Itachi

I write this without haveing investigated the stats but it seems like every other rikishi in recent years who spent so much time in sanyaku eventually made ozeki. Kaio, Musoyama, and Dejima as well as Tochiazuma all loitered around for long enough that ozeki-hood seemed inevitable and so they all eventually made it. Some of these marginal ozekis grew into their role and performed at a a hgiher than sekiwake level for a while while others couldn't keep it up for long. I'm certain that Wakanosato will get there one day barring serious injury but the big question is, what caliber of ozeki will he be? I'd hate to see him promoted only to flounder around pathetically before plunging into Dejima-like irrelevance. Let him advance upon raising his sumo to a higher level as Kaio did when he was promoted. Ozumo needs more ozekis anyway so lets get on with it and have some new blood up there. I'm sure that Hakuho will make it before long even if no one born in Japan can do it but that would not be good for the popularity of the sport. Itachi the infreqently active poster

This game sounds like fun. I select Yamatofuji (jk 37e). I also like the low maintenance aspect of this one. I suppose we'll just keep track of it on this forum? Itachi p.s. I would love to see some background numbers for these rikishi. How did they do in college or in high school if that's where they are coming form? How big are they? Is there any convenient way to grab that kind of information?

I liked the idea suggested earlier about having a honbasho in Tohoku. Sendai might be a good place for one, or Sapporo. Many top rikishi come form Aomori but there isn't the population there. Of course, more Japanese born rikishi at the top levels is important. Most of the new and exciting talents seem to be foreign. Give them a local hero or two. Perhaps Kisenosato will provide some hope. If only Wakanosato would improve just a bit more... No other nation has professional sumo. I wish Japanese young and old would take more pride in the sport instead of looking outward to baseball and soccer. They certainly have made great gains in those sports however. Perhaps a drama based on the life of a fictional up and coming rikishi. That would get everyone's attention if they hired popular talento for the roles.

What is this talk about intai? If he's strong enough to ALMOST get his promotion then he's strong enough to be the top Japanese rikishi for a couple more years. Until at least one more Japanese ozeki is promoted (Wakanosato, let's get on with it!) I think Kaio is badly needed. Chiyotaikai may return to form in a basho or two but the country needs more. Hopefully Kisenosato will learn and build his strength quickly.

I left out established sanyaku and those who are not yet sekitori. I made very little effort to put the list in order. Hakuho Kisenosato Kotoshogiku Iwakiyama Roho Kotooshu Tokitenku .....and some of these... Shimotori Kokkai Takekaze Kakizoe ....these ones I left out because I don't think they'll stay ranked in or near sanyaku any more than say, Kyokushuzan or Tokitsuumi.... Asasekiryu Ama Wakakirin Hakurozan Toyonoshima Hokutoriki .....and these ones I doubt will even achieve a high maegashira rank for more than an elevator visit... Futeno Kasugao Toyozakura Harunoyama Buyuzan ...those are all the newish rikishi I expect to inhabit Makuuchi is the years to come. I left out rikishi I don't know enough about such as Tamasuka and rikishi I don't think will make it like Bushuyama (even though he is from Aomori).

Squatties are no good if you like to catch up on the daily news as you go about your business.

I haven't looked up the records to answer this properly but check out Takahanada's succession. I'm sure he won at least one yusho before and without being promoted to Ozeki. It seems to me whenever I look back at Takanohana's pre-Yokozuna tournaments I wonder why he wasn't promoted more quickly. I suppose with the obviously great ones they feel they can afford to wait. By the way, are you (shimodahito) still living in Aomori?

How far can he go? I think barring injuries Yokozuna within a year. Let's not put the cart before the horse. In order to make Yokozuna he'll have to win a couple of yusho. He'll have to post a few double digit records from sanyaku (which may not be much of a problem) and then continue on to win 12 or more for perhaps three tournaments to receive such a rapid double promotion within a year. I don't think the kyokai will rush him in and he'll still have to beat Asashoryu out of a couple of yusho to be considered. Very unlikely. Now in two years, or three unless he pulls a Miyabiyama or worse, a Hokutoriki, I think he could find himself wearing the big rope, but not in one.

? I'm very surprised to hear this! I made a point of visiting and soaking in every sento or onsen I could find in within a drive of where I lived (Hachinohe, Aomori) and I never encountered a problem. After the first few months I could understand what people were saying so I'm fairly confident that I wan't being slurred openly. At the one's I most frequently frequented, I even had strangers approach me to wash my back on occassion (once was at on onsen that was clearly open to yakuza since there always seemed to be one there getting his back tended to). I've been to large urban ones and tiny unmarked ones in amongst rice fields and never felt overly unwelcome. Perhaps life is just better in inaka!

Kotooshu yokozuna? I don't think so. I also have given up on Kotomitsuki as Ozeki but I used to think he could. Kokkai? I don't see it now. Roho? He needs more bulk. Ama, Kisenosato - I sure like Kisnosato. Maybe he'll make it even higher! Ama may get here, I can't tell. Asasekiryu? I've kind of given up on him. Kind of because I can't recall thinking he'd make it anyway. Komusubi isn't that hard to do so he might appear there in a Tokitsuumi (he's been there once hasn't he?) kind of way but not as a frequent fixture. I agree with the other posters that we'd all better hope for a few more Japanese at the top. A glut of foreigners there won't help the sport's domestic popularity. Wakanosato and Kisenosato are the brightest hopes now. Where did you bury Chiyotaikai? I really don't think he'll drop out or retire that soon, nor do I think he'll make it to the top. Pencil him in as Ozeki or kadoban Ozeki. Unless he had a horrible accident, I can't see him losing that rank.

Jumonji hasn't had a lot of experience at a higher rank than he is at now. It took him a long time to stick in Juryo let alone stop yo-yoing out of Makuuchi. Yes, Kyokushuzan is an elevator cowboy who I believe purposefully tanks it good so he can have a nice easy successful basho now and then from the lower half of the division. Jumonji, on the other hand, has never had an outstanding record as far as I recall and has never been all that close to sanyaku in all his time in makuuchi so I can't see calling him an elevator rikishi. He has inched his way up, 3 steps forward, 2 steps back, for a long time now and I am very pleased to see him in makuuchi at all. I never expected so much from him. How does he compare to Buyuzan? Never as much success, but seems about the same level on average this year. I hope Jumonji can avoid dropping into Juryo frequently a la Otsukasa but I certainly don't expect him to breach the sanyaku ranks.

Who will be the lucky heya to acquire Wakakirin?

My first adopted rikishi, Nishikikaze ventures into unusual territory for him. He is now 5-1. The 5th win came against smallish Mongolian Sensho. It would be nice to see him finally put it all together and take another run at Juryo but he has certianly spent a lot of time in Makushita already - most of it closer to the bottom than the top.

Thanks! You've got a healthy lead on me but I'm hoping that Onishi and Akinosato can begin winning. How did you know to pick Roho over Kotooshu? We will see if you still have the advantage in that one on senshuraku!

I like Kinta's idea about having Detroit play home games without a home crowd. Did you hear Barkley's comments on the matter? He said something to the effect that any player being attacked by a fan is right to beat them down. I would prefer to see more gentlemanly behaviour on the part of all involved but it is hard to feel sorry for fans who rushed onto the floor to get clocked by various Pacers. Artest is shaping up like Rodman - inadequate self control and a mean streak. Remember the groin kicking episode? If Mr. Artest continues to appear a loose cannon, people will continue to provoke him. It is probably for the best that he take a good long time out. It's a shame because his intensity on the court is really enjoyable to me. It can be a good play to ajitate opposing players. Wallace was so upset, it may have thrown him off his game the next time they played. Now they may not ever play against each other again. Pity.

Hey Oshiro-zeki! There are some errors in your stats. Some of us got 7 wins for Kotoshogiku and some of us got only 4! No wonder you have 39 points and I only 32. I haven't searched the entire thing for mistakes but that one jumped out at me, particularly since I got the short end of the stick. I expect that my score should be 35 and not 32 then. Not bad, but not good enough to win.

I am pleased to see my adopted rikishi Nishikikaze achieving kachikoshi so early in the tournament. (4-1 at Ms 48w) He beat Sokokurai in his first bout this tournament also. Perhaps he will tease me with another run at upper makushita. I sure hope he can improve enough to become a sekitori one day but he's been at it a bit too long for me too expect that anymore. Sasaki, my other adoptee, is not showing any hope of making it past Sandanme. I think he is 1-3 now. Perhaps I should keep my eyes open for another new hope.

Sorry for the double post, I thought I'd deleted my first one accidentally. I worded it differently and more briefly the second time so enjoy it again!

I have a different take. I think many would try a bit less hard to beat Kaio because the whole kyokai and japanese sumo fans want him to be promotable. I don't think Hakuho will go for it because I think he and Asashoryu are honest sportsmen who don't care about popular opinion since it isn't their country anyway. I remember when Wakanohana was promoted and it seemed pretty obvious that Musashimaru threw his match with him. Maru was a foreigner too but he may have been playing a bit of politics to ensure support for his own run later. Also, it could have been yaocho. We know that it happens sometimes we just don't know how often and who is involved. Nothing the newer Mongolians has done has indicated to me that they would allow politics or bribery to influence their bouts. I think they are mad with desire to be the best and Kaio will have to be at his best tonight (which may well be good enough anyway).

Here is a different take on this. I suppose most of the sumo community wants to see a japanese yokozuna and it would be even better if he got his tsuna in front of his home crowd. In the past, I have suspected that wins were sort of given to rikishi who were 'supposed' to be promoted. Hakuho, not being japanese, may not be willing to play this sort of game. Now that Kaio has shown that he can come close to 13 wins on his own, some rikishi might be inspired to try a bit less hard against him to help bring about the fairy-tale ending that the nation mostly wants. Kaio may well beat Hakuho in a fair and honest match and he will have to because I doubt very much that Hakuho will take any yaocho to go easy on him. Throw in the fact that Hakuho is a tough match for anyone and the outcome of the match is very much up in the air. Does anyone remember when Wakanohana was going for his yokozuna promotion and Musashimaru got "oshidashi'd" by him? It was the most pathetic thing I ever saw in sumo. Waka barely touched him and he turned around and pranced out out the dohyo like a little fairy! Obviously it was suggested to him that it would be great if Waka were promoted and so he gave it to him. The favour was returned soon enough when 'Maru was promoted except that Maru was actually capable of performing at the level of Yokozuna unlike Waka. I say it was politics or yoacho or both and I say that the new batch of Mongolians (Asashoryu and after) are honest sportsmen who won't go for it! - a bit of a rant off topic, I know, but I'm finsihed now.

They may complain Ryu but they responded didn't they? I enjoyed reading about how people's attitudes changed or didn't change regarding Asashoryu. Unfortunately this thread was marred more then once by impolite posters. I nearly left without responding but I thought I'd just do a little 'IN YOUR FACE' to those who attacked your desire to have another go at the topic. In most spectator sports there are players or even teams that fans love to hate. Usually they have to be a threat to win to be hated. I agree that Asashoryu hasn't always measured up to the nobility of his rank but I love his competitve drive. The same passion that drives him to dominate the sprot is the one that leads him to seemingly immature actions on and off the dohyo. I think he will settle down with age and meanwhile, he is a fantastic wrestling villain for fans to disapprove of if they wish to boo someone. I am very glad that he kicks butt as emphatically as he does.

Priceless. (No, no, no...) Takamisakari is finally collecting on his popularity/notoriety again. It's been a few tournaments since he's done this well. I guess the mid-ranked maegashira haven't got enough hunger for kensho to find the extra bit a strength to beat him. It's nice to see Roho get in there. He and Hakurozan were pledging some part of theri winnings to the victims or that horrible incident at the school in north ossetia last basho. Since they apparantly hail from that region I'll bet the Ossetians are continuiong to benefit from Roho's success in some way. Hakurozan seems to be on a slower track however... I feel for Chiyotaikai a bit. I would have thought that he would have more fan support in the November tournament but he has been rather lacklustre the past couple of tournaments. Also, Kaio comes from a much more highly populated prefecture, Fukuoka - also the location of the tournament. How many Oita companies even bother to buy kensho?

It seems that the richijo wants to promote a new japanese yokozuna. I see nothing wrong with that. Kaio has been a good ozeki and if he can keep it together for a couple of strong injury free tournaments, then why not? I think he'll be better than Wakanohana expect that he will probably miss a couple of tournaments a year due to his back problems. He'll probably have to retire in a couple of years anyway so why not put a coutryman in there to take some of the pressure off Asashoryu? Also, I agree with previous posters that it is time for a change of the guard at ozeki. Wakanosato has been so successful for so long and yet he just can't seem to string together a promotable run over three basho. I hope he finally does it this tournament or next. It seems obvious that Hakuho will earn his own ozeki promotion within a year. Chiyotaikai never has a probelm pulling up his socks when required so I'm sure he won't drop out but it doesn't look like he'll ever advance. If Kaio doesn't get yokozuna before his aging back takes over then the next yokozuna candidate will probably be Hakuho. I think Kitanoumi is right is wanting to promote a Japanese yokozuna when he has the chance even if it takes a bit of leniency. If you think the sport is losing fans now, just wait until the upper ranks are dominated by mongolians. The Japanese will appreciate these outstanding foreigners a lot more when they are liberated from the insecurity they feel when their national sport has no national champion.

? How did I miss that one?!? Now that I am reduced to following the tournaments by internet I don't always get around to viewing all the matches (thanks Dale for making it possible for me to do that at a reasonable hour). Even if I hadn't seen the match, surely I would've remembered reading about such a bloody battle amongst top guys. Perhaps I was just extraordinarily stressed and busy at that time. I haven't missed a tournament since Aki 1997 but sometimes I guess I only have time to skim the results and make my picks and so I miss the interesting details. Once again, if someone could pinpoint the tournament where that epic Tochiazuma/Asashoryu battle occured, I would appreciate it. Thanks to Jonosuke for posting the information I requested on the SML this morning and to Asashosakari for providing the link here.

Hey Ryu, What about you? With that brief poem out of the way, here's how I got into the sport. I remember seeing a segment on tv where one of the big hawaiians had made it to the top division and was getting really popular. It was amazing that he could appear so huge even amongst the giants that populate the sumo world. Even more amazing than that was the fact that the littlest guy in the sport was good enough to compete with him. I guess that was probably Konishiki and Mainoumi. Later, I had the opportunity to go to Japan for a couple of years to live. I was trying everything I could to get to a functional level of understanding Japanese both written and spoken. I enjoyed seeing the matches on tv in ramen shops and I learned to read that section of the newspaper before anything else. It also gave me a convenient topic for conversation. I arrived after the July tournament in 1997 and by the November tournament, when local boy Takanonami won the yusho 14-1 (his last yusho) I was hooked. It's not the same following the sport from Canada via the internet but it's become such a habit that I just have to know what's happening all the time. Participating in games like Benchsumo and Sekitori-Toto adds to the fun as well. I get the impression that you spent some time in Japan as well. Did you have a local guy to root for? Jason 'Itachi' Russell