Re: Takatoriki & Aki-basho banzuke prediction

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

At 11:59 PM 8/12/94 -0700, Yugo Yodogawa wrote:
>> Remember? For Sumo Kyokai to adopt video image for helping judges to decide
>> the winner, (in)famous Taiho/Toda misjudgement was needed. Takatoriki's
>> promotion could be a good motivation for Sumo Kyokai to abandon the
>> heya-to-heya match and adopt rikishi-to-rikishi match for the first time.
>
>I don't think introducing match-ups between rikishi of the same heya would
>be necessary; I'm afraid of the large number of yaochou matches that might
>result.  

This is the same argument we heard when Sumo Kyokai adopted the matches
based on heya instead of heya-group (ichimon) at Hatsu-basho in January,
1965. In the first day under the new system, there was a match between
Yokozuna Taiho and Sekiwake Tamanoshima (later became Yokozuna Tamanoumi),
and Tamanoshima beat Taiho in the very exciting match. Actually, the
matches fought hardest were the matches between the rikishi from the same
ichimon. Rikishi fought hardest to prove their sincerelity. There were so
many great matches because of the new system, and no one argued any more
yaochou matches because of the (then) new system. 

If we have been using the old ichimon-to-ichimon sumo matches, we wouldn't
have been enjoying Sadogatake-beya against Futagoyama-beya matches, or
Dewanoumi-beya (Mainoumi & Oginishiki) against Musashigawa-beya
(Musashimaru & Musoyama) matches.

Once you start a new system, people will forget the old system.

I will suggest to limit the matches between rikishi from the same heya to
prevent any yaochou arguments in the following manner for the first year.

1st basho: same heya matches only the first 8 days.
2nd basho: same heya matches only the first 10 days.
3rd basho: same heya matches only the first 11 days.
4th basho: same heya matches only the first 12 days.
5th basho: same heya matches only the first 13 days.
6th basho: same heya matches only the first 14 days.

After a year, they will get used to the match against rikishi from the same
heya.

>I think a better solution would be to split up Futagoyama into two
>or three stables, especially if all the internal dissension/animosity Abe-san
>mentioned a while back really does exist.  Would it be possible for Takatoriki
>and a few other rikishi to transfer to somewhere like Taiho-beya?
>-yugo

I don't think this solution is possible because of the following reasons.

1. It is hard to single out the case of Futago-yama. You better treat all
heya equally.
2. I don't think Futago-yama Oyakata will confirm the problem existing in
Futagoyama-beya.
3. For a rikishi to change heya, he needs to get approvals from concerned
heya, in this case both Futagoyama-beya and Taiho-beya, and Sumo Kyokai. I
don't think Futagoyama or Sumo Kyokai will allow any rikishi to move from
one heya to the other heta.

If overwelming majority of sumo fans including influential media ask for
the change to rikishi-to-rikishi match up, Sumo Kyokai will adopt the new
and more exciting system, I think.

-Masumi
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Masumi Abe                               阿部　加史（あべ　ますみ）
Kaleida Labs, Inc.                              Tel: (415) 966-0824
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