Amanohashidate

I'd rather place my bet on Goeido for the next Japanese yokozuna. Kisenosato is just too inconsistent.

Just to mention Toyohibiki won the juryo and I'm off to watch the senshuraku

I think they'll take into the account the fact that Kakuryu faced everyone in sanyaku and still managed to finish KK, while the best win Homasho scored was against M3 Tokitenku. It's quite unlikely that Homasho will get a nod ahead of Kakuryu for a sekiwake/komusubi placement.

If Mickey wins easily against 'Taikai today (say, by hatakikomi in 2 seconds) , that will be back-scratching in its purest form (Holiday feeling...) Anyway, I think Kaio was fighting for real against Kotooshu yesterday. At least he showed some kiai before the bout, but couldn't get the opponent's mawashi at tachiai and decided to call it a game. And I'm expecting an unexpected win for Kotooshu against Hakuho today. Osh lost the last 4 meetings between them so he should put some decent effort this time

Let me pour some more fuel to the OBSC theory :-) I`ll just modify it a little bit: - Harumafuji is definitely not in the club as he is a fresh ozeki and has to gambaru for some time; - an ozeki on kadoban is likely to be "helped" by other ozeki; - an ozeki with 7-7 record in the current basho will win in the senshuraku against an ozeki, who is already KK. Then I'd say the OBSC was founded sometime in 2008. Here are some facts and figures: Haru basho 2008: Chiotaiaki is kadoban. In day 10 he is 6-3 when he faces Kaio. Chiotaikai wins and goes KK in day 12. Kotomitsuki is 7-7 when he faces Chiotaikai in senshuuraku. Guess what, he wins... Kaio is 7-2 in day 10 so he can afford himself to lose Natsu basho 2008: Osh is kadoban, but he gambarizes and goes on to win the basho. Kotomitsuki is 7-7 when he faces Kaio in senshuuraku. And guess what, he wins and goes KK again Kaio is comfortably 8-5 in day 13, so he can afford a loss Nagoya basho 2008: Chiotaikai is kadoban. In day 9 he wins to Kaio to become 7-2. In day 11 he wins to Kotomitsuki for 8-4. Kotomitsuki was comfortably 8-2 when he was facing Chiotaikai. Aki basho 2008: Osh is 7-7 in senshuraku when he faces Chiotaikai (who is already KK). Guess what, Osh wins Kyushuu basho 2008: Again, Osh is 7-7 in senshuraku when he faces Chiotaikai. Again he wins Hatsu basho 2009: Kaio is kadoban and ganbatteru. Wins to Chiotaikai in day 9 for 6-3. Haru basho 2009: Kotomitsuki is kadoban. Wins against Kaio for 6-2. I'm expecting him to win against Chiotaikai. Now for the Kotooshu-Kaio bout in one hour. Kaio is already KK, Osh is one shiroboshi away from it. Even if he doesn't get it today, he'll get it against Chiotaikai. The OBS Club is at full work! (East wins...) :-S (East wins...) (On the banzuke...)

This is a self-contradicting statement. If you have 2 mutually exclusive propositions for a theory(exist/do not exist) and you are able to prove one of it (with some degree of confidence), then you are able to disprove/prove the complimentary one (I am not worthy...)

Well, I'll say that based on the OBSC theory there is a 90% probability that Osh will win against Kaio. If Kotooshu does win, will it prove that the OBSC is true

Hokutoriki is steadily on his way to a 0-15 finish. I can't remember a makouchi rikishi who has managed such an "achievement" in the last years

No, it is just one bout and anything can happen in it. On the other hand, If you have 10 similar situations and in 9 of them the the ozeki who needs one win to reach KK wins against an ozeki who already has secured his own KK, then you'll have the case of the OBSC

Kaio has no incentive to lose to Chiotaikai as he is not yet sure of his own KK. On the other hand, Chiotaikai is 95% sure will finish MK/kyuujo. It's much easier for him to lose this bout and to look for some favour return from Kaio next basho. As for Osh and Harumafuji, it can go either way. Anyway, I think the OSBC members will gather for a meeting toward the end of the basho, when there is more clarity about who needs a win or two. It's still too early for them to make any calculations