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You remind me of an old joke I heard years ago. A professor of a course on human relationships asked his classroom full of college students about the frequency of their having "relationships" with the opposite sex. Remember, now, this story is from many years ago. The BMOC football player immediately answered, "Every damn night." A good-looking, well-dressed fellow in the front row chimed in, "Couple of times a week. On weekends. Gottta study, too, you know." An anonymous-looking Joe College type in the middle of the room confided, "Every so often, Wherever I get lucky." All this time, a nerdy guy with glasses and a plaid shirt was giggling loudly and waving frantically in the back of the room. Finally, the professor called on him, "Okay, you back there, how often do you get it?" The pimply-faced geek replied, "Once every five years." The puzzled prof then asked, "Five years? Why are you so happy, then?" The geek was barely able to contain himself as he blurted out, "Tonight's the night!" Last night, clearly, was your night. You know the Guinness motto, right? GOOD things come to those who wait. Actually, I watch a large variety of sports and am hence guaranteed little spurts of delight on a regular basis. *guhur-hur*

Regarding Kotomitsuki's win... I think I might have died and gone to heaven. Honestly. Words cannot express my irrational joy.

Wonderful pictures! I know little about photography, but I really love the warm colours you've achieved, as opposed to those stark 'flashbulb' shots I see on news sites. Thanks very much and gooooo Kotomitsuki!!

What a bittersweet season it's been. -_-;; I hope Kotozakura will have a smooth journey to the next world. He was a real spark as a wrestler and a real father figure as a stablemaster. May his fighting ki be gifted to his stable sons, and may Sadogatake-beya take strength from this loss.

Kotomitsuki is a whole different guy when he smiles. Happiness! (Laughing...) Go Kotomitsuki TEAM! And now they can eat the fish without reserve (unlike last time)!

That little girl must be screaming some heinous abuse at him, it's making Mickey's eyes water. (On the banzuke...)

Woot! (Sorry, can't get any more cerebral for now)

Can I just say in a non-sycophantic way that I really enjoy your little write-ups? I guess Chiyotaikai does pushups to keep fit and Mickey does the twist (Chubby Checker style).

Truly! (Showing respect...) (Clapping wildly...) (Showing respect...) (Clapping wildly...) (On the banzuke...) :-D I know I should quickly do a search of what wiser people have said, but I think this would make Mickey one of the oldest rikishi ever to make ozeki. If he can break one record, why not another? :) Although stringing together two yusho to get to big kahuna status ... difficult is an epic understatement. Can't let up now, GO GO GO MICKEY! Two more days of good sumo to go!

Oro, that lovely blue photographer's flash on their legs has put me in the mood for a haiku. Blue glow like marsh gas Buoyant and ephemeral Twenty-seven, nil All I can say is, that is a perfectly executed landing technique by Mickey :D Tomorrow, Homasho - the day after, the world!

I think he might beat Asashoryu. It's a little feeling I have. Of course his knees will become like jelly and his focus will become like jelly and he will be toppled from the dohyo by Asa like a jelly baby. That's teh big feeling I have but I hope the bandwagon keeps on rolling. Now's as good a time as any to unseat Shoryu - indeed, there has been none better in years. Keep the fires of belief burning! :) Asashoryu has not become weaker by any means but he's definitely unsettled... which may allow for mistakes to occur. All we can do is bellow at the TV (or directly at the dohyo, for the lucky ones...) Sausage fingers crossed.

Never. Hakuho's a new yokozuna, he has a lot to prove and it's infinitely more lucrative for him to stack up wins than to keel over for a quick buck. Plus Mickey could get his wins off other people, so why would Hakuho do him the favour? I put the 'flying' down to simple momentum. Mickey has been going slightly to the side in a few of his bouts but never enough to declare it a henka. In fact it's tricky to pull off because someone striking you at full force could simply tip you off kilter. I think this slightly-off manoeuvre is partly behind his stack of wins; he now knows how to angle for the belt whilst absorbing his opponent's force. Just my flawed opinion. ^_^;; Us that have been on it a long time deserve company! :D ;)

HE CAN DO IT! HE CAN DO IT! (Clapping wildly...) (Holiday feeling...) (Showing respect...) (Clapping wildly...) (On the banzuke...) (Yusho winner...) *fists pumping ungraciously*

The inexorable force meets the immovable object? :) Hakuho will be oh-so-tough-to-beat, so I am not going to think about the result and will only think about the great sumo on display. Hakuho's learnt from Toyonoshima, oddly enough, not to treat his yokozuna status too casually, and Mickey's had his share of wins over Hakuho, so I expect to see two very serious, very good rikishi doing their best bouts and taking nothing for granted. My only worry is that Mickey will overextend himself in an attempt to beat a Yokozuna and injure himself. :( *prays otherwise* Injury at this stage would leave him vulnerable to Asashoryu in particular... Go go go Kotomitsuki!

With qualification, Mickey will have an easier time of it than Miyabiyama. Because he is prettier. [/tongue firmly in cheek] ... with regards to focus I haven't really seen him like this since before his major injuries. And his confidence in those days was the type particular to youthful athletes. Now he's weathered a bit, and I think his 'style' of focus has matured. If my subjective view makes sense.

6-0, and against Ama :) There's nothing better than seeing one's favourite rikishi coming into his own. I would like to think that Kotomitsuki now knows how to be cautious without being afraid, and quick without being hasty... but now I'm over-analysing. Very pleased and proud and will keep cheering for him, regardless what happens.

Heh, do I detect a shade of the snide in those keiko write-ups? (Holiday feeling...) In any case, since we all acknowledge sumo is about tactics as well as toughness, and since Mickey's weakness is his psyche, it was not unwise to lie low against a bitter Yokozuna who's been deprived of his trophies for one basho. (I am not worthy...) No sense in becoming meat for a beating and sabotaging one's own chances. After all, to become ozeki does not mean one needs to throw the top man, just that one is capable of beating nearly everyone else, and convincingly. Discretion is the better part of valour and all that. And may I say, Day 1 was indeed a worthy win. I missed watching today's Takekaze bout, but from the keiko descriptions this win will boost Kotomitsuki's confidence even further. Slow and steady now!

Gah! And especially after I was set on Kotomitsuki riding into Nagoya injury-free. :D Well, a bit of pain is good for focus. *sheepish*

Here I come to stoke the fire of all matters Kotomitsuki. Basically I don't see this as a bad sign; I'd trade in a bad back any day. After all, physical injury is much worse for his long term career than staying at sekiwake or getting some pre-basho jitters. It doesn't matter that he's known as a good keiko bad basho man. He was up till three tourneys ago the 8-7 man too. The tipping point may well be here. If he wants it enough, and stays focused, it will happen. Go Mickey. (Carried away on a stretcher...)

Like the Monkees said - I'm a believer. (Sigh...)

First of all, greetings board veterans from a callow new arrival. I agree completely - Kotomitsuki's performance is largely governed by his state of mind, and there's been no better time than the present for him. To have put in his best scores since '05, especially with a lower back complaint, will have done a lot for his psychological toughness. In an odd way, I think visibly outperforming his makuuchi heya-mates also helped a little with the ego [/speculation]. Anyway, he can do it. I believe he can, and I have registered on sumoforums just to say it. :D I wouldn't go so far as Ross Mihara (saying that Mickey would become Ozeki in a basho where he finally beats Asashoryu). But if that stunner happens, that's dandy too. :-) Roll on Nagoya!