Asa in hot water again?

[Kintamayama 47,194]

This morning it was announced that Asashouryuu will be missing the summer jungyo because of a "stress fracture in his lower back", as Mado-san reported in another thread. But he was seen playing football of the soccer kind back home in Mongolia where he is resting at the moment. A video was shown of him kicking the ball around with some friends, including Hidetoshi Nakata, the former Japanese soccer star. "If he can play soccer, he will enter the summer jungyo- this is the Kyokai and my message to him!", said a seemingly enraged Takasago Oyakata.

We shall see..

Edited July 25, 2007 by Kintamayama

[yamaneko 2]

oh yeah, you can really equate kicking a ball around with doing sumo.

[madorosumaru 7]

Jungyo is a lot more than just "doing sumo." The base of sumo's popularity is at the grassroots of the towns and small cities. Jungyo is the traveling "road show" to maintain and stimulate the local interests. Kyokai spent considerable effort to revitalize jungyo so that there are 17 planned venues this summer. The last thing NSK needs is the yokozuna shirking his responsibility and playing hookie in Mongolia.

Injured rikishi often go and make appearances by doing just the dohyo-iri. If he is a little better, he will lend his chest for butsugari keiko. The local folks want to see the stars. As it is, Kaio is out and so is Tochiozan. Both will still participate if it is at all possible.

[Kintamayama 47,194]

More details:

Asa met Nakata and his entourage on the plane. They were invited to Mongolia by the Mongolian Football Association to play against children in an exhibition match. He decided to join in and was seen in short pants genkily running around the field. Later, this was shown on Fuji TV.

At the rijikai held today, loud voices were heard angrily protesting Asa's absence from the jungyo. Press say this will not go away quietly.

Edited July 25, 2007 by Kintamayama

[ilovesumo 12]

Aha-so that's the reason, he was seen by whole Japan doing that- that makes the voices louder.

Guess he will be seen at the jungyo after that,or?

[Jonosuke 28]

When you are a local promoter trying to sell tickets for Jyungyo, "banner" rikishi's participation really counts. Like film festivals, they want "name" stars showing up and rubbing shoulders and elbows with local bigwigs and other usual suspects (though not of Sumiyoshi-kai members). It can really make or break the event from a financial point of view. It also means a great deal to the Kyokai to still have such promoters willing to put their money where most won't in the current climate.

Often injured yokozuna has been called upon to do just their dohyo-iri specially to draw the crowd. Because it means a lot to everyone coming to see a Jyungyo event having yokozuna and ozeki around.

When Asashoryu goes to Mongolia, he doesn't apparently tell anyone at the Kyokai officially. Even his shisho is unaware when he is gone. This time around Kitanoumi oyakata asked Takasago oyakata to inform him which hospital he has been going for his "fractured" lower back treatment even before the news broke.

There is a precedent here as well as a long ago, one yokozuna who withdrew from a basho due to an injure and went back to Tokyo for treatment was photographed at a baseball stadium watching an exhibition game by visiting a US team. SFM readers know who he was but suffice to say, due to the incident he was forced to retire prematurely.

This can get to be very serious situation for Asashoryu. If I were him, I'd fly right back to Japan on the next flight out.

[Takemi 0]

I want to see Asa running around in shorts, anyone got a video?

[Kintamayama 47,194]

The Jungyo department will convene on the 27th for an emergency meeting to decide how to deal with Asa's behavior. Newspaper says plainly that this can even bring his career to an end. "He should be in a hospital and be treated for his injury. If he's in Mongolia, he should be treated there and not do stuff that can be misinterpreted..", said Kitanoumi rijicho unto Takasago Oyakata, BEFORE this happened. After a few hours, it did happen..

The game was held on the training grounds of the National stadium. Participating were Japanese kids and Nakata and others, surely a high-profile event. Asa was running around gleefully and even scored a goal. All this was shown on prime time TV in Japan in the evening, giving the unmistakable impression that the Yokozuna was faking an illness.

The Oyakatas will convene and decide what to do. As Jonosuke and Mado-san pointed out , the jungyos are very important to the kyokai, especially these days. They will have to do something about this. Worst case scenario - retiring Asa.

My guess - bench him for September with a final warning. Which of course will be ignored at some point in the future. Throwing him out now with only one yusho less than Takanohana will bring those "xenophobia" accusations out of the woodworks. Additionally, at this stage in sumo's life, Asa is vital as the "bad guy" for ticket sales.

We shall see.

[Raishu 219]

My guess - bench him for September with a final warning. ...

...Additionally, at this stage in sumo's life, Asa is vital as the "bad guy" for ticket sales.

I'm very curious about how the Kyokai will react if the ticket sales increase tremendously with a suspended Asa in September.

Banning him for lifetime after the next slight incident??

[Sashohitowa 6]

Additionally, at this stage in sumo's life, Asa is vital as the "bad guy" for ticket sales.

Just my personal opinion but I feel that Asashoryu may have the opposite effect on ticket sales. No doubt he is popular among many foreign fans but I've met many Japanese people who complain that he is the reason they have little interest in sumo.

All day today there was much head shaking and expressions of disgust over taht game of soccer. It might seem trivial but now that there is another yokozuna who displays much more hinkaku Asashoryu's behaviour just looks that much worse.

I like the guy and I think he would be a popular winner in many other sports but he just never seems to have gotten it when it comes to sumo and the dignity of a yokozuna. Sometimes I think he tries too hard to be cool and popular and outgoing and friendly when the media is around, especially whenever he appears on tv shows. He has a real likeable personality when you see him in those settings.

Thing is thought that's the opposite of what a yokozuna should be. Aloof, distant and slighly distainful of trivial questions and requests.

Actually that sounds kinda like Kotooshu (Laughing...)

Sorry, didn't get you - Kotooshu's behaviour can be an example for a bad yokozuna's behaviour?

[James H 0]

If I may guess at what Nish was getting at... (forgive me for what I am about to do)

Kotooshu's behavior - "Aloof, distant and slighly distainful of trivial questions and requests" is just like that of a "good" yokozuna in the traditional mold.

Whereas Asashoryu is a high-fiving, Kameda boxing brother lifting, Mongolian goal-scoring, celeb-mate partying persona - the complete opposite of our grumpy but correct Bulgarian.

And so Asa completely lacks hinkaku. Allegedly.

Doesn't lack a scoring touch, though, if Fuji TV is to be believed. Maybe after Japan's loss to Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup, they could persuade him to switch nationalities...

[Afrozuna 8]

I really think Kyokai might be overreacting a little. You really can not compare kicking a soccer ball to sumo. It would in fact be in the interests of Ozumo to ensure Asashoryu has a long career by abstaing from physically strenuous non-basho activities while injured. Asashoryu has maintained interest in Sumo at a time when it is not so appealing to young people any more. Kyokai needs to find a way to sell Sumo to young people. To do that of course it needs the right stars with charisma and media magnetism. A Yokozuna who is aloof, distant and allergic towards the media will obviously not give sumo much mileage popularity wise. Perhaps this is where sumo shoots itself in the foot. Other sport codes have agents who milk the media for all it's worth. Also the rule limiting the number of foreign rikishis can only be detrimental for the sport. When Akebono, Konishiki and Moose were plying their trade the sport was at dizzying heights of popularity. It was a very interesting development in sumo. One thing I've noticed about Japanese people is that they have an insatiable hunger for superstars of all races Michael Jordan, Sharapova, Naomi Campbell they lap it all up and yet Sumo can't exploit that.

Of course I am aware that certain restrictions have to be made in order to prevent media dissasters such as rikishi running their mouths about Yaocho but such things can not be completely eliminated. In future there will be more stories of yaocho just like cycling and athletics will have its doping scandals.

As a black South African many here in my home country would really laugh at me if they found out I was interested in watching overweight, overeating guys pushing and shoving each other around a circle. My introduction to Sumo was through a Gillette World Sport Special about Akebono's retirement. Seeing him crying when they were cutting his knot made me think this must have been something really important for someone to cry about. I then of course dug more info and watched just about every sumo video on YouTube (it helped that I was in varsity and not using my own cash to surf the net).

The point is if Kyokai takes a more embracing stance towards the media it can only increase the popularity. Like the saying gos all publicity is good publicity. People need to know backgrounds and speial thing about rikishi that they can relate to or admire. A photo of Hakuho playing soccer or baseball would do wonders for his PR. It will make the youth relate more to him as another young men who through hard work and determination is now at the top of his sport.

Perhaps this was all the Kyokai engineering to gain even more interest for the Jungyo. Many will now want to see the soccer ball kicking Yokozuna. This is just my opinion and many will disagree but such is the nature of humans.

[Kintamayama 47,194]

"He has a medical certificate saying he needs 6 weeks of rest, so it's really weird that he is playing soccer..", said Kitanoumi Rijicho. According to "authorized people", Asa was asked by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mongolian government sources to participate in the game, so he agreed. "I told him if he really has a bone fracture weariness thingy he should have himself hospitalized, and if he can join the jungyo, he should join the jungyo", said Takasago Oyakata.

Asa is slated to return to Japan this weekend or at the beginning of next week at the latest.

[Kintamayama 47,194]

I really think Kyokai might be overreacting a little.

Please read Jonosuke's post above. You are missing the point. The point is not whether soccer is worse than sumo or vice versa. It's about a yokozuna fulfilling his obligation regardless if he is a foreigner or a local-an extremely important obligation-showing yourself at jungyo, even if you're incapable of walking. Shake the fans' hands, get your picture taken-that's what the fans in the places where the jungyo goes want. They want to see the Yokozunas. Thousands have already bought tickets to see their heroes. One of them decided he's not going because he is injured, and suddenly he doesn't look that injured. Thousands have been calling the Kyokai offices very angrily, demanding something be done. This won't go away with a simple apology.

To not understand this very inherent and important part of sumo is not good. And Asashouryuu has done nothing to make the sport more popular-on the contrary-his one-man dominance and hinkaku hiccups has turned off many a spectator. Nagoya saw a ticket sales boost because of Hakuhou and Kotomitsuki and in spite of Asa. As for Akebono, and Musashimaru, don't mistake your own personal interest with the facts-those were popular times because of the Hanada brothers and not the Hawaiians, who made for an excellent background, for sure.. Musa was regarded as a wuss till he made Yokozuna and Akebono was the bad guy. As for Konishiki, (although personally I rooted for him) he was popular with the Japanese because he was extremely heavy-a "freak show' popularity, along the lines of Takamisakari today. At first he was formidable, but as he grew fatter and accumulated injuries his bouts became pathetic. Check them out, you'll see what I mean..

[madorosumaru 7]

"Don't F&*# with us!" Asashoryu Ordered Back to Japan.

The above is a typical headline in the Japanese media. Let me elaborate a bit more on Kinta's excellent report.

On the day Asashoryu was shown cavalierly playing soccer in Mongolia after turning in a doctor's report for a bone fracture, the phones didn't stop ringing at the NSK office all day. A member of the Publicity Department, who had to field all the angry calls, said somewhat dumbfoundedly, "There were a lot more calls than normal."

It would be considered a grievous offense if the yokozuna used a "faked injury" to skip out of an official Kyokai event. There have been an onslaught of protest calls at the jungyo office in Sendai, where the sumo tour will stop for the first time in six years. "'What the heck is going on,' the ticket holders would yell at us," said the local promoter. "Everyone wants to see the yokozuna. I am sure our customers are not the only ones who are incensed."

Takasago Oyakata, sees the seriousness of the matter and has ordered Ryu to come back immediately. The yokozuna is expected in Japan by the first of the week. "I never thought he would be in Mongolia," said the beleaguered shisho. "Given how it looks, there is no way that he can't appear in the jungyo."

Kitanoumi Rijicho was really irritated, "It doesn't make sense for him to turn in an excuse from the doctor and still play soccer." He did not specifically talk about discipline, but insiders told the press that he threw a conniption when he first heard the news on the 25th.

The other oyakata within the Kyokai are voicing even more anger. As Kinta reported earlier, the Jungyo Department has called for an emergency meeting on Friday. A board member said, "It would be a surprise if he is not disciplined. I think even the shisho deserves some severe punishment."

This matter is not going to be solved easily with Asashoryu apologizing and participating in the jungyo. He, as the marquee attraction of ozumo, has betrayed a lot of people. It is highly doubtful that he will escape serious punishment.

[BuBa 77]

So here is what I don't get. If he was a reason for declining interest in sumo what the heck all the people calling for. According to some posts here, at once people don't want to buy tickets for honbasho because of Asa, but then if it is exibition they need him. Don't they have this other "vanila" yokozuna with japanese wife to watch. And whats up with all this bashing all of the sudden, is it coming in fashion people? Big deal, man had kicked a ball for good cause.

[Kintamayama 47,194]

So here is what I don't get. If he was a reason for declining interest in sumo what the heck all the people calling for. According to some posts here, at once people don't want to buy tickets for honbasho because of Asa, but then if it is exibition they need him. Don't they have this other "vanila" yokozuna with japanese wife to watch. And whats up with all this bashing all of the sudden, is it coming in fashion people? Big deal, man had kicked a ball for good cause.

It's not a "bashing all of a sudden". Asashouryuu actually did something (or didn't do, depends on your point of view..) so it's news now. And when I said decline in Sumo interest, it was not only because of his behavior, but simply because of his total dominance. Of course it's not his fault that he's so dominant. but it's just a fact. As Nishi pointed out, a die hard sumo fan may have lost some interest, but kids and "light" sumo fans would be thrilled just to see him live, and that is the whole point.

As for the "Vanila yokozuna who married a Japanese ( and consequently sold out all Mongolians??)", that is not a nice thing to say and totally irrelevant to this discussion.

"Man has kicked a ball for a good cause"? Like it or not, Asa is king of Japan's national sport. His obligation to Japan and Sumo are way ahead of any obligation to his home country and any local "cause", for the moment at least. If you don't understand that and can't see beyond your patriotic cloud, that is wrong.

I don't want to see Asa punished or whatever. He was and is my favorite rikishi. Still, sometimes I don't understand (does he?) his priorities..

[Kintamayama 47,194]

"If you can play soccer, get over here and join the jungyo!!", said an irate Takasago Oyakata to Asa on the phone last night. "He supposedly has a lower back injury. I don't really know how badly it impairs his movement, but if it doesn't call for hospitalization, he will be participating in the whole jungyo", he added. He can play it safe and not do any actual Sumo, but he can do the dohyo-iri.

Asa should be returning over the weekend. At first, the plan was to enter a hospital upon his return. "This soccer thing happened because he was asked to participate by the Mongolian government, and he reluctantly agreed. If he can do that, he can participate in the jungyo as well. A jungyo and honbasho are the same - they are both important functions of the Kyokai", explained Takasago, who is in trouble himself after being seen as "weak", not for the first time, I might add...

Asashouryuu has never missed a jungyo since becoming yokozuna and being the only one for all this time. Maybe the fact that there is a new yokozuna now has led him to slacken up a bit. If he does participate, it would be in direct contradiction to an official medical diagnosis calling for 6 weeks of rest. Whatever happens, Asa owes an explanation.

"I don't know all the facts. When he returns we will get to the bottom of this. Till then - no comment!", said Kitanoumi Rijicho.

Edited July 27, 2007 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 47,194]

"I think he is making light of Japan's National Culture sport . If he can run around genkiously playing soccer and scoring goals, he can do a hundred dohyo-iris!!", said an indignant YDC member Ms. Uchidate today. "It has nothing to do with being a foreigner or a Japanese. He has to behave like a member of society. The Kyokai should study the facts thoroughly and if this is true they have to seriously deal with this!!", she added. "This is worrying. The YDC has to continuously emphasize the importance of hinkaku. There seems to be a problem with the Oyakata as well. He should be more firm",added ex- YDC chairman Ishibashi.

Some online papers are taking a hard line on this, saying he betrayed the fans, should be suspended, etc.. etc..

Edited July 27, 2007 by Kintamayama

[madorosumaru 7]

Jungyo Chief to Ryu: "Don't bother. We don't want you."

The NSK Jungyo Department met on Friday to discuss the Asashoryu matter. Their conclusion was to allow the yokozuna to miss the entire jungyo schedule. Oshima Oyakata, head of jungyo department, said, "There is no need for him to participate in the jungyo." Takadagawa Oyakata, assistant chief of the department, was more to the point, "As far as our department is concerned, we don't want him. The way we feel it will be fine if he is gone semi-permanently." Another oyakata said, "We do not have the right to discipline him. That we will leave to the rijicho to decide."

Takasago Oyakata is still trying to mend the fences. "When he returns [to Japan], I will have him participate in the jungyo. At the present time, he is expected back on Monday." The shisho's intention is to have Ryu join the tour even in midstream.

The diagnosis of Ryu's injury has been revealed: Damage to left ulnar collateral ligament; damage to ulnar nerve; acute lower back pain; stress fracture of fifth lumbar vertebra, requiring six weeks of treatment and rest.

Edited July 27, 2007 by madorosumaru

[Raishu 219]

... Oshima Oyakata, head of jungyo department, said, "There is no need for him to participate in the jungyo." ...

... Takadagawa Oyakata, assistant chief of the department, was more to the point, "As far as our department is concerned, we don't want him. The way we feel it will be fine if he is gone semi-permanently." ...

Wow, surprising decision.

What are the local promoters going to say about that? Surely not a satisfying statement for them.

Edited July 27, 2007 by Raishu

[Asashosakari 20,225]

The NSK Jungyo Department met on Friday to discuss the Asashoryu matter. Their conclusion was to allow the yokozuna to miss the entire jungyo schedule. Oshima Oyakata, head of jungyo department, said, "There is no need for him to participate in the jungyo." Takadagawa Oyakata, assistant chief of the department, was more to the point, "As far as our department is concerned, we don't want him. The way we feel it will be fine if he is gone semi-permanently."

Ha. I'd love it if they stuck to that decision.

The diagnosis of Ryu's injury has been revealed: Damage to left ulnar collateral ligament; damage to ulnar nerve; acute lower back pains; stress fracture of fifth lumbar vertabra, requiring six weeks of treatment and rest.

I hope that diagnosis finds its way to the SML where seemingly everybody who cared to post on the issue in the past 24 hours has insisted that you can totally play soccer even if you're incapacitated to do sumo for six weeks, presumably because it's just, you know, a wussy sport like soccer. I wonder what the reaction would have been if it had been baseball batting practice or basketball.

Just in casual conersations I had yesterday quite a few laid the blame at Takasago's feet. It's more than likely he will receive a heavy punishment too.

I do wonder about that. Actually, I wonder if he hasn't received some punishments in the past already, just nothing that would need to be made public. After all, the pattern of him not knowing what the heck Asashoryu is up to most of the time goes back almost to the beginning of his yokozuna career.

Edited July 27, 2007 by Asashosakari

[Kaikitsune Makoto 210]

The list of Shoryu's injuries is not that "boastable". Surely you would get even more interesting collections from many other rikishi like U or Taikai. Elbow injury like that is common in sumo and such is life. Stress fracture is odder a bit but no treatment anyway. Playing football in playful manner with a mild stress fracture in lower back is not a big deal as such. And WHY on earth would he have to be "hospitalized"? To put on a nice display of "Look! I am getting my injuries treated!"? Jungyo isn't that good for him as if I understood correctly, rikishi have to sit around in busses a lot during jungyo and that is bad for the stress fracture back. His back would be better off goofing around in Mongolia than it is in jungyo busses. Of course it is not good that yokozuna misses PR ie. jungyo. I will apply for Kyokai's doctor position and will organize sensible injury-treatment and injury-attitude system, then prescribe rowing machine to all, less steroids to Katayama and knee arthroscopy for Aminishiki.

Then a juvenile comment (last acknowladged one I made was years ago about erection angles in relation to age to which Nishinoshima commented it was very juvenile and ate my credibility to write such a comment): I always thought Asashio ie. Takasago-oyakata was a bit daft person with lack of authority, lack of thinking and lack of skill. Prove it wrong.

[madorosumaru 7]

A recent issue of a sumo magazine had a panel discussion with reporters and the former Tokitsukaze Rijicho about the various top rikishi. Several points that were made are rather pertinent and interesting.

In discussing Chiyotaikai, a reporter brought up an incident at jungyo earlier this year when the ozeki was just hanging around doing very little. An oyakata got p.o.'d and yelled at him, "If you aren't going to do any keiko, why don't you just go ahead and retire." He meant to light a fire to Taikai's behind but the panel went on to talk about how important the jungyo is to the well-being of ozumo. Jungyo is a NSK sanctioned event so if a star doesn't show up to fulfill his responsibility, it would be tantamount to "fraud."

As for the yokozuna, all members of the panel lamented his free-wheeling ways. They felt he completely misunderstood his role as a yokozuna. They placed the blame on his shisho, Takasago Oyakata, who appeared helpless in controlling his deshi. The situation is so bad that it bordered on being "tragic."

[Kintamayama 47,194]

Then a juvenile comment (last acknowladged one I made was years ago about erection angles in relation to age to which Nishinoshima commented it was very juvenile and ate my credibility to write such a comment): I always thought Asashio ie. Takasago-oyakata was a bit daft person with lack of authority, lack of thinking and lack of skill. Prove it wrong.

I have forwarded this to him with your home address and fax number. I understand he is sending Mr. Miyamoto (62) to try to explain to you why you are wrong while you are hung upside down from a tree, as it is common knowledge that it is easier to think that way. Also, your face becomes a nice shade of pink.