Naganoyama

cellpadding="3"> After day 3,July 2004, Makuuchi division scores are: Wins Rikishi Shikona 3 6 Asashoryu, Tochiazuma, Miyabiyama, Hakuho,Toyozakura, Otsukasa 2 13 Kaio, Chiyotaikai, Kotomitsuki, Iwakiyama,Kokkai, Shimotori, Dejima, Takamisakari, Kaiho, Asasekiryu, Jumonji, Kasugao, Futeno 1 19 Musoyama, Wakanosato, Tamanoshima, Kotonowaka,Kotoryu, Kyokushuzan, Takekaze, Kakizoe, Tokitsuumi, Tochinonada, Aminishiki, Tochisakae, Hayateumi, Tosanoumi, Buyuzan, Kinkaiyama, Takanowaka, Toki, Tokitenku 0 4 Hokutoriki, Kyokutenho, Wakatoba, Harunoyama cellpadding="3"> After day 3,July 2004, Juryo division scores are: Wins Rikishi Shikona 3 5 Kotooshu, Toyonoshima, Kitazakura, Sumanofuji,Kotoshogiku 2 7 Tamakasuga, Yotsukasa, Hagiwara, Kasuganishiki,Gojoro, Ama, Kotonomine 1 13 Roho, Takanotsuru, Asanowaka, Kobo, Hamanishiki,Chiyotenzan, Ushiomaru, Kaido, Bushuyama, Ichinotani, Katayama, Daishodai, Wakakosho 0 3 Wakanoyama, Juzan, Oikari <

Okay, I'm confused...she had a press conference at 5 in the morning? (Showing respect...) Well obviously not. It was much more likely to have been whatever digest/highlights program was on at the time. But she definitely hadn't peeked at the results in advance (and none of the journalists either knew or told her what had happened).

Cashew, you know I never joke about these things.. Her favourite rikishi was Takanohana. She rushed out of a press conference during the US Open in 2002 to catch the deciding bout of the Aki basho between Takanohana and Musashimaru.

He has a great chance to show he is in form with a power win against Musoyama tomorrow. Kadoban monster looked formidable despite the loss and he really needs to avoid 0-2 start. Kotomitsuki was good today but wasn't challenged. Kotomitsuki has a 10-6 record against Musoyama and 2-1 over the last year. If Mickey beats Musoyama today, I will still reserve judgement about his form. I agree that the manner of his win (if he wins) might reveal something about his form.

In my opinion beating Kaio on shonichi is not that big an accomplishment. I think we should wait a couple of days before drawing any conclusions about Kaio and Kotomitsuki. :-) Kaio and Kotomitsuki had a 6-6 head to head record before the bout (and 2-2 over the last year although Kaio has won the last two). You shouldn't really be that surprised by either of them winning on a particular day. Kaio just finds Kotomitsuki a tough opponent. I would love to see Mickey back to his best but will not prejudge the issue on the basis of day 1.

Probably Takanotsuru if this took place at Naruto

I'd forgotten about his finger. Which one was it incidentally? Wasn't he also blind in one eye and kept it secret until he retired? Or am I confusing him with someone else?

This perhaps adds another couple of reasons why foreign rikishi do relatively well in sumo compared with their Japanese counterparts. - Some of the Japanese rikishi drift into sumo almost by accident whereas the foreign rikishi really wanted to be there. - It seems from this article that Japanese are possibly culturally lower in their ambition level than some of the other nationalities, notably the Mongolians. Perhaps I am reading too much in to this?

Surely sponsors place money on rikishi they like. A Takamisakari supporter probably wouldn't place the money if he couldn't choose the bout. I think this idea is a lemon. Perhaps the NSK don't like to see foreign yokozuna walking away with so much dosh in their left hand. B-) Surely another way round the problem of yobidashi distracting the pre-bout rituals could be found if there was a will. Like delaying the start of the rituals for a minute until the yobidashi leave the ring when there is more than one ringload of kensho. This is not going to affect the day's proceedings by much as it doesn't happen too often.

For having been a bad boy? Or for having reformed? Or for having done it for his mother?

Quite right actually. The metric and imperial systems run side by side in the UK. Due to EU regulations, it is mandatory to mark food weights in kg, but until very recently, the imperial weights were also marked. Supermarkets wrote enormous apology notices when these additional markings had (by EU law) to be removed and supplied little conversion tables to customers who asked 'What is xxx kg in imperial?' Also a lot of British people have no feeling for temperatures in Celsius and need to convert them to Fahrenheit to have any idea as to whether the day is going to be warm. Fuel is of course now sold in litres and this just makes it harder for people to realise just how expensive it is. (Some people I know still convert the price into the per-gallon price to find out what they are getting.) This doesn't just apply to old people but also to quite a few younger ones who learnt metric at school but took it in a theoretical sort of way. After all if your parents still use the old units, your cooker is still marked in Fahrenheit, recipes are in pounds and ounces (as are your bathroom scales), etc, etc, etc, you might be forgiven for having difficulty learning to think in metric. Sure it becomes easier as time goes on and new appliances are built and books written which use purely metric.

Currently holds longest rensho in sekitori ranks (7). B-)

Thanks, that makes sense.

I seem to remember some discussions about the size of the banzuke (and periods when it has been fixed) but cannot find them. Can anyone help with the following question: How long ago did they stop having haridashi entries for maegashira and juryo rikishi and what was the point of such entries? e.g - an extra entry for maegashira #8 and another for maegashira #11 - January 1981 - an extra entry for juryo #10 at the same basho I understand the haridashi entries for additional sanyaku and for special commendation of yokozuna, but not the ones for hiramaku.

Who beat him the first time?

I don't know whether Japan has a National Health Service, but governments which spend money on health often do get involved in such issues if they are perceived to affect the public purse. (In the UK, smoking is gradually being banned in many places as a measure to reduce lung cancer due to passive smoking. Whether the government is right or wrong in linking passive smoking to lung cancer I have no idea.)

He also briefly grasped his right chest at the end as if it hurt.

They seem to be quite friendly at any rate. Would you choose to spend your time on a foreign trip with someone you disliked/resented? I wouldn't.

Kotoryu's nicknames are Teshi, Nakano, Tetsu. He likes his PC and is a connoisseur of incense. Father was Makushita Tendo. Grandfather was Osaka-zumo rikishi Brief history back to January 2002: border="1"> History ForKotoryu Date Rank Score May 2004 E-M9 10-5 Mar 2004 W-M10 8-7 Jan 2004 E-M9 7-8 Nov 2003 W-M7 7-8 Sep 2003 E-M3 4-11 Jul 2003 W-M5 8-7 May 2003 E-M10 9-6 Mar 2003 E-M5 5-10 Jan 2003 W-M8 8-7 Nov 2002 W-M6 7-8 Sep 2002 W-M3 5-10 Jul 2002 W-M3 0-0-15 May 2002 E-M8 8-7 Mar 2002 W-J1 12-3 Jan 2002 W-J1 0-0-15 <

Perhaps he decided that trying to win the bout was more important than sumo style.

You seem to be saying it is a question of degree, i.e. if we were to see 20 henka in 20 bouts this would be inappropriate. But what about 2 henka in 20 bouts? Then it seems much more acceptable, particularly if the henka were by junior guys, not ozeki or yokozuna.

Do you mean Fukuseyama?

I seem to remember from previous posts on this forum that Asashoryu has given some help to Hakuho in keiko although he is from a different heya. Asashoryu also gave Hakuho a birthday cake in March for his 19th birthday. The relationship seems to me from this to be a bit like that between older brother and younger brother. It would not be surprising to me that Hakuho should make extra effort for this bout (whatever form that might take) not only for his own sake in producing an impressive record on his makuuchi debut, but also for the sake of his 'older brother'. But then I would think that it is only human (and not necessary deliberate) that a rikishi is more motivated in some bouts than others. (One feature of Asashoryu's sumo which is unusual is that he is very motivated in every bout.) Some of the rikishi seem to come out half asleep for some of their bouts - you wouldn't expect that to be the case in a yusho-deciding bout. It also seems likely from Hokutoriki's demeanour immediately prior to the bout that he was in too nervous a state to pay all that much attention to what his opponent was about to do. A great pity for him, but I don't think that his opponent should be blamed for that.

Also in how many other sports can the coach refuse the athlete permission to marry until they achieve some target? (Like Kokonoe saying that Chiyotaikai has to make it to Yokozuna before he can marry his fiancee.)

I am surprised more of Riki's opponents didn't try it, especially given his speed 'off the blocks'. I agree there is no shame in a lower-ranked rikishi not taking the full charge from a raging bull.