Eikokurai

Though to be clear, I’m definitely not opposed to use of video replay. My point really is about ensuring that all bouts are officiated the same way and to the same degree. I understand that the video judges can and do instigate mono-ii themselves, only someone else raises a hand on their behalf. So long as they’re being fair in their application of their ‘powers’, then it’s cool. I just don’t think it’s right to review stuff that was missed in a bout just because everything stopped for a mono-ii about a separate issue that gave them the time to spot another infraction or gyoji oversight that would otherwise have gone unnoticed, as they generally do.

Because as soon you as start reviewing every second of a bout, when those seconds weren’t relevant to the mono-ii, then really you have to justify not doing that for every bout. Why should only bouts where something contentious enough to warrant a mono-ii get scrutinized that closely? Focus on the thing that made the shimpan raise his hand and that’s it. If they questioned whose toe went out first, a possible hair pull or a dragged top of the foot ten seconds earlier shouldn’t come into it. They missed it in real time as they missed such things in half a dozen bouts before and after. It’s like if you make one really obvious mistake in your work and your boss chooses to audit everything you’ve done, while your coworkers avoid scrutiny of any kind because all their screw ups are small enough to slip under the boss’ radar.

Conspiracy theories aren’t usually the sign of rational thinking.

I think it’s right to only review the initial objection and nothing else. Bouts without a mono-ii don’t have every second scrutinized that way and there’s always plenty that could be called into a question if they were to look close enough. How often have we seen a questionable touch to the head that could have involved a hair pull? Shimpan can’t be allowed the luxury of examining every second of a bout just because it also happened to include another more obvious point of contention that got picked up.

Am I really the only person who saw Mitakeumi’s foot touch down quite some time before Takayasu stepped out? It didn’t even seem particularly close. Perhaps there’s an angle I missed?

Nah, it was the right call.

Well, well. Goeido has decided to have a say on where the yusho goes after all. Tomorrow’s bout with Mitakeumi is now huge. I still think Mita will have enough to see him over the line, but it will make for an interesting end to the basho if he’s defending a one-win lead to the end ahead of a resurgent Ozeki.

Why was Kyokutaisei’s win called as a sukuinage as opposed to, say, a kubinage, kubihineri or tokkurinage? It looks like he had both hands around his head/clasped on Yoshikaze’s neck and then spins him. It didn’t seem very sukuinage-ish.

For sure. He’s got no history of performing consistently high at sanyaku level – this is his first 10-win basho as Sekiwake or Komusubi – so the makekoshi just two basho ago can’t be ignored as a mere blip in an otherwise stellar career. Moreover, he’s faced a pretty easy schedule this time with all three Yokozuna and one Ozeki out, plus the other sanyaku guys have been poor. The NSK really has no reason to expedite his promotion at all.

I hit reply without proofreading. The 8-3 guys need to be perfect to end 12-3 and hope Mitakeumi doesn’t win more than one of his last four to force a playoff. Mitakeumi will win two.

Takayasu fails to get his KK against Ichinoshow of all people. He has to be hiding something more serious than otherwise admitted. Goeido survives as Ozeki by wrapping up his KK, but I still don’t think he’s looked very impressive. Tochiozan and Asanoyama stay on track to share the jun-yusho spoils (if there are any!). Mitakeumi has more or less wrapped things up yusho wise I reckon, even if not mathematically. I can’t see either of his two closest pursuers overhauling a two-bout lead with four days left, especially if they’re not given the opportunity to beat him themselves. A two-win cushion is more than enough for the Kyokai to not have to justify not scheduling such bouts. Next closest are all the guys on 8 wins and they’ll need to be perfect from here on and hope Mitakeumi loses all four to even force a playoff. Not going to happen.

There are three active Ozeki right now, two of whom are new(ish) to the rank so I don’t see any urgency in promoting someone else. Also, he cynic in me makes me think they’d rather like Mitakeumi to earn promotion around the same time Kisenosato calls it quits, as a little positive distraction from the inevitable disappointment his intai will bring.

Since no Sekiwake has ever managed such a feat there’s no precedent for it and I doubt the NSK would ever publicly say such a thing, given they’ve never formally declared the rules for anything before.

And another one. Homasho. He got his one win on day 15 of Natsu 2009 against ... Yoshikaze! http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=6018&b=200905 There are also a couple of 1-14ers whose sole ‘win’ was a fusen, though they came earlier in the basho and so they never really faced the prospect of a 0-15.

I found a 1-14 guy who got his sole win on the final day and it wasn’t actually that long ago: http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=6497&b=201307