New college recruits

[Asashosakari 20,300]

Not a winner but smiling still:

[madorosumaru 7]

Yamamoto are two. No more. "Our" 233 kilo behemoth is now Yamamotoyama, . . ..

"I hope to become a sekitori real quick, so the sponsors can do their thang..", he said.

"Yamamotoyama" is the name of a company that has been selling green tea since the 17th century. After WWII, it expanded its product line to processed seaweed, "nori." It is one of the best-known traditional companies in Japan.

The reference to sponsorship is a natural. If and when the rikishi Yamamotoyama becomes sekitori, the company will certainly become his sponsor. There will be the kesho mawashi a la Osh's "Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt" and when he reaches makuuchi, kensho galore as with Robocop and "Nagatanien."

His ani-deshi are already teasing him: "When we hear your name, all we think of is seaweed."

Edited January 9, 2007 by madorosumaru

[Kintamayama 47,378]

Yamamotoyamamotoyamamoto (YMY) and Aran:

YMY against Lee:

Minami 1 against Aran:

Edited January 9, 2007 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 47,378]

YMY's undertents:

I believe the Japanese word for what he is saying is- "Are??"

[Kintamayama 47,378]

"I've never called out a one-syllable name before..It's really hard..", said fukutateyobidashi Hideo, a veteran of 38 years, referring to Lee's shikona. Ri is not only a one letter, one symbol shikona, but also a one-syllable one. Akebono, Haku, Minami, and many others were/are one- letter shikonae but had at least two syllables.

Try yobidashi-ing Ri and see what they mean..

Edited January 10, 2007 by Kintamayama

[ilovesumo 12]

I recorded maezumo today, also Ichihara versus Buyuzan, but need a bit time to get it online.

[Jonosuke 28]

Eventually they would need to change his name from Lee/Ri to something more proper but right now it really does not matter.

For many of us who have watched through many morning bouts know that some of young yobidashi boys are really not ready for prime time.

I don't know how many times some of them were asked to do the calling again by a shimpan. I remember on one occasion, this guy just stood there not saying anything trying to remember the rikishis' shikona.

After what felt like eternity, one of the shimpans said Higashi XXXX, Nishi YYYY to keep the proceeding moving.

Another one was when this yobidashi kept calling shikonas with half falsetto voice. One shimpan finally had it and asked him if he got hurt somewhere, which received a good round of laughter from about a dozen or so fans in attendance.

[Asashosakari 20,300]

"I've never called out a one-syllable name before..It's really hard..", said fukutateyobidashi Hideo, a veteran of 38 years, referring to Lee's shikona. Ri is not only a one letter, one symbol shikona, but also a one-syllable one. Akebono, Haku, Minami, and many others were/are one- letter shikonae but had at least two syllables.

Try yobidashi-ing Ri and see what they mean..

The closest I can think of are a couple of lower-rankers named Kai, but even there you can split the diphthong for the call, so it's probably Ka-iiiiii for the yobidashi.

[Doitsuyama 1,263]

"I've never called out a one-syllable name before..It's really hard..", said fukutateyobidashi Hideo, a veteran of 38 years, referring to Lee's shikona. Ri is not only a one letter, one symbol shikona, but also a one-syllable one. Akebono, Haku, Minami, and many others were/are one- letter shikonae but had at least two syllables.

Try yobidashi-ing Ri and see what they mean..

The closest I can think of are a couple of lower-rankers named Kai, but even there you can split the diphthong for the call, so it's probably Ka-iiiiii for the yobidashi.

Kai (and his cousin Ai) are actually two syllables in Japanese, and can also easily be called that way.