Oshi-dashi'd message

[Basten <cbasten@statgen.ncsu.edu>]

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Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 04:37:39 +0000
From: Joe Petrow <joepet@sdf.lonestar.org>
To: sumo@statgen.ncsu.edu
Subject: Re: Spoiler: Asashoryu Chances
Message-ID: <20030124043739.GA10537@SDF.LONESTAR.ORG>
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On Thu, 23 Jan 2003, Charles Beauchamp wrote:

> > 12-3 no-playoff yusho: 2% chance.  Even with an
> > uncontested yusho, losing
> > two out the last three bouts will not make a good
> > impression at all.
>
> Again, yusho get's it at 12-3 and rightly so.  Playoff
> matters not.  As we learned with Wakanohana a yusho is
> a yusho.

Well, we more or less agree on the yusho being a requirement, but
disagree on the quality of yusho required.  Think of what Asashoryu is
being considered for promotion to.  This is not the same as being the
#1 ranked tennis player, or the world's heavyweight boxing champion.
This is about becoming a yokozuna, the highest honor in sumo, one that
is called on to perform many religious duties, and an honor that cannot
be revoked for any reason.  Especially since the Futahaguro, the Kyokai
was been erring on the side of caution.  The one time they did not
exercise that caution was for Wakanohana, the last yokozuna to be
promoted with a 12 win yusho, who failed to live up to his promotion.

As a result, I don't believe any yokozuna will be promoted without back
to back yusho of 13 wins or more, nor should they be.

Having said that, I hope Asashoryu goes 14-1 and makes all this talk moot.

  - Peterao