Guess Kisenosato's Aite

[Jejima]

Let me show my working.... Kisenosato needs a day 15 opponent for the big stomp off. Currently the highest opponent that he hasn't met is M3W Tochiozan. This *could* be a good final day, but with an M3, it is a little anti-climatic. An exciting day 15 opponent could be Gagamaru - especially if he wins tomorrow. There are other opponents that Gagamaru could still meet outside of the sanyaku who have good records, so it is not essential that he meets Kisenosato straight away.... He could meet Kise (if need be) on days 14 or 15.

So, playing safe, the torikumi makers could keep Tochiozan back until day 15 if Gaga slips up, or have him come into play on day 14, if Gaga wins again tomorrow. So, who is next? (Bearing in mind, that to give Kisenosato a chance of acquiring the numbers to reach Ozekihood next basho, it doesn't make sense to throw every red hot lower ranker at him.), well, Tochinoshin would certainly still have his KK on the line, and he is the next highest ranked rikishi yet to meet our hero.

So, day 13....

Tochinoshin (and watch him get Tokitenku instead!)

Edited September 21, 2011 by Jejima

[Kofuji]

I'll buy Jejima's logic ....

Day 13 - Tochinoshin

[Chisaiyama]

I believe that if Gaga should beat Giku, a definite possibility IMHO, they would put him up against Harumafuji, another Ozeki, in order to give his run even more legitimacy. Unless, of courrse, Kise should step up to the plate and beat the Yokozuna who, while perfect in wins, has shown some slippage in his execution in some bouts and might be vulnerable to a truly determined Kisenosato.

I'm betting on Kise losign to Hak so I say

Day 1213: Tochiozan

Edited September 21, 2011 by Chisaiyama

[kuroimori]

After seeing that the Georgian meat balloon couldn't be stopped by Bart and Geek, the torikumians might opt to keep Kise out of his path of destruction.

I can see them to give him the missiing M3 opponent or even to complete the M5 ranks.

But I will go in between with

Tokitenku

(just to witness the opposite of Jejima's bracket...)

[Yaochoyama]

Was hoping to get my pick in a little earlier but the boss had other plans. Very interesting day today. For better or worse:

Day 13 - Gagamaru

[Asashosakari]

I'll buy a ticket for a Day 13 cruise with the Gaga-maru, too.

[Asashosakari]

Day 12. Hakuho. Clean sweep. Congrats everyone. ;-)

Yaochoyama (Y1E 7-5) Y1

Asashosakari (O1E 7-5) O1 Profomisakari (O1W 6-6)

Gernobono (S1E Kosho) S1 Oshirokita (S1W 8-4)

S2 Chisaiyama (S2W 2-8-2)

Kuroimori (K1E 4-7-1) K1 XiaoTan (K1W 0-0-12)

Andonishiki (K2E Kosho) K2

Kofuji (M1E 4-7-1) M1 Holleshoryu (M1W 7-5)

Jakusotsu (M2E 7-5) M2 Hidariashiyama (M2W 0-0-12)

Kotoviki (M3E 5-4-3) M3 Jejima (M3W 4-7-1)

Anjoboshi (M4E Kosho) M4 Maguroyama (M4W 0-0-12)

Shimodahito (M5E 0-9-3) M5 Kameumi (M5W 0-0-12)

Kisenosato's aites: 1. M2W Yoshikaze, 2. M3E Takekaze, 3. K1E Toyonoshima, 4. K1W Aran, 5. M1W Okinoumi, 6. M1E Homasho, 7. S2E Kakuryu, 8. M5E Miyabiyama, 9. O1W Baruto, 10. S1E Kotoshogiku, 11. O1E Harumafuji, 12. Y1E Hakuho

[shimodahito]

is there any doubt?

TOCHIOZAN

[Oshirokita]

doubt? yes, lots....

Day 14 Tochiozan

[Jejima]

I'll buy Jejima's logic ....

Day 13 - Tochinoshin

sorry about that ;-)

Edited September 22, 2011 by Jejima

[Jakusotsu]

Day 14 - Kitataiki

[Asashosakari]

On Day 13 Kisenosato joins the conga line of opponents thrown in front of the spectacularly refurbished Gagamaru express. Four players got that correct, not among them Oshirokita who now has to share the lead with Jakusotsu, Yaochoyama and Asashosakari.

3 Tochiozan

2 Tochinoshin

1 Tokitenku

4 Gagamaru

2 (no pick)

Yaochoyama (Y1E 8-5) Y1

Asashosakari (O1E 8-5) O1 Profomisakari (O1W 7-6)

Gernobono (S1E Kosho) S1 Oshirokita (S1W 8-5)

S2 Chisaiyama (S2W 2-9-2)

Kuroimori (K1E 4-8-1) K1 XiaoTan (K1W 0-0-13)

Andonishiki (K2E Kosho) K2

Kofuji (M1E 4-8-1) M1 Holleshoryu (M1W 7-5-1)

Jakusotsu (M2E 8-5) M2 Hidariashiyama (M2W 0-0-13)

Kotoviki (M3E 5-4-4) M3 Jejima (M3W 4-8-1)

Anjoboshi (M4E Kosho) M4 Maguroyama (M4W 0-0-13)

Shimodahito (M5E 0-10-3) M5 Kameumi (M5W 0-0-13)

Kisenosato's aites: 1. M2W Yoshikaze, 2. M3E Takekaze, 3. K1E Toyonoshima, 4. K1W Aran, 5. M1W Okinoumi, 6. M1E Homasho, 7. S2E Kakuryu, 8. M5E Miyabiyama, 9. O1W Baruto, 10. S1E Kotoshogiku, 11. O1E Harumafuji, 12. Y1E Hakuho, 13. M11W Gagamaru

[Jejima]

day 14 - yes, Kitataiki for me too....

Edit: What was I saying yesterday about the torikumi makers wouldn't want to be throwing every red-hot lower ranker at Kisenosato? ;-)

Edited September 22, 2011 by Jejima

[Asashosakari]

I'm not 100% sure they consider him a threat on par with Gagamaru, but it still makes more sense to me than the scheduling alternatives, therefore:

Day 14 Kitataiki for me, too.

Edit: I'll use this spot to lament a bit - Kitataiki sure looks awesome this basho. Figures it's the basho in which I finally gave up on picking him for various pre-basho games...

Edited September 22, 2011 by Asashosakari

[Profomisakari]

Why should I not too vote for him?

Day 14 Kitataiki please!

Profomisakari

[shimodahito]

tochiozan

[Yaochoyama]

Day 14 - Kitataiki

If I'm still in the lead, I'll make my Day 15 pick around this same time tomorrow.

[Yaochoyama]

Administrative Ruling Requested

This is addressed to Jejima, though others can weigh in. As we know, sometimes the Day 15 torikumi is delayed a few hours so that the torikumi-makers can use the results of some of the day 14 bouts as input in deciding the Day 15 matches. So my question - for Day 15, are picks such as this allowed or not:

Day 15 - Rikishi A, but if X wins on Day 14, than Rikishi B

What about something like:

Day 15 - Rikishi A, but if X wins on Day 14 or Y loses on Day 14, than Rikishi B

I'm fairly neutral on this, but going into Day 15, it would be nice if we're all on the same page as to whether this would be permitted or not.

Edited September 22, 2011 by Yaochoyama

[Kotoviki]

grrr fell asleep and forgot the Day 13 pick...

Day 14 Kitataiki for me as well.

[kuroimori]

For a change, I'll throw in

Goeido on Day 14

[Holleshoryu]

i

[Asashosakari]

tochiozan

Please, can you add which day you're entering a guess for? You've now made three picks within the last two cycles. Granted, they've all been Tochiozan so it's no big deal this time, but it's getting awfully difficult to figure out what you're voting for.

(I'm now guessing the first of those three picks was actually a Day 12 pick that came three hours after the deadline...)

Edited September 22, 2011 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari]

Administrative Ruling Requested

This is addressed to Jejima, though others can weigh in. As we know, sometimes the Day 15 torikumi is delayed a few hours so that the torikumi-makers can use the results of some of the day 14 bouts as input in deciding the Day 15 matches. So my question - for Day 15, are picks such as this allowed or not:

Day 15 - Rikishi A, but if X wins on Day 14, than Rikishi B

What about something like:

Day 15 - Rikishi A, but if X wins on Day 14 or Y loses on Day 14, than Rikishi B

I'm not in favour of that. None of us know when exactly the Day 15 torikumi is produced, so Rikishi B might have been selected as the opponent before X won and Y lost, in which case your scenario is just a fanciful way to enter two different guesses whose validity depend on when the schedule was published, not made.

I know I requested a similar dispensation about somebody's kyujo a little while ago, but at least in those cases we know exactly how the schedule comes together in both alternatives (definitely with the guy if he's still in, definitely without him if he submitted a kyujo notice).

[Jejima]

Ruling

I can see Yaochoyama's point.

My first reaction is that this game is perhaps the most chilled out of them all, and so, yeah, go ahead..... Picks made in advance (due to the player's lack of Internet connection) are fairly common, with the 'X unless they have already met, in which case Y'.

However, on deeper thought, I think we should be against the suggestion, for two reasons....

1. Keep the admin simple.

2. (More importantly) To allow for greater possible excitement for the final day. (If requested, I can expand my reasoning for this, but not now, as my coffee has just boiled, and I need to get to work....)

So, in conclusion, let's not allow those kind of predictions for day 15.

[shimodahito]

sorry for not adding the day... can do, will do.

14. tochiozan.