Corona and sumo

[Karasukurai]

This virus (just like flu) seems to cause deaths in the vulnerable, especially older people. I'm not sure if things have changed recently but it has appeared to me that the Sumo 'live audience' has been traditionally quite elderly. Without sounding too flippant, if this basho goes ahead and there is a problem, tickets might be easier to source in May as the JSA might have just killed off its paying audience. Just a thought, albeit a bad one.

[Kishinoyama]

5 minutes ago, Morty said:

.... Holding the basho (unfortunately) goes against basic quarantine procedures. 

Can't the rikishi be quarantined in the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium for the 15 days of the tournament? The Juryo and Makuuchi rikishi could conveniently have one match every day. That would work out nicely for us sumo fans. 

 

 

[sekitori]

1 hour ago, Kishinoyama said:

Can't the rikishi be quarantined in the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium for the 15 days of the tournament? The Juryo and Makuuchi rikishi could conveniently have one match every day. That would work out nicely for us sumo fans. 

 

 

I dislike the idea of a basho held with no audience at all. As I mentioned before, a sport or any other entertainment activity with absolutely no crowd reaction detracts greatly from the pleasure it should bring. On a scale of 1 to 10, the level of enjoyment that a closed door basho will bring is close to a zero. I hope the NSK chooses to do the proper thing and cancel it.

As much of a problem that the cancellation of the Haru basho and the subsequent jungyo will be for the NSK, it's the best possible solution in a crisis like this one. In fact, it's really the only one that makes any sense.  If for some reason they decide to hold the Haru basho behind closed doors, I will do my best to ignore it. Coming from a diehard sumo fan, that's saying a lot. 

Edited February 29, 2020 by sekitori

[Eikokurai]

8 minutes ago, sekitori said:

I dislike the idea of a basho held with no audience at all. As I mentioned before, a sport or any other entertainment activity with absolutely no crowd reaction detracts greatly from the pleasure it should bring. On a scale of 1 to 10, the level of enjoyment that a closed door basho will bring is close to a zero. I hope the NSK chooses to do the proper thing and cancel it.

As much of a problem that the cancellation of the Haru basho and the subsequent jungyo will be for the NSK, it's the best possible solution in a crisis like this one. In fact, it's really the only one that makes any sense.  If for some reason they decide to hold the Haru basho behind closed doors, I will do my best to ignore it. Coming from a diehard sumo fan, that's saying a lot. 

You clearly don’t follow cricket!

[sekitori]

1 minute ago, Eikokurai said:

You clearly don’t follow cricket!

Yes, I do. They're insects who make a chirping noise by rubbing their wings together.

[Taikoubana]

Matches without an audience might remind the sekitori of their jonokuchi days.

[Christopher]

"Buysumotickets" has started to sell tickets for the may basho. I thought they would wait until the sumo association clarifies if the march basho will take place (or in which form it will take place).

Maybe "Buysumotickets" knows more than we do?

Edited February 29, 2020 by Christopher

[Kintamayama]

It's down to cancellation or no spectators now, say the rumors. Still waiting for the white smoke from the ongoing meeting..

Edited March 1, 2020 by Kintamayama

[WAKATAKE]

24 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

It's down to cancellation or no spectators now, say the rumors. Still waiting for the white smoke from the ongoing meeting..

Wow they are REALLY having to make that hard decision here, aren't they.

[Kaninoyama]

13 minutes ago, John Gunning said:

Basho going ahead. Closed doors. No fans

Given that the heya and rikishi had already set up shop in Osaka in preparation for the basho, this was the most likely outcome.

Will make for an interesting viewing experience to say the least, but happy we'll get to see some sumo this month. 

 

Edited March 1, 2020 by Kaninoyama

[The Fat Cyclist]

15 minutes ago, John Gunning said:

Basho going ahead. Closed doors. No fans

Not at all surprised. I think they should have cancelled but I didn't think they would dare.

[Kintamayama]

19 minutes ago, John Gunning said:

Basho going ahead. Closed doors. No fans

First time ever that this happens. It happened back in June 1945 (7 day basho then) but injured war veterans were invited to watch. A total closure is a first.

[Kaminariyuki]

I christen this the Bizarre Basho. It will be fascinating to see which wrestlers adjust well to this unique (hopefully) event. 

[Karasukurai]

So, a basho with closed doors. Looks like the JSA is trying to hang on to those elderly sumo supporters after all. Those lamenting the lack of future ticket availability will have to wait for a cold snap.

[Kuhne]

I feel sad for a first time winner in this basho, I’m sure they would take it happily but winning your first basho without hearing the crowd roaring or having none listen to your speech or watch you get the big macaroon. 
 

anyway, this will be an interesting tournament indeed, maybe some of the wrestlers who usually get nervous in front of a crowd and do better in training will feel more at home this time around?

[Jemuzu]

This is going to be completely bizarre. I can only imagine the sunk costs (venue hire etc) were so high that they decided to go ahead and at least take the TV revenue 

At least Goeido decided against bowing out in front of nobody at his home basho 

[Eikokurai]

Wow. When I first speculated on this I wasn’t ever expecting that the Kyokai would seriously consider it. I’m in two minds. On the one hand, yay sumo! On the other hand, here was an oven-ready excuse to give the rikishi a break to heal up and raise the standard of competition as a result.

Edited March 1, 2020 by Eikokurai

[sumojoann]

21 minutes ago, Karasukurai said:

So, a basho with closed doors. Looks like the JSA is trying to hang on to those elderly sumo supporters after all. Those lamenting the lack of future ticket availability will have to wait for a cold snap.

There you go again, Karasukurai, making me laugh inappropriately!

[Benihana]

Gladly this is in Japan. I'm sure some crazy inventor is already working on a zabuton throwing machine. Full auto cushion carnage.

I fully second @Eikokurai. But what happens if someone related to a heya or their lodgings is diagnosed with corona during the basho or even before shonichi?

 

[sekihiryu]

Green screen, set up a huge green screen behind the dohyo, fake a crowd, fake the sound too. At least I will have something to watch. As a High School teacher, things got very quiet in march for me.
 

Hope no Rikishi get infected with Covid 19,  will each heya bus in the rikishi to avoid the trains? Hmm.

 

also - with every school kid in japan at home and bored, they could use this as a chance to make the NHK coverage very kid friendly, never have the NHK had such a captive audience.  

Edited March 1, 2020 by sekihiryu

[yohcun]

1 hour ago, Kuhne said:

I feel sad for a first time winner in this basho, I’m sure they would take it happily but winning your first basho without hearing the crowd roaring or having none listen to your speech or watch you get the big macaroon.

I'd say at least they'd have the heya senshuraku party, but even some of those are being cancelled.

[Philioyamfugi]

This is bizarre indeed  

[Benihana]

59 minutes ago, Philioyamfugi said:

This is bizarre indeed  

I believe someone already called it the Bizharu Basho.

[Eikokurai]

2 hours ago, sekihiryu said:

also - with every school kid in japan at home and bored, they could use this as a chance to make the NHK coverage very kid friendly, never have the NHK had such a captive audience.  

Now I’m wondering what kid-friendly sumo looks like.

[Tigerboy1966]

3 hours ago, Kuhne said:

maybe some of the wrestlers who usually get nervous in front of a crowd and do better in training will feel more at home this time around?

And the flipside of that is that wrestlers who feed off the crowd reaction might struggle. Terutsuyoshi's big salt throw is going to look a bit silly if no-one's there to go "oooooooooh".