RE: futa factor (little spoiler)

[sjm <sten@neosoft.com>]

At 03:16 AM 5/21/99 +0900, Joshua A. Reyer wrote:
>
>
>Um, I appreciate the agreement, but I don't actually think the yusho means
>less.  There are many yokozuna who were better than Takanohana but they
>don't participate because they are too old, retired, dead, etc.  The fact
>that these better rikishi don't compete doesn't take away from Taka's
>various yusho because in these particular circumstances, Taka is the better
>rikishi.  If Taka is sick or injured, and has to go kyujo, he's doing it
>because for him to continue to participate would give him a losing record,
>if not kill him.  The only difference is that unlike dead or retired
>rikishi, he comes back when he's healthy.
>

I think we have to agree to disagree on this.  It's a common perception in
sports that a championship loses some of its luster when the top
competition has been removed due to injury or other circumstances.  
Examples abound - the Houston Rockets' two basketball championships
in 94 and 95 are forever under a cloud because most believe they would
not have won them had Michael Jordan not taken two years off from
basketball.  They were still a great achievement, but the fact is they
won them because MJ was taking a break.  Like it or not, the perception
exists, 
and it's one that I happen to think is valid.  We can argue semantics all 
day, but in the end there are still going to be people who disagree on 
this issue.

>"The Kyokai says so," is not an argument.

You're right - and fortunately for me, that's not my argument :)  I've
made my case, and I'm simply pointing out that the Nihon Sumo Kyokai
agrees with me.  I point to these authorities in reaction to the speed
with which you label opposing viewpoints as "silly", "arbitrary", "wrong",
etc. 

My personal opinion is that if Waka was made a Yokozuna, then Musashi
CERTAINLY deserves it.  I think Waka's promotion was rather weak.  If
they promoted him, and they don't promote Musashi with a 13-2 or even
12-3, I think it's worth examining the racism angle.  

Sten