tested Hakuho in the past year.

So, what's up with Gagamaru? This is more than being out of his depth on the banzuke. Getting tossed about by Hakuho and the ozekis is one thing, but now he's being forced out by rikishi that shouldn't be able to push him around like this. Is he injured? Deliberately tanking so that he can move down into lower maegashira for a few tournaments?

Blind tachi-ai is the name of my Stevie Wonder cover band. I think Takarafuji and Aran win my vote for most boring match ever. It looked like they were both hung over and were waiting for the other guy to win the fight.

This is what popped into my head when I read your comment: (to the tune of Frosty the Snowman) Gaga the Georgian, was a rolly polly man He was big and round and he often frowned, Earth wobbled when he ran. Gaga the Georgian, was rikishi they say, He would push and thrust, winning oshi-dash; that's his favorite kimarite. There must have been some magic in that old silk belt he wore, for when he donned his new brown threads, he acheived a rotten score. Thumpety thump thump, thumpety thump thump Look at Gaga roll Thumpety thump thump, thumpety thump thump Over the whole dohyo!

I was noticing that, too. Oiwata did kind of look falling-down drunk in their matchup yesterday...

That is an awesome bit of trivia! I'll be cheering Hokuho!

So for Musashikuni et al they'll do maezumo again in September?

First, either Bushuyama has lost some weight, or white is the new black when it comes to slimming people down. Furiwake oyakata might give that a try. Second, that's probably the happiest expression I've ever seen on Bushuyama's face. Third, that yokozuna fan is awesome, and I'm a sucker for a nice folding fan.

I'm very curious how far Hakuho can extend his streak this time. The first time through, the competition wasn't nearly so good and it felt like he couldn't be stopped. This time around...there are enough wrestlers that could end his streak yet to face. I think he can make it to 40 but after that it might get dicey...

Good match today between Koike and Mushashikuni.

Kisenosato could secure a yusho. Particularly if Harumafuji is hurt and Hakuho is being all weird*. None of the ozeki have looked really good, except bumpity bump giku. *I harbor suspicions that Hakuho's massive PR run before the tournament and not practicing keiko was a subtle way of giving Kise a chance at the yuusho. It's a little less obvious than Kakuryu's pirouettes or Hak's previous 'hand' injury, but as is pointed out often, "Is anyone better at anything than Hakuho?"

I always love Chiyotairyu's post-bout interviews. A few times he's had reversals go in his favour, and is response is usually, "Well, that was lucky, I was totally losing!"

Question about the maezumo. Since it only runs for a few days, do all shindeshi fight each day? Or is it staggered, like the lower divisions?

Working good here in Canada. I find that if I watched the previous tournament on my computer, I have to delete all the cookies before the current tournament streams will work. I really don't know WHY that is, but it fixes the problem each time.

I've watched mae-zumo on the video feed before.