Churaumi

I just assumed Houn was new, looking at him. I don’t devote much research to rikishi that far down the banzuke, unless they stand out. Houn doesn’t stand out as far as Hattorizakura, even for awfulness. Kind of reminds me of when the Kansas City Royals we’re tied for the record of consecutive losses in baseball, and then they won a game. Our local DJ ranted that they couldn’t even win at losing.

During that last one (match 5), I thought he might actually get 2 this tournament. It’s not too late, but it seems like he can at least hold his own now with the newest jonokuchi, provided they are skinny and uncoordinated enough.

Seems to me the problem with Nagoya is the facility, probably an easier fix to just improve the current facility or build a new one than upend the apple cart completely. Moving the basho seems like a lot of hard work. They already do tours so almost anyone in Japan who wants to see ozumo can, and while it’s not the same as a honbasho it has its own benefits.

I guess they could market this as “Summer sumo as sweaty as when Raiden did it” to appeal to traditionalists.

Even if the guy pretty much tripped on his own feet...

A win’s a win.

You post it, I’ll vote “no,” and we’ll let the dohyo sort it out.

Well, I’ll be... I think it’s finally time to admit that the surest way for something to happen is for me to vote against it on a sumo forum poll.

It’s a joke, chuckle chuckle. I assume they have encouraged some to quit, though. I can’t imagine he takes up much of his oyakata’s time, which might explain some things.

Maybe they keep him around because he’s good at cooking or cleaning or something?

He’s the only one smiling, makes me wonder what’s going on in front of them.

I recall a comment Hakuho made when Kisenosato was on his tsuna run, that he wouldn’t make it if he didn’t become more personable and start showing up at the charity events and stuff. Then I started seeing pictures of him at stuff with a weird smile plastered on his face. It just looked like he didn’t know how to smile, looks like he’s taken lessons from the Grinch.

There’s probably some calculus being done at the kyokai and the YDC...is it better to have the first Japanese yokozuna in a while: a) lay low until he’s healthy for certain even if it takes years or b) have him gambarize and only do a few days per tournament or c) force him out, even though his yokozuna reign didn’t work out because of injury rather than misconduct. Looks like a is the choice they are going with.

No. He also has to have the lowest fusensho rate of any rikishi ever. He’s been at this for quite a while and people seem pretty dedicated to keep him from getting a mercy win. It’s kind of fun, watching a sport where the arguably most dominant and least dominant people to have ever participated are in at the same time.

It’s good to see a little life in Kisenosato, not just sparring with Takayasu. I mean, it’s Shoudai, but but still...it’s not Takayasu. Hopefully he’s getting back into it. Maybe he’ll return before Fukuoka after all.