[sumo] Comments on Scott's reaction to Asashoryu's suspension

[RDeussen at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/1/2007 11:43:25 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
smk1 at columbia.edu writes:

Is this  worse than Wajima's actions as Yokozuna?  I think not.  And,  
what about the investigation into the death of the young rikishi earlier  
this year.  I'm assuming the Kyokai has fined Asashoryu and his  oyakata 
so that they can bribe the family not to pursue manslaughter  charges.  
Or has the Japanese media conveniently forgotten about that  incident?



Scott,
 
For me, the dark days of Sumo started when nobody seemed to care that the  
youngster was hazed to death.  To me, that event screams that change is  needed, 
more so than Asashoryu's ill advised hookey episode.  Made me quit  sumo 
games in disgust.   Now this.   I don't think this  incident is necessarily 
related to Asa's nationality, but is an example of an  inevitable culture clash.   
When Sumo was trying to become a "world"  sport, I sensed that the world would 
not tolerate Sumo any more than Sumo  tolerates the world.   Hard to reconcile 
a throwback sport built on  religious and historical traditions with a world 
that is stumbling  forwards.   The beauty of Sumo ritual aside, there appear 
may dark  aspects to the sport:  hazing;  possible thrown matches; 
glorification  of a very unhealthy life style; blatant discrimination against women; 
extreme  nepotism...those are a few.   Many of these negatives could be  corrected, 
or at least minimized.  Unfortunately, the structure of the  business 
prevents both identification of problems, and solutions to alleviate  them.   This is 
all my opinion, of course, an opinion which I  recognize is clouded by my 
social liberalism.   Nevertheless,  Sumo could do so much better.
Ruth 
 



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