[sumo] RE: Sumo ML - Time to Retire?

[Pat McKay <ah205@chebucto.ns.ca>]

Hello All,

When this thread started in the middle of the basho, I knew that I had
to respond to it, but I wanted to wait until the basho was over before
inflicting my comments on everyone.
As someone who has been with the sumo mailing list since about 1994, I
guess I qualify as a long time lurker. I seldom post anything to the
list, mainly because my access to sumo comes solely from this list and
from Dale's movies, and it is difficult to comment intelligently on
something you experience second hand. I would HATE to see the list
retired. Even in its present state it connects me to sumo more than I
would be just using the 'net. Although we have never met, I feel I
have made several friends round the world over the years. Posters come
and posters go ..... everyone leads such busy lives these days, and to
those of you who find the time to post messages, I take my hat off to
you. I often wonder what happened to some of the old timers ....Ian
Frank and Totoro  spring to mind instantly, and wonder if they are
still here in lurk mode?, but circumstances and interests change, and
leaving Japan seems to be a major cause of ceasing to post.

As for the games ..... yes, they do take up an awful lot of time; but
yes, I do enjoy playing. By the time I have watched Dale's movies (a
must before making my picks) and then entered each of the daily games
I play, which is most of them, at least an hour has elapsed, and that
is with spending minimal time on my bout selections. I can well
imagine that most people are spending so much time on the games that
they just don't have time to post anything else to the list. However,
there always seems to be someone to take up the torch, and for this I
am very grateful! Since I first thought about this, there has been the
"10th anniversary of the list" thread. Long may it continue to unite
sumo lovers the world over! 

Pat Getayukata McKay

On Wed, 21 May 2003, Robert Hovestadt wrote:

>I have noticed the decline, and the chore of playing every gaem would
>detract
>from my enjoyment of following sumo, which is the reason I have so far
>limited my participation to 4 or 5 games at the most.  Being that this 
>list and the internet are my only sources [except for the odd ESPN playing 
>of a past [sometimes recenlty] basho] of Sumo information.  This of course
>could explain my recent inability to do well in the BS and GISP games. I
>hope
>that the list will recover some of its former glory so that I will be
>better informed about current Sumo in general.  
>
>Bob "Sherlockiama" Hovestadt
>
>P.S. if only I could read Japanese.
>
>-----Original Message-----
From: Pardoe, Richard (RPardoe) [mailto:RPardoe@chevrontexaco.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 2:01 PM
>To: sumo@statgen.ncsu.edu
>Subject: Sumo ML - Time to Retire?
>
>
>moti wrote:
>>truth be told, our ML has deteriorated lately into near 
>>nothingness.... we used to have oodles of fun, and not only 
>>had daily results and game announcements posted.
>
>Upon reading your thoughts, I had to come to a similar conclusion.  The
>one aspect that I have noted is that as the games have increased,
>especially the daily games, my enjoyment of the basho has decreased to
>the point where it seems quite a chore to follow sumo for 15 days.  My
>results in various games certainly reflect this fatigue and I am
>seriously considering retiring from several games before the next basho,
>especially as several games are variations on the same theme.
>
>I wonder if the same fatigue (be it games related or otherwise) is
>striking at some of the other list veterans.
>
>Rich (Gochisozan) Pardoe
>
>PS - Random thought that I couldn't fit in above - Is it a coincidence
>that the list has declined at about the same time that Sumo World
>Magazine has declined?  (And has anyone seen the May 2003 issue?)
>

[EndPost by Pat McKay <ah205@chebucto.ns.ca>]