Nikkan sports popularity poll

[Kintamayama 43,585]

Nikkan sports held its second annual rikishi popularity poll. Results:

1. Kisenosato (second straight time)

2. Wakanosato (totally out of nowhere, first place with the male vote)

3. Myougiryuu

4. Kakuryuu

5. Hakuhou , first via postcard votes.

6. Aminishiki, down from third last time

7. Harumafuji

8. Masunoyama

9, Ikioi

10. Okinoumi

No big participation, as first place had 298 votes..

Edited June 11, 2013 by Kintamayama

[Jakusotsu 5,501]

Kakuryu should show this poll to the kensho people.

[Akinomaki 38,567]

Surprised but delighted Wakanosato looking at the result: "Isn't that a sympathy vote for an aged man still continuing? They mistook it maybe for "Who's next to retire?". Still it's an encouragement, I have to live up to the expectations of those supporting me. I won't quit for quite a while."


results in banzuke form till m10, 2303 votes in all, 2212 from the web:

[krindel 671]

No big participation, as first place had 298 votes..

So the real result of the poll was "Who cares?" :-(

[aderechelsea 107]

So ... i guess that the majority of voters are males over 30. That's why Wakanosato is in second place. The tendency to make things of the past look better in our heads is a male characteristic of the "30+ club"

i can relate to this though .... i always considered Wakanosato a real power monster and his trapezoids and lower body strength were not of this world. But i never considered him among those that i root for or even among those that i enjoyed seeing win. Now that he is a monster in demise i kind of like him more and i want him to get KK every single basho.

as we say in greek ..... "δεινον το γήρας ου γαρ ερχεται μονον" (old age is coming with all its' negative effects) :-D

Edited June 11, 2013 by aderechelsea

[ScreechingOwl 343]

I would have assumed this result showed that Wakanosato had won the postcard vote, with the postcards simply taking 10 years to arrive.

[Akinomaki 38,567]

3rd time in a row Kisenosato is top in this year's election (1430 votes of 13232), Endo now is west yokozuna (no. 2 with 1038).

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/sumo/news/p-sp-tp3-20140611-1315729.html
5.7 times as much votes as last year.
Year one

[Asameshimae 220]

I suspect all the people polled are true fans because among the laymen (people I talk to who know little about sumo or got to see it at the kokugikan once in a year) it's all Endo, Endo, Endo.

[Akinomaki 38,567]

As always (4th time of 4) Kisenosato at the top of the yearly Nikkan popularity poll, 4140 votes of 41764: 3 times as much votes as last time (if that rule is new this year because 3 votes allowed per voter - per day, much like the NSK poll each basho).

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1490587.html

top 10 with voters comments http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1490770.html

11-20 http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1490771.html

no banzuke type result yet

Edited June 11, 2015 by Akinomaki

[CT3* 331]

The surprising thing for me? No mention of Endo!

[Tsubame 350]

He had the 4th place, if I read that correctly.

I am only surprised by Hakuhos 9th place.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Tsubame

[Gambitfan 1]

He had the 4th place, if I read that correctly.

I am only surprised by Hakuhos 9th place.

To be honest, I'm not; Hakuho is swiftly morphing into the perfect "bad-guy" for an Endo or Kisenosato to take down, like the last boss of an elaborate Sumo video game. Think about it, he's powerful, he's skilled, he doesn't choke, he's a record-breaker, and the most "damning" crime of all, he's not Japanese (not trying to say it's racist so much as, "who doesn't route for the home team?"). Seriously, all he needs he's an over-the-top laugh and a mustache to twirl, and we're in business.

[CT3* 331]

He had the 4th place, if I read that correctly.

Ooops!

[Akinomaki 38,567]

This poll isn't much more representative than the bi-monthly NSK poll.

Still, the Isegahama-team not only crowds the upper makuuchi ranks, they also have top ranks in the poll.

Aminishiki at 2 (from 5 last time), Terunofuji at 3 (from 20), Harumafuji at 5 (from 8) and Takarafuji at 11 (from 24) - only Homarefuji is still too low.

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/column/sumo/news/1490800.html

Ichinojo is only at 14.

[Chiyozakura 127]

and the most "damning" crime of all, he's not Japanese (not trying to say it's racist so much as, "who doesn't route for the home team?").

If that was the case why is Terunofuji on 3 and Harumafuji on 5? As far as I know they are both Mongolian as well.

[krindel 671]

3 times as much votes as last time (if that rule is new this year because 3 votes allowed per voter - per day, much like the NSK poll each basho).

Which basically means that any bored 15 year old or suitably reimbursed person can vote to first place anyone they set their sights on... Remember Aran's last basho and his first place by a huge margin in the NSK poll?

[kuroimori 1,634]

Well, you can make efforts to boost some guys to top of popularity some online popularity poll, but you can't power-click them to a yusho.

While I think about it, I recall that there are thoughts about some kind of experiment in the still very new and relatively unknown Formula E Racing.

Th basic idea is to award the winner of a fan popularity poll which is taken during the race some extra power boost so he can attack and overtake other (not so popular) drivers.

I first thought that was a joke, but apparently they are serious about that kind of hybrid interactivity thing.

I wonder what is next: fans can decide which driver can throw turtles, bananas or other stuff on the circuit???

[Akinomaki 38,567]

3 times as much votes as last time (if that rule is new this year because 3 votes allowed per voter - per day, much like the NSK poll each basho).

Which basically means that any bored 15 year old or suitably reimbursed person can vote to first place anyone they set their sights on... Remember Aran's last basho and his first place by a huge margin in the NSK poll?

It is not clear if it is as easy to cheat at the Nikkan poll like at the NSK poll, they say once a day per device - I haven't tried this poll and don't know if private mode in the browser is enough to cheat.

The rule was the same last year, so votes really increased.

http://www.nikkansports.com/sports/sumo/news/p-sp-tp3-20140611-1315716.html

And they gave the "hard" votes (by postcard) a 5 time value now: they increased from 215 to 2053 this year and have a part of 10265 vs. the 31499 web votes.

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1490587.html

Actually number 1 in the postcard votes is Endo.

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1490586.html

[Akinomaki 38,567]

Seems like the banzuke type result with numbers was only in the paper - I haven't found it on the site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjpOOYTdZiA

[Akinomaki 38,567]

Again Kisenosato at the top of the yearly Nikkan popularity poll, this time with 7323 of 58265 votes.

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1660427.html

As always (4th time of 4) Kisenosato at the top of the yearly Nikkan popularity poll, 4140 votes of 41764: 3 times as much votes as last time (if that rule is new this year because 3 votes allowed per voter - per day, much like the NSK poll each basho).

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1660425.html

o o o o o

[Gurowake 3,791]

"Maegashira":

Myogiryu - Shodai

Kakuryu - Takayasu

Nishikigi (!) - Toyonoshima

Kotoyuki - Kaisei

Mitakeumi - Takarafuji

Yoshikaze - Gagamaru

Tochiozan - Osunaarashi

Ichinojo - Sokokurai

Kotoshogiku - Sadanoumi

Tochinoshin - Daishomaru

Did Nishikigi's family stuff the ballot or something?

[Benevolance 2,422]

Ikioi looks like he's on an album cover.

[Unkonoyama 104]

Nice to see Kaisei and Tochinoshin get some love

[Katooshu 2,959]

Maybe those popularity trophies are cursed and that's why Kise never gets a yusho.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Katooshu

[Gurowake 3,791]

Ikioi looks like he's on an album cover.

Well, I think what's written near the bottom of his picture means "Soul of enka".