Mikiro

Kaio put his patented Krunch on Tamanoshima, but Shima got down in a hurry and Kaio let up so there was no elbow dislocation as has happened with the Krunch in the past. I too was surprised to see Shima seemingly suffering no ill effects.

I agree that the replay showed Musoyama won over Toki. In this Kokkai bout I have done a stop action replay about a dozen times and the only way Kokkai could have touched down first would have been if his left big toe slipped off the edge of the bale and touched a nanosecond before Miyabayama flopped down. At any rate this was definitely like a bang-bang play at first base and since this is Sumo not baseball deserved a mono-ii and if not a reversal at least a redo. There have been at least two really bad calls by the Gyogis this basho that have fortunately been reversed, the Takakaze reversal of today being one of them.

Kashunowaka, your statistical work is greatly appreciated and illuminating. Thanks too to Kaikitsune for his addendum especially his work on Kaio. I really thought Kaio was done for, but his perseverance through his injuries and pain was truly impressive, notably his victory over Chiyotaikai. Hopefully he can recover before the next basho so we can have four healthy Ozeki and a healthy Sanyaku for a truly superior tournament to start the new year.

I think Kyokushuzan thought he was 5 years younger, 50 lbs. lighter and had the vertical leap of Kobe Bryant. Unfortunately for him as he attempted to slip the surly bond of gravity, reality set in as he turned out to have the vertical leap of Charles Barkley.

Alas Sentoryu, a gentleman who never failed to give anything but 100%. His retirement coupled with that of Musashimaru certainly leaves a dearth of United States competitors.

While Chiyotaikai does need an unlikely scenario to achieve a tie, the same scenario might also apply for Dejima at 9-3. I doubt it will come to pass, but Dejima still gets a relatively easy road fighting the low rankers and could end at 12-3.

I realize I am often out of touch, but I had never heard of K-1. I am agog over this and do not understand. I do not see any positives. I do not know how much money Akebono is getting, but I bet Vince McMahon would have paid more and the work would have been easier. Is there more honor in K-1 than WWE? In the words of that great philosopher Chester A. Riley, "What a revoltin' development this is."

Doitsuyama, I treasure all your posts and assumed your Chiyo-onanism was a result of a superior mind racing at near relativistic speed and this was just a red shifted event. Unfortunately, all my similar comments are a result of my dain bramage. Mikiro

Zenjimoto, I will put the Atlanta Journal Constitution up against any other major city's newspaper as being the worst imaginable. However, the article concerning Asashoryu was an Associated Press article, not an AJC effort, and the comparing to Mike Tyson was a quote from a Japanese fishmonger, which may be an indictment of the level of the AP. Maybe slightly off topic, but I saw during a Japan TV sports report today July 21 Kitanoumi making some kind of a statement concerning Asashoryu. If anyone knows what he said I would be interested. Mikiro

For the first time since at least 1986, Sumo has received coverage in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Atlanta's only newspaper. The coverage is not on the sports page but instead on the front page with a direction to A5 for the AP article entitled "Hey, big guy, no fair - leggo the hair." There spread across 5 columns, the entire page, is an article concerning Asashoryu's recent tonsorial tussle with Kyokushuzan including a rather indicting picture. The article mentions various headlines from Japanese newspapers and the comments of a fishmonger named Toshikazu Sudo likening the event to Mike Tyson's attempt to separate Atlanta's own Evander Holyfield from one of his ears. Isn't that a peach, a Yokozuna being compared to the felonious Mike Tyson. Since 99.9% of the readers of this article in Atlanta have no idea what Sumo really is, they will probably see little difference between it and the antics of the professional wrestlers in the WWE. Assuming that P. T. Barnham was right though, at least Sumo got a mention and it was in the "A" section to boot. If anyone cares to respond I would be interested if the recent unpleasantness has recieved coverage in any of your local media. I want to thank all of the forum's contributors over the years for their many cogent and insightful comments which have enhanced my education in Sumo and enjoyment of same although I feel unworthy in the face of such superior knowledge.

3. Johnny Carson as Carnak, mystical visitor from the East, holding envelope to head. "Kirk Douglas, Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and Asashoryu." Ed McMahon, "And the answer is." Carnak opening envelope: " Name a Kirk, a Turk and a Jerk"

This was definitely hansoku as the replay clearly showed Asashoryu pulling Kyokushuzan's hair on the takedown. Asashoryu was probably still upset over his loss to Kyokushuzan from the last Basho where he certainly was not a good loser. I have only been watching Sumo for 5 years , but this is the first hansoku I have ever seen. Whether or not or when a Yokozuna has lost by hansoku is a very good question. Is there a special name other than hansoku for losing a match by disqualification because of a hair pull?