Podcast - Yaocho discussion

[orandashoho]

I don't think that being an active rikishi in a heya combines very well with alcoholism. For one thing, it would be difficult to develop a drinking habit in a heya without it getting noticed and corrected. He wouldn't do well in keiko, would be under considerable pressure to fight the bad habits, etc.

Once a successful rikishi lives in his own apartment, access to alcohol may be unlimited, but clean living would also have become a habit. So why would anyone become an alcoholic? Getting depressed because of bad results? Drinking would be ons sure way of sliding further down the banzuke. And again, difficult to drink in secret when you are living a sumo lifestyle.

[Rocks]

I don't think that being an active rikishi in a heya combines very well with alcoholism. For one thing, it would be difficult to develop a drinking habit in a heya without it getting noticed and corrected. He wouldn't do well in keiko, would be under considerable pressure to fight the bad habits, etc.

Once a successful rikishi lives in his own apartment, access to alcohol may be unlimited, but clean living would also have become a habit. So why would anyone become an alcoholic? Getting depressed because of bad results? Drinking would be ons sure way of sliding further down the banzuke. And again, difficult to drink in secret when you are living a sumo lifestyle.

You wouldn't think weed would combine well either but we know that happened. Drunken stories of Sumo come out sometimes. I've never heard alcohol was prohibited in heyas either. I'd be very surprised to hear that beer drinking isn't common.

[Kintamayama]

Most of the guys go out drinking sake in the evening. And I mean drinking. During a basho as well. KaioU was famous for saying "this basho I won't be drinking " when he was on one of his tsuna-fish sandwich runs. Beer doesn't count as they drink it like water from noon.

[orandashoho]

OK, OK, I may be naive and I don't drink. Perhaps that is just a minority view, that one can have a fulfilled life with good social interaction without getting soused. :-)

[Asashosakari]

Leaving aside such lifestyle choices, the biggest reason for otherwise "unexplainable" bout results is of course the multitude of injuries and chronic illnesses most of the public isn't told about, or at least isn't told about until months or years later.

[Orion]

Leaving aside such lifestyle choices, the biggest reason for otherwise "unexplainable" bout results is of course the multitude of injuries and chronic illnesses most of the public isn't told about, or at least isn't told about until months or years later.

Good point. A man may very well go to great lengths to hide a genuine weakness --or misdirect the public's attention elsewhere.

Plus, of course, returning to an earlier point, some people can hold their drink while others can't. Many of the earlier stories are about legendary drinking bouts, which normally happened in a social context not when a big bout was coming up.

I haven't been paying a lot of attention to this topic so please excuse me if I've missed something. I can't make any sense of what seems to be a fairly recent posting about the fans staying away in droves as can be seen from all the empty seats. What counts is the unsold tickets -- and this basho there simply haven't been any! Early in the day a lot of seats are unoccupied, and now that the doors aren't guarded till early afternoon crazies like me can go downstairs and sit pretty well anywhere we want, provided that we got there early enough to get an unreserved same-day-only ticket; but later in the day the real ticket owner is going to be there. The only new thing is that so many of the ticket owners are first-timers, or else group foreigners who are 'doing' Japan. The old fans like me just can't get our hands on the tickets we want.

Orion

[wuli]

the train is still on track

one mongol down, three to go

yokozuna kisenosato, here we come!

[hamcornheinz]

one oyakata who isn't even part of the YDC said he should become yokozuna. How did this become a thing?

[Kishinoyama]

And I still have to chuckle when I think about his dead serious remark that there is now even yaocho in keiko (see my signature).

This must be yaocho in keiko:

[hamcornheinz]

where you at wuli..

[Pandaazuma]

where you at wuli..

Lol!

A kyokai conspiracy to make Kise a yokozuna...Hak didn't get the message?? Who can explain this bizarre twist??

No doubt Hak will let one of the yokozuna win at the weekend...and Kise will win out.

It's a certainty!

[Randomitsuki]

Over there at Sumotalk the writers have a TON of experience with botched yaocho predictions.

Fortunately, there is a handbook for this type of event.

From "A YAOCHO CONSPIRATORS HANDY GUIDE TO SUMO"

§61: Failed yaocho prediction

If you publicly predict that due to yaocho or mukiryoku rikishi X (insert Japanese wrestler) wins over rikishiy Y (insert foreign wrestler), and then the opposite outcome materializes, do one of the following:

(i) publicly state that the Japanese rikishi was given countless opportunities by the foreign rikishi, but was too dumb even to capitalize on it; or

(ii) publicly state that the foreign rikishi Y was utterly sick of all that yaocho crap and wanted to send out a clear message that THIS time he will deny giving out the favor.

Edited May 20, 2016 by Randomitsuki

[lackmaker]

(iii)publicly state that the Japanese rikishi X was utterly sick of all that yaocho crap and wanted to send out a clear message that this time he will not accept the favor. (So far unused)

[Pandaazuma]

Rando...I actually respected your efforts to take it to the faithful.

Sadly...as a human rights etc. journalist...I know that the faithful very rarely see logic.

But you tried! Good lad!

[wuli]

champ is still in the driver's seat
no zensho for kise'

how mean of the yokozuna
and when everyone else was playing so nicely

[hamcornheinz]

I guess its option (ii).

[Asashosakari]

The whole subject has gone meta in a way, with yaocho predictions now being more predictable than the alleged yaocho itself.

[wuli]

in a way, there is only one possible prediction, regarding yusho, during the overlord's reign

either he gives the basho, or he takes it

[hamcornheinz]

do you really think Hakuho is that good? Why would he let Kisenosato break his 63 win streak? Why would he let Ichinojo humiliate him?

[wuli]

you are right about ichinojo

ichi' surprised even himself, downing the boss

hence the ugly face push that followed

even the biggest boss will goof, once in a while

yes, hakuho is that good

who else piles up 63 in a row these days?

until the passing of more moons, to age him along,

the king giveth, and the the king taketh away

[hamcornheinz]

so basically everyone is doing yaocho except for hakuho, who does his own thing?

[Randomitsuki]

I know that I am treading difficult waters here (Forum rules), but I can't help noticing very strong religious undercurrents in the statements of yaocho "believers". Replace "the king", or "the storyteller" with a deity of your choice, and a sumo reports turns into an exegesis.

[wuli]

is it really possible to maintain a position that hakuho does not dominate today's sumo?

[Benevolance]

...I'm not sure I've heard anyone say that Hakuho doesn't dominate today's sumo...

[wuli]

...I'm not sure I've heard anyone say that Hakuho doesn't dominate today's sumo...

then, perhaps the issue is one of degree