Kintaro

The first couple of days should be especially interesting if they enforce these rules. Usually the first days are rather ho-hum. This will add some spice. Hakke Yoi

Great pictures. Interesting to see. Thank you.

Perhaps Takayasu is trying to get a gig as a spokesman for Yeti Coolers.

I use the striking images for my desktop wallpaper all year long. NHK just posted the 2016 images, and they are beautiful. Just go to the NHK World website and search for "2016 wallpaper" or use this URL: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/calendar2016/index.html Kintaro!

At 33 years old, Yoshikaze continues to astound, performing exciting sumo at Komusubi. Good for him.

Yoshikaze is the biggest surprise to me. He was positively smoking in the Aki Basho, but at 33 yo, it seemed more like a lucky fluke than a coming of age. I think of 28 or 29 as the peak of performance (just a general thumb rule). Heck, we all knew Yoshi had skills, but such performances two basho in a row is astounding. Stay tuned.

My brother Obana and I are enjoying this basho from the comfort of our Kabukicho hotel. We were able to get tickets to earlier days, but none for today. The Endo worship is certainly a reality. Ikioi, Ichinojoi, and Terunofuji are also big fan faves. Today should be an interesting day of sumo. Yamachan's for a late snack after sumo. Cheers!

Takanoyama is ridiculous. Everyone knows he needs more mass. If he's unwilling to do the obvious... adios.

Welcome to Nakabi of the 2011 Aki Basho. It

Welcome to day six of the 2011 Aki Basho. It

This is great news. I'll be able to watch some of the young lads during my evenings here in Atlanta.

I think a salary-restructuring would help. Something that is revenue-neutral, but rewards wins, and punishes losses. Straw Man: Let's say 70% of the Maegashira salary pool is fixed and distributed evenly. The remaining 30% of the salary pool should be split based on wins. If you get kachi-koshi you get more of that 30% pool than a make-koshi guy gets. Additionally, a 10-5 performance gets more of that pie than an 8-7 performance. This approach could inspire an 8-6 fighter on Senshuraku to fight harder for one more win. I think this could work.

Hmmm... a conspiracy to keep Tochiazuma's picture in the rafters for just a little while longer?

Kintaro wakes up to pen... Yaocho has so many shades of gray. 1. Gentlemen

Black day indeed. I sure hope they got it right, but I need to be convinced.

Welcome to day 8 of the Aki Basho The Enchanting Benten and I are sipping Otokoyama sake as we watch sumo in the Woodstock-beya (located in Atlanta). You

Hmmm... I had a thought on this... Individuals who abuse steroids ... ahhh... errr... vitamins... can experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop taking steroids vitamins, such as mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced sex drive, and steroid viamin cravings. The most dangerous of the withdrawal symptoms is depression, because it sometimes leads to suicide attempts. More drama to come...

Madorosumaru, Thank you for the link to the explanation. I didn't know Kinryuzan's history. I just saw a really big kid who I knew should be doing better. I'll also say he was genuinely touched when I gave him that picture. I wish him well.

I too am in favor of "enforcing something", and two-hands down tachiai seems like a logical rule to enforce. It was tried before. You may remember Takatoriki made a big show of defiantly putting down one fist, and then the other fist when he was getting fined for sloppy tachiai. Here, years later, the puffin-chested one will indeed have trouble. Hokutoriki looks like a wasp as he comes up from his tachiai, with his hands swinging near the dohyo, but never quite grazing it. Another point, Konishiki couldn't physically perform a proper tachiai near the end of his sumo career. More accurately, if he did touch with both hands, he wouldn't have been able to get back up to fight. Hmm... could reinforcement of the rules back then prevented him from balooning-up as much as he did? It's all about change management. It will be interesting to watch. This should be a great basho.

Five years ago I took some great pictures of the Maezumo ceremony. I won a photo contest for a picture I took of Kinryuzan (a Korean rikishi). I presented a framed copy to Kinryuzan during the recent May basho, where he was looking good. I really wish he would come back. I'll attach the pic below...

Nuclear engineer (also in the witness relocation program)

OK... with all the talk about marijuana and the tussles of the Nihon Sumo Kyokai, I

That's a good one. LOL Seemed pretty obvious to me... Kintaro!

Of course! Obana and I will be in balcony A seats, 5th row. We shouldn't be too hard to spot. Please look for us. Cheers!