[sumo] Yaocho

[Dr. Scott Kahn]

Who do I have to pay to have this post published and placed at the top 
of the list?

I've been keeping up with the yaocho thread with great admiration for 
the knowledge of the sumo list members and contempt for what I presume 
to be a libelous newspaper article.

First, if I were a betting man, I would be putting the house, mortgage, 
and kid's college fund on Asashoryu obtaining a 15-0 record this 
upcoming tournament.  Shukan Gendai couldn't have done worse than to 
wake up a sleeping tiger.  The thought of Asashoryu going through a full 
training regimen prior to a basho without suffering from his usual cold 
is scary indeed.

My thoughts on the "success" of 7-7 records going into the last day are 
that this is a combination of intensity on the part of the wrestler, the 
unwillingness of the opponent to go full out and risk unnecessary 
injury, and a gentlemen's agreement among wrestlers.  Furthermore, 
nobody has brought up the situations where 7-7 wrestlers go up against 
8-6 wrestlers who have just won their last match and were out the night 
before drinking and celebrating.  I would challenge our esteemed sumo 
list statisticians to come up with such an analysis.  My feeling is that 
there would be an extraordinary bias towards the 7-7 wrestlers being 
victorious, compared to 8-6 wrestlers suffering from hangovers.

If Shukan Gendai published such an article about yaocho, then I would 
guess they have information about all wrestlers, and that this 
information would have been in their possession prior to this 
tournament.  I am curious why they wouldn't have published this BEFORE 
the tournament.  Acting as a Monday morning gyoji is pretty easy.  
Furthermore, how they can paint a few wrestlers as clean is ridiculous.  
Furthermore, if memory serves me correctly, didn't Asashoryu have an 
encounter on the dohyo with Kyokushuzan?  How would that fit in with 
charges of yaocho?  And, I think the deeper question is that given 
Asashoryu's competence and mastery of the dohyo, why would he risk this 
and his yokozuna and international ambassador status for a few thousand 
dollars?  This makes no sense.  Now, if someone suggested to me that the 
last Wakanohana was involved, I might be convinced.  But Asashoryu?  
Especially considering the way he blew through the lower ranks, and 
through the ozeki ranks?  Barry Bonds on steroids and juice, he is not.

As for Kotomitsuki, he has not been the same wrestler since he suffered 
his "Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robot" jaw injury.  Yaocho?  I think not. The 
ability is there, the will needs work.  Kaio?  He had an amazing run not 
too far back to secure an 8-7 record after teetering on the edge.  Like 
most ozekis with 7 losses, unless the opponent is in the yusho race, or 
an up and comer, they generally win.  Yaocho or gentleman's agreement?  
I think the latter, considering the respect for his status in the community.

I don't know how the courts in Japan work, and whether Ben has to prove 
his wrestlers are clean, which is a huge burden of proof, or whether Ben 
can attack Shukan Gendai and find out their sources for this nonsense.  
I would speculate that it is some miserable underworld figure who lost a 
bundle on illegal sumo bets and was rebuffed by Asashoryu in 
unsuccessful attempts to fix matches.  Again, for Shukan Gendai to 
identify certain wrestlers as being clean is ridiculous.

Sukubidubidu