Kozaru

Will? Try HAS. Check this out. It's an Amazon.com search for "2012". http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&tag=mo...=Mozilla-search

I didn't mean to break the rules, if this is. Once the Mayan thing was mentioned in the other thread (not by me), I just directed it here to avoid ruining the other one (like I may have ruined my Takami-Aran thread). But I can support removal of this thread if it's against the rules.

No, I haven't made the Twitter leap yet. The Off-topic category isn't the place for this? So I guess you're saying that this entire forum isn't the place.

Yes. But on the timescales we're talking about, it is highly likely that humanity will not be around to see it. And if we are around, there is no reason that the end of Earth has to be the end of humanity.

Actually Fujisan, your "nuttering" over at ST was the main inspiration that made me start my site. So thanks. ;-)

I have science training and double as an atheist blogger. I don't worry about it at all. But when it passes without incident, the nutters will just choose another date, or another way to try to insert fear of the supernatural into our daily lives.

Must... resist... urge to derail thread... I made a special thread for you. Here: http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=18827

So the Mayan calendar supposedly ends in December 2012, and the loony religious nutters have hijacked this to mean the end of the world or the rapture or some garbage. Discuss. If the Mayans were so smart, can they tell us who the next Japanese Yokozuna is? Or will that possibility be eliminated by the world ending?

They should strip Uchidate ..................... of her position on the council, and replace her with a foreigner.

I think it's funny how winning isn't everything, until a Yokozuna stops winning, in which case he is asked to retire. Do they consider the quality and frequency of his keiko then? "Oh, he can't win anymore, but he's trying really, really hard!" Face it, winning might not be everything, but it is damn near to being everything! Winning gets you promoted, and losing gets you retired.

Perhaps she's just bitter that it's been over 11 years since the last Japanese Yokozuna promotion, and will likely be at least 3 more.

What they're trying to keep secret is that the fire was started by a marijuana grow-op they run in the basement.

I did, and I thought a mod would have done something about that by now. Do I have to fill out an application form or something? (Censored...) I guess it isn't an important enough thread for anybody to care.

This might be a bit of a stretch, but Asa is certainly capable of losing 2 matches to the trio of Kotooshu, Kotomitsuki and Hakuho. And Hakuho is certainly capable (this basho, anyway) of losing one more match to the 2 Ozeki. Baruto has already faced all of the top competition. A playoff with him involved is not out of the question. Odds? Maybe 5%-10%.

Wow, I'm sorry. I'll try to be extremely explicit next time. I didn't realise that the 3-basho thing could be confusing or unknown to my fellow posters. Notice how I didn't use the words 'next basho' in my post? Again, my sincerest apologies for the confusion.

Everybody hold your horses. Are we forgetting the 3 basho rule? I'm suggesting that this would be the first basho in a 3-basho run.

Baruto is making a case for more than just a sekiwake slot..... I always chew people out for saying stuff like this too early, but this is Ozeki-quality.

Not the Tokyo basho! Take somebody else's basho away, not mine! ;)

I THINK I've heard the guys on TV saying that Chiyo is feuding with his stablemaster. Is that true?

This reminds me of when I was in Australia, and the New South Wales - Queensland rugby tournament was on. It ended in a total draw, and they had no protocol for such a thing. So they just awarded the tournament to the team that had won it the year before. Morons. I believe it was the first time it had ever happened (edit: no, it wasn't). I'm sure they changed that rule after, but can't say for sure if they did (edit: yes, they did). Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Rugby_Le...f_Origin_series

Kinta (may I call you Kinta?), if you're saying that NHK is losing money over sumo broadcasts, then it sounds like yet another subtle admission that I'm on to something. One thing they could try is to air the matches in prime-time so that, I don't know, people are actually not at work when it broadcasts. You think they won't try it, but I think they're going to be forced to try. Adaptation doesn't occur voluntarily, it occurs out of necessity. Asasho (may I call you Asasho?)... I didn't say that I don't like professional sumo, or the ritual (or did I?). I don't like a couple of the rules, sure. What I am trying to argue is that the shortening of the rituals would bring in more people. New people. If that's what is keeping some of my friends away from the sport, then that's correct, isn't it? They're going to need a wider appeal, and these things are not necessary. I doubt too many people would LEAVE the sport if they shortened to one trip to the salt (for example). They don't need changes for ME. I'm already in. One of the things I like best about sumo is that it reminds me I'm in Japan, while the rest of the country seems like a Western one. So for me, the TOTAL elimination of these things would definitely dull the appeal. As Kinta mentioned earlier, TV could change things, and NHK is losing money (I'll take his word for that). What if they decided (as he also suggested) to air only 1 hour to cut down their losses, and to air it in prime-time? That would force a change to the rituals, or the exclusion of lower makuuchi fom TV. Edit: Some of the new arguments against the Olympic scenario have been good ones, and I agree, it's a longshot. As a note, I was challenged to name an Olympic event that only allows one gender. I named 2. Ski jumping is only for men, and synchronised swimming is only for women.

The point would be that Japanese kids aren't looking up to anybody in sumo. The same kids who are supposed to enter sumo and become great rikishi, in order to increase the popularity and ticket sales, and inspire the future generations to enter sumo and become great rikishi.....a vicious spiral. Wait a minute....what are we debating? I thought my point is that sumo has adapted before and will continue to adapt, and that they're not doing as well as they used to be, so adaptation will be necessary. Are you arguing about making foreign rikishi more polite? My point is that sumo popularity is down, and changes have happened already (not necessarily implying a past connection between them). The trend will continue. People always seem to think that things changed in the past, but won't change again. Why is that? Like the people who argue with me that Japanese culture will not become any more Western, even though it shows a very clear and rapid trend in that direction up to this point. They essentially argue with me that the changes are finished.

Well dang, they sure look up to foreign soccer players, American football players, rugby players, basketball players, race car drivers, golfers, etc (even Barrack Obama!). I know, because I get speeches written about them constantly! This argument doesn't make any sense, and seems flat-out racist. Do you want to re-think it? Why shouldn't they look up to a foreign rikishi? I looked up to several foreign athletes when I was a kid. Oopsie, sorry about the triple post.

So you don't think that people following sumo in more countries would help its cause? You think it would have no effect? I do believe the IOC looks at these things when they vote.

Wait a minute..... so we have admission that: 1. the timing of pre-match rituals has been changed before, in order to adapt to new realities (ie. TV) 2. the tachi-ai has been changed, and start lines were added to the ring (NHK showed pictures of old tachi-ai positions this basho) 3. the traditional poles were removed from the corners of the ring 4. the Japanese no longer produce the same level of talent that they once did 5. tickets are in less demand than they used to be 6. the Japanese population is falling 7. they're shit at promoting their sport (sure, let the European TV contract expire) Why do these points not support my argument? Changes do happen, and sumo in Japan is not doing as well as it used to. I merely suggest that these trends will not stop here, but will continue.