Hakuho retires

[Godango 973]

*** Content Warning - polarising Hakuho opinion ***

I'll join the  reaction to the oath thing.

I fear I'm starting to come around to @Kintamayama's point of view. They couldn't beat him on the dohyo, but they'll likely beat him in "death by a thousand cuts bureaucracy".

My new hope is that with a couple of generations we'll have an NSK evolved enough to realise how shameful all of this is/was.

 

[Onibushou 61]

At least they didn't make him sign it with blood?

[Kintamayama 44,646]

9 minutes ago, Onibushou said:

At least they didn't make him sign it with blood?

Who knows..

[LLCoolKay 22]

So they're going to give him every single crap job they have to "make him show humility" for the crime of being the best? I don't know why I'm surprised. These sad, racist old men are no different from nation to nation.

[Kintamayama 44,646]

2 minutes ago, LLCoolKay said:

So they're going to give him every single crap job they have to "make him show humility" for the crime of being the best? I don't know why I'm surprised. These sad, racist old men are no different from nation to nation.

That's what usually happens to retired rikishi, hallway duty and all. I even saw Kakuryuu on duty last basho.

Edited September 30, 2021 by Kintamayama

[LLCoolKay 22]

1 minute ago, Kintamayama said:

That's mwhat usually happens to retires rikishi, hallway duty and all. I even saw Kakuryuu on duty last basho.

Oh OK. I got the impression from what I was reading it was expected by everyone else he would get a commentating job or something like that and that it was unusual that he would be forced to be hallway guard and the like. 

[Kaninoyama 1,712]

3 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

That's what usually happens to retired rikishi, hallway duty and all. I even saw Kakuryuu on duty last basho.

As did Kisenosato. 

[yorikiried by fate 2,001]

I guess they will hide him. Guard the museum basement or some such.

[Kaninoyama 1,712]

12 minutes ago, LLCoolKay said:

Oh OK. I got the impression from what I was reading it was expected by everyone else he would get a commentating job or something like that and that it was unusual that he would be forced to be hallway guard and the like. 

Those of his stature who desire it are typically allotted one day out of the 15 for commentary duties. Even the talkative and popular Kisenosato only gets one day on TV (though I believe he also does radio). 

Hallway duty is less punishment and more a combination of welcome to your post-geneki career, you'll start at the bottom just like everyone in typical Japanese fashion; and they still don't have any other official responsibilities or know what's going on yet, so guard duty is one of the few brainless jobs they can be assigned to easily carry out. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by Kaninoyama

[Asashosakari 18,967]

1 hour ago, LLCoolKay said:

Oh OK. I got the impression from what I was reading it was expected by everyone else he would get a commentating job or something like that and that it was unusual that he would be forced to be hallway guard and the like. 

There are technically about three different things people have been talking about here. As Kaninoyama said, the hallway guarding and other simple stuff like meet and greets is essentially entry-level work that gets assigned to those that haven't been placed in a permanent department yet, while the talk about judging and press club duties - including the suspicion/insinuation that they're not going to give him anything like that - was about those eventual department assignments. And thirdly there are PR side jobs like the mentioned commentary stints on TV or radio which aren't really part of anybody's official Association job description at all.

Edit: To add for completeness, the primary task of those who aren't in a managerial role is simply to be coaches at their respective stable, in Kyokai lingo "guidance". With Hakuho expected to become heya owner before too long, I actually wouldn't be surprised if they're going to "allow" him to focus on that aspect of his oyakata career for the first while, which might not be the worst of things for him anyway and would provide the brass some time to think about how to involve him in the long term.

Edited October 1, 2021 by Asashosakari

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,261]

That's also why I think he isn't going to fling himself back to Mongolia anytime soon. I don't think he'd leave the uchi-deshi floating off on their own.

[Kujo 116]

9 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

This "signing of the oath" crap is crappy crap. It's appeasing the Kyokai loud minority. If I were Hakuhou, I'd fly off to Mongolia, cut my oicho on the plane and throw it down over the Sumida river, while prominently displaying my middle finger. The disrespect is so obvious even Stevie Wonder can see it. Hakuhou is finally  paying the price for breaking all those records. I'm convinced more than ever that he will not stick around much longer. They could have let him be for a few months without any stipulations . If he would have caused problems, that's when they should have commenced with them threats. I am fuming, foaming,  and will be thinking of my future in the virtual sumo world these coming days. Bad, bad, Kyokai.

Oh come on Moti-san, tell us how you really feel (most of us are adults) 

I thought you were going fishing? Take a break, relax, (don't bait the hook, the fish will bother you).

Don't worry it will only be a couple of weeks before he says something the NSK doesn't like (he can't help himself)  

[LLCoolKay 22]

1 hour ago, Asashosakari said:

There are technically about three different things people have been talking about here. As Kaninoyama said, the hallway guarding and other simple stuff like meet and greets is essentially entry-level work that gets assigned to those that haven't been placed in a permanent department yet, while the talk about judging and press club duties - including the suspicion/insinuation that they're not going to give him anything like that - was about those eventual department assignments. And thirdly there are PR side jobs like the mentioned commentary stints on TV or radio which aren't really part of anybody's official Association job description at all.

Edit: To add for completeness, the primary task of those who aren't in a managerial role is simply to be coaches at their respective stable, in Kyokai lingo "guidance". With Hakuho expected to become heya owner before too long, I actually wouldn't be surprised if they're going to "allow" him to focus on that aspect of his oyakata career for the first while, which might not be the worst of things for him anyway and would provide the brass some time to think about how to involve him in the long term.

Thank you for explaining. I was getting very confused and that confusion was starting to get me riled up.

[Kurowashi 42]

If Hakuho is gonna become a shimpan, he could finally call a mono-ii for real 

[Yamanashi 3,776]

I don't see Hakuho being a shimpan soon; the jungyo beat would be very good for him.  Running a heya seems to be a pretty full job, especially during a basho when you have rikishi participating, though many shimpan are Oyakata as well.  Most of all, I think the higher-ups would be nervous about Hakuho going rogue on mono-ii calls (whether those fears are warranted or not).

[sumojoann 1,262]

13 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Hakuhou's intai interview- Tomorrow, October 1st, 3:00 PM JST. Live on the Kyokai's YouTube channel.

Hakuho's intai live interview will start at 3 PM JST Oct 1.  Unfortunately, I can't watch it because my browser is out of date!

[Akinomaki 40,053]

3 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

I don't see Hakuho being a shimpan soon; the jungyo beat would be very good for him.  Running a heya seems to be a pretty full job, especially during a basho when you have rikishi participating, though many shimpan are Oyakata as well.  Most of all, I think the higher-ups would be nervous about Hakuho going rogue on mono-ii calls (whether those fears are warranted or not).

With jungyo still getting canceled

Hakuho was choosing his words carefully, no emotions at all in his words, he's doing everything to show hinkakaku, which is what they demand from him. That shows me he's determined to stay in the NSK.

Miyagino oyakata also was quite detached  from the event at hand, really eerie to listen to this performance

[Akinomaki 40,053]

Looks like Hakuho is after the record of the longest intai press conference ever

[Kintamayama 44,646]

3 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

With jungyo still getting canceled

Hakuho was choosing his words carefully, no emotions at all in his words,

He was emotional for a few minutes there, seemingly crying when thanking his Oyakata.

[Akinomaki 40,053]

The first to ask questions was Yokono Reiko, an ardent Hakuho supporter. I'm a bit allergic to her, but she's the obvious choice for the main press part and detailed questions.

Hakuho had knee surgery 2 times this year, the doctor told him, the next knee injury would mean he'll need an artificial knee joint.

After that only 2 reporters allowed to ask, we approach 45 minutes, the time limit? Most was used by Hakuho himself

[Kintamayama 44,646]

[Nantonoyama 248]

4 hours ago, Kurowashi said:

If Hakuho is gonna become a shimpan, he could finally call a mono-ii for real 

Ringside rikishi can, and if I remember correctly Hakuho already did

[Seiyashi 4,072]

1 hour ago, Kintamayama said:

1 hour ago, Akinomaki said:

With jungyo still getting canceled

Hakuho was choosing his words carefully, no emotions at all in his words,

He was emotional for a few minutes there, seemingly crying when thanking his Oyakata.

That's pretty normal, isn't it? There's usually plenty of tearing up going on at intai conferences. 

[Kintamayama 44,646]

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

That's pretty normal, isn't it? There's usually plenty of tearing up going on at intai conferences. 

Oh, definitely. Brothers wrote no emotions, I actually saw some, is all.

[pricklypomegranate 730]

18 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

I am fuming, foaming,  and will be thinking of my future in the virtual sumo world these coming days. Bad, bad, Kyokai.

Moti-san we need you! I don't think the sumo community can take another devastating loss...