Magunoyama's Outrageous Statements for 2001

[Magnus Berg <magnus.rie@Swipnet.se>]

Hi everyone!
Well, the sumo year 2000 is almost over and it's time to try to foresee
what's going to happen in the new year. I'm inviting everyone on the list
to join my wager game. To play is easy: I make 10 outrageous statements
about next year, if you think that any one of them actually could happen,
just send me an e-mail (privately please, not to the list) stating "I accept
the bet" and which statement you're betting on. Every list member can choose
only one statement. If you win, i.e. if what I'm claiming actually happens
in 2001, I will send you, by regular mail, a small, non-expensive typcially
Swedish thing. If you lose, you have to send me a small, non-expensive
thing, something typical of your country or city. (People living in Stockholm
will have to come up with alternative prizes.)
So, here we go, I'm claiming that in a parallel, upside-down sumo universe,
the following things are going to happen in the year 2001:

1) Kinkaiyama will win a sansho

2) Akebono will get zensho yusho

3) Higounoumi will finally reach sanyaku

4) No ozeki will be kadoban

5) There will be at least one basho with no kyujo in maukunouchi, i.e. all 40 makunouchi rikishi will compete for all 15 days

6) Kitazakura, Tamanokuni OR Buyuzan will win the juryo yusho

7) Takatoriki will get kachi-koshi in Kyushu Basho

8) No new Mongolians will be recruited into sumo

9) Musashigawa beya will win only one yusho

10) The Shukan Post will write only nice things about the Hanada family

NB: The statements concerning ranking etc. refer to the six basho taking place in 2001 and the banzuke connected to these basho. I.e, the banzuke for Hatsu Basho 2002 is not included, although officially it will be issued in December 2001.

I was thinking about including "Kintaro will muse through the entire year without offending anybody on the list", but thought that might bring out too many old wounds that haven't healed, so I thought better of it. Of course, "Everyone in Finland will accept that the new millenium started..." was completely out of the question.

Eagerly awaiting your challenges and meanwhile wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Sumo Year,

Magunoyama