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

[Lynn Matsuoka]

On 8/1/07 12:34 PM, "RDeussen at aol.com" <RDeussen at aol.com> wrote:

   
> 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.
> 

BOY, DO YOU NAIL IT!

  Nevertheless,  Sumo could do so much better.

But it won¹t.  It doesn¹t have to. It is what it is. This is Japan.

Lynn