Re: Some thoughts

[Patrick Coffman <ryled@yahoo.com>]

--- RobVerhoeve@aol.com wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> yesterday I was watching the basho on Eurosport, and
> saw Takanohana's latest bout. I admit I was sad. It
> is odd isn't it to see one basho with a yokozuna
> retiring and a new one being promoted during the
> same basho. I wonder if this has happened before?
> 
> Two things came up to my mind:
> 1.) If Takanohana would have finished this basho up
> to the last day, what would have been his result?
> The list of opponents was known, maybe Takanohana
> knew that he was not going to make KK, and, in order
> to save himself the embarrasment of being kicked out
> by the sumo-council, he decided to stop? Any
> thoughts? 

I think it's pretty clear that Takanohana felt his run
in the dohyou was coming close to an end back when he
blew his knee out.  The pressure on a yokozuna is
immense indeed, and I think he just didn't want to
face it anymore.  I think he probably didn't really
intend to compete anymore, and when he appeared in
September he seemed to be trying to prove to himself
that maybe it was time to get a haircut, but with all
the pressure from supporters (especially his father),
when he started to actually win he convinced himself
to stay in the race.

Then he sat out the next tournament.  What a
disappointment!  I was beginning to see a spark of the
old days brewing up in him.  But, really, he was sure
that he could not really continue.  I mean, look at
how rarely he even participated in keiko.  Finally,
when he suffered that terrible loss to the losingest
rikishi in the tournament (besides Tohki at that
point), he just sort of proved in the ring to his
father and others pushing him to gambaru it up that,
"Hey look, I'm really not yokozunazumou anymore."  

In any event, no he couldn't have possibly gotten
kachikoshi in this basho, and you're right he quit
before the kyoukai could ask him to please intai.  I'm
surprised the kyoukai didn't ask him to retire sooner,
to be honest.  

> 2.) On Kyokutenho: have you noticed that since
> Asashoryu is competing in the makuuchi league, that
> Kyokutenho is doing much better as well? Even though
> they are not in the same heya, you think that maybe
> they meet every now and then and that Asashoryu is
> giving tips and tricks to Kyokutenho, talking about
> his weaknesses, etc.? 

It could very well be so.  Pretty much all Mongolians
said that they were inspired this basho by the
performance of Asashouryuu, at least.  I'm not sure if
he's meeting with them, but it seems a natural
assumption.  

> 3.) Ozeki changes: 
> I wonder who is going to be the first to lose his
> ozeki rank. Tochiazuma? 
> Additionally, who do you think will be the next one
> to get promoted to Ozeki? Kotomitsuki? Dejima?
> Wakanosato? I have the feeling that with 3 rikishi
> being kadoban, and probably 3 sekiwakes, it may get
> quite messy soon. Any thoughts?

Yeah, Tochiazuma is pretty much out.  I'd give him a
90% certainty of finding his name lower in the banzuke
next tournament.  Too bad, too--when he's not injured,
he seems pretty good.  It's hard to believe that a
year ago, people were predicting he'd be the next
yokozuna.

As for the Oozeki promotion, I'd say probably
Kotomitsuki will be back up there very soon, if not
even next tournament.  Now that he's not worried about
his injured jaw at the tachiai anymore, his sumou
seems very aggressive and he's very good at what he
does.  The only thing holding him back might be that
slap to Takanowaka.  While it's good to show some
guts, it's still a bit frowned upon to injure people
like crazy.  Not that it's really his fault--you could
be knocked unconscious by the strangest things.  As I
said earlier, all that he would have to do is slap his
ear just right and force the air to blow it out.  It
takes surprisingly little force sometimes.

Poor Takanowaka might be in the running, too, but it
doesn't look like he'll be returning in March.

Dejima and Wakanosato demonstrated san'yaku sumou this
tournament, but they're still both a pace behind
Kotomitsuki.  Who knows what the next tournament will
bring them?  Sometimes rikishi lose their fighting
spirit somewhere along the way and Tohki it up.

I wonder if Kaiou or Chiyotaikai will return next
tournament.  It would be nice to see how the new
yokozuna holds up to Mr. Nodowa this time.

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