Re: Takatoriki & Aki-basho banzuke prediction

[Yugo Yodogawa <yyy@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU>]

> There are several sumo tornaments sponsored by TV stations and/or newspaper
> companies between some hon-basho. Taka and Waka have been in matches
> against each other very often in the tornament for the prizes. There are no
> yaochou concerns or argument of psychological difficulty by any rikishi
> about sumo against rikishi from the same heya in this type of tornaments.

Jungyou tournaments are totally different from real basho and I really don't
think anyone gives it 100% at these tournaments anyway.  Besides, most of
these are single-elimination, which means if Takanohana and Wakanohana meet,
both are still in contention.  The yaochou situation I am concerned about
is when one is out of contention and the other still is.

> Successful oyakata should not be panished for raising more successful
> sekitori. That is their mission and they have been and should be awarded by
> their success. When a heya have more sekitori in the higher ranks, the
> owner of heya (or stable) will be richer and earn higher rank in the Sumo
> Kyokai, such as Kanji and Riji and ultimately and possibly Rijicho.
> 
> Without ruin their success, we could solve the problem for good. That is to
> allow the sumo match up between rikishi from a same heya.
> 
> If people have problems of trusting their sincerelity, Sumo Kyokai could
> limit the matches between rikishi from the same heya to for the first 10
> days. Traditionally, the exciting matches are planned toward the end of
> basho, say, last 5 days. If the matches between rikishi from the same heya
> are set during the first 10 days, sumo fans could expect 15 days of
> exciting sumo matches.
> 
> I can't imagine a situation that a rikishi commit a yaochou on 10th day of
> basho or earlier. If a rikishi is 9-0 and the opponent is 8-1 both are very
> much in the yusho race on 10th day. Even if the opponent is 7-2, he is
> still very much in the race. Besides, he has not earned "kachikoshi", yet. 
> 
> I still think ultimate solution is to allow rikishi from a same heya to
> match in hon-basho. Torikumi Hensei Kaigi could arrange
> Takanohana-Wakanohana match on shonichi (the first day). That would be an
> exciting way to start a basho. All four ozeki, including three ozeki from
> futagoyama-beya have legitimate chance to be a yokozuna. For yokozuna
> promotion, each match is very important, since one win or loss will make
> huge difference. Also, sumo fans will see their matches as potential
> yaochou matches. They don't want to be criticized as a yaochou rikishi.
> 
> I really think it is easier than people might think.
> 
> -Masumi

Yes, this may be an acceptable way to limit yaochou.  I would like to see this
made permanent, however, and not phased out gradually as was suggested before.
Maybe even limit the time frame further, scheduling matches between rikishi
from the same heya only during the first 8 days of the basho.  However, I still
think that if Taka and Waka meet on day 8 and one (and only one) of them is
undefeated, his brother won't be the first one to hand him a kuro-boshi.
-yugo