Natsu basho 2019 discussions [SPOILERS]

[Eikokurai 3,433]

2 hours ago, Jabbamaru said:

I would happily exchange all these three together for a good old Hak's zensho

Yeah, because we haven’t had enough of those already ...

[ALAKTORN 346]

8 minutes ago, bettega said:

What a weird basho. I only watch sumo for 8y (exactly, since Kaisei debut in Makuuchi - Natsu 2011) and I find this "anybody-can-get-the-yusho" kinda sad and underwhelming. I miss the technical prowess of the sekitori from Hakuho era. They do not get many Yusho but it seemed to me we had better fights - even now Hakuho in -end-of-career is better than anybody else by a kilometer. The Ozeki are a joke.

 

I agree. Everybody in this forum seems to love the underdogs, but personally I just see bad sumō. I love Hakuhō and enjoyed watching him dominate a lot– not as much in recent years as his skill has deteriorated a lot even when he goes 15–0.

Anyway, I’m happy for Asanoyama, always thought he could be a good rikishi but this is the first time he really shows it. Hope he keeps form.

[Kuroyama 715]

2 hours ago, ALAKTORN said:

I agree. Everybody in this forum seems to love the underdogs, but personally I just see bad sumō. I love Hakuhō and enjoyed watching him dominate a lot– not as much in recent years as his skill has deteriorated a lot even when he goes 15–0. 

His skill is not the issue. It pretty much never is with older rikishi.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

I would say Hak's strength and stamina have declined with injury and age, but he is as skillful as in his peak years, if not even better.

[Joaoiyama 306]

All i've wanted was to have good young rikishi to maintain sumo's competitiveness when Hakuho's gone, now that we have it people be like "oh i miss 2 years in a row of hakuho yusho". 

[Eikokurai 3,433]

I’m thoroughly enjoying where sumo is right now. In fact, I’d say there’s something for everyone. In the past three years we’ve had plenty of basho with the Yokozuna in control, cruising to the yusho. We’ve had Goeido and Kotoshogiku end years of Mongolian dominance. We’ve had Kisenosato finally step up and fulfill his potential (albeit for it to be cut short). We’ve had highly touted youngsters like Takakeisho and Mitakeumi emerge and win a championship each. We’ve had old guys break through and deliver on years of hard graft, like Tochinoshin and Tamawashi. And now we’ve had a surprise yusho from the mid-Maegashira ranks that nobody saw coming. I fail to see the negatives in any of these stories. I’ve enjoyed some of the best drama and most exciting narratives of all the years I’ve been watching sumo. 

[robnplunder 974]

11 hours ago, ScreechingOwl said:

In any case, the sumo judging system is antiquated, 

The introduction of video replay improved  the "antiquated" system in the order of magnitude.    IMHO, the combined system works by and large.   But in this basho, as I mentioned in earlier threads, the lack of justified monoii calls has been a big issue.   The irony was that the worst call (Asan vs Tochi) was made after a monoii call which didn't even have to be called.   Moreover, why "redo" wasn't the next obvious judging option for the shimpans was beyond me.   They had a way out per the existing system.  They just didn't use it and went for the worst decision possible.   

Edited May 26, 2019 by robnplunder

[Jabbamaru 166]

3 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

Yeah, because we haven’t had enough of those already ...

People have no sense of humor. Anyway Hak's zenshos are never enough, the man looks like Kublai mf* Khan.

I can't help to feel that, if the elders were more clever, we could still have Haruma, Teru and Kise on the dohyo, and kids like Sato and Asa would got more timr to develope their skills. But maybe im just bitching about it because all my boys goes down and some random kid got the yusho (to not mentioning the tomorrow's "especial" guest...f*!)

[Eikokurai 3,433]

30 minutes ago, Jabbamaru said:

People have no sense of humor. Anyway Hak's zenshos are never enough, the man looks like Kublai mf* Khan.

I can't help to feel that, if the elders were more clever, we could still have Haruma, Teru and Kise on the dohyo, and kids like Sato and Asa would got more timr to develope their skills. But maybe im just bitching about it because all my boys goes down and some random kid got the yusho (to not mentioning the tomorrow's "especial" guest...f*!)

I don’t think I can really be accused of having no sense of humour.

[robnplunder 974]

1 hour ago, Eikokurai said:

I’m thoroughly enjoying where sumo is right now. In fact, I’d say there’s something for everyone. In the past three years we’ve had plenty of basho with the Yokozuna in control, cruising to the yusho. We’ve had Goeido and Kotoshogiku end years of Mongolian dominance. We’ve had Kisenosato finally step up and fulfill his potential (albeit for it to be cut short). We’ve had highly touted youngsters like Takakeisho and Mitakeumi emerge and win a championship each. We’ve had old guys break through and deliver on years of hard graft, like Tochinoshin and Tamawashi. And now we’ve had a surprise yusho from the mid-Maegashira ranks that nobody saw coming. I fail to see the negatives in any of these stories. I’ve enjoyed some of the best drama and most exciting narratives of all the years I’ve been watching sumo. 

Well said.   The only disappointment is that no one is coming anywhere near Hak/Kak/Kise/Haruma's quality of sumo.   The golden era  of super Yokozuna competition will be gone when Hak/Kak intai and will take (if ever in my life time) time to see such era again.  

Edited May 26, 2019 by robnplunder

[Gurowake 3,922]

1 hour ago, robnplunder said:

The introduction of video replay improved  the "antiquated" system in the order of magnitude.    IMHO, the combined system works by and large.   But in this basho, as I mentioned in earlier threads, the lack of justified monoii calls has been a big issue.   The irony was that the worst call (Asan vs Tochi) was made after a monoii call which didn't even have to be called.   Moreover, why "redo" wasn't the next obvious judging option for the shimpans was beyond me.   They had a way out per the existing system.  They just didn't use it and went for the worst decision possible.   

Torinaoshi is only a possibility when two rikishi fall together.  It is not a possibility when they can't decide whether someone was out or not.  Either he was out, or he wasn't.  They can't decide that they can't decide [sic] on whether something happened or not to one rikishi.

[Eikokurai 3,433]

39 minutes ago, robnplunder said:

Well said.   The only disappointment is that no one is coming anywhere near Hak/Kak/Kise/Haruma's quality of sumo.   The golden era  of super Yokozuna competition will be gone when Hak/Kak intai and will take (if ever in my life time) time to see such era again.  

In terms of sumo quality*, we’ve been spoiled this century to see Asashoryu and Hakuho (and to a slightly lesser extent Harumafuji). It was never going to last, especially once they limited the number of foreign recruits, which obviously sees less chance of Mongolian grapplers coming to the sport. New people will emerge though and our memories of the greats will fade, but it will take time. Meanwhile, I’m just enjoying the unpredictability and the chaos. Sport is theatre at the end of the day and all I really want is great stories.

 

*Though perhaps less so in terms of drama. When Asa and Hak were at their best, the yusho was a formality and one had to to look elsewhere on the banzuke for the surprises.

Edited May 26, 2019 by Eikokurai

[Akinomaki 39,797]

NHK-G is showing horse races till 16h (or even later), when makuuchi has already started on senshuraku https://www2.nhk.or.jp/hensei/program/index.cgi?area=001&type=0&date=2019-05-26&tz=afternoon&mode=1&f=top

[Rainoyama 1,157]

4 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

NHK-G is showing horse races till 16h (or even later), when makuuchi has already started on senshuraku https://www2.nhk.or.jp/hensei/program/index.cgi?area=001&type=0&date=2019-05-26&tz=afternoon&mode=1&f=top

Oh of course they are...

Edit : no horse race at the moment. Just some morning program about grannies selling leaves.

Edited May 26, 2019 by Rainoyama

[Akinomaki 39,797]

6 minutes ago, Rainoyama said:

Oh of course they are...

Edit : no horse race at the moment. Just some morning program about grannies selling leaves.

The horse races program starts at the time sumo should start.

[Joaoiyama 306]

Let's apreciate a great basho, the new era has started well.

[robnplunder 974]

1 minute ago, Joaoiyama said:

Let's apreciate a great basho, the new era has started well.

I don't know about either.   To me, this was a terrible basho for many reasons.   As for the new era, the era of Hak & Kak may continue for another year or two it seems.  

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

And yet another botched mono-ii explanation by Onomatsu shimpan bucho. Much laughter and mockery from the audience. The heel of the basho. Will he be on the final rotation that will potentially have a mono-ii during the Trump visit?

Edited May 26, 2019 by Otokonoyama

[Rainoyama 1,157]

Mbovo is hosting a feed (abema) !

Edited May 26, 2019 by Rainoyama

[Jakusotsu 5,815]

49 minutes ago, Otokonoyama said:

Will he be on the final rotation that will potentially have a mono-ii during the Trump visit?

Unlikely.

[Akinomaki 39,797]

52 minutes ago, Otokonoyama said:

And yet another botched mono-ii explanation by Onomatsu shimpan bucho. Much laughter and mockery from the audience. The heel of the basho. Will he be on the final rotation that will potentially have a mono-ii during the Trump visit?

Again neither the rikishi nor the audience were sure who won the bout after that de-explanation - Onomatsu knew the shikona of Takagenji, but not of Tsurugisho, and he couldn't even continue to read aloud his notes properly

[Benihana 1,901]

Enho MK, but WHAT A BOUT!

 

Edited May 26, 2019 by Benihana

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Nice try Enho! お疲れ！！

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

Wow what an epic effort by Enho. 

[Rocks 1,807]

Just now, Kaninoyama said:

Wow what an epic effort by Enho. 

He did all he could, but he has no tool to beat a Shohozan that isn't injured and ready to go.