[sumo] [spoilers]Takanohana and steroid abuse

[Charles Beauchamp]

A bad call by an honest official demonstrating human
error is in no way a much bigger issue today or 40
years ago then the intentional abuse of dangerous
(whether legal or not) drugs by the presumed standard
bearer of the sport.  If anything such abuse (whether
legal or not) is infinitely more dangerous since every
available study and evidence shows that #1 such drugs
kill and thus #2 should be discouraged.  This is not a
cultural editorial.  Just plain self evident fact. 
Asashoryu is held to an absurd standard by his
detractors..a standard that no Yokozuna in history
would lived up to.  None.

--- artist at aloha.net wrote:

> 
> 
> 
> On 12/10/07 11:59 AM, "Scott M. Kahn"
> <smk1 at columbia.edu> wrote:
> 
> > Fast forward to the Asashoryu debaucle.  The
> Kyokai goes all out
> > against him, while having condoned Takanohana for
> missing many more
> > Jungyo.  This is in spite of Asashoryu handling
> his responsibilities
> > at prior Jungyo, after going out of his way to
> present himself in a
> > Yokozuna-like manner, from all reports.
> 
> 
> It should be remembered that there is NO LAW in
> Japan against using such
> drugs, in sumo or anywhere else, as far as I know.
> Taka  always lived up to
> all the unwritten Japanese rules of  behavior and
> honor, so there was no
> reason to chastise him.
> 
>  I say that if Asashoryu's actions warranted such an
> > overblown reaction from the Kyokai, that
> Takanohana's actions
> > warrant a full investigation into steroid abuse. 
> If it is found
> > that he did abuse steroids, either willingly or
> through awful
> > advice, then he relinquish his current position,
> or be suspended
> > for a time that is equivalent to Asashoryu's
> punishment multiplied
> > by the number of Jungyo that Takanohana missed.
> 
> 
> Never happen. For one thing it is way after the
> fact. When Taiho¹s winning
> streak was mistakenly halted by the bad call of the
> gyoji years ago, a MUCH
> more important problem,  even tho  every newspaper
> in Japan had the photo
> showing the truth  the very next day, showing that
> Toda actually lost, the
> kyokai would not reverse the decision.  Just as an
> example. They don't go
> back. 
> 
> Lynn Matsuoka
> The SUMO artist
> www.traditions.jp
> _______________________________________________
> Sumo mailing list
> Sumo at webtrek.com
> http://www.webtrek.com/mailman/listinfo/sumo
> 



      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for last minute shopping deals?  
Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.  http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping