[sumo] [spoiler] Toyonoshima, Chiyotaikai

[Eric Turner]

Chiyotaikai has been a favourite of mine since he popped up in the top level
years ago--and a continual source of frustration.  I do not think he is
performing up to his potential.  I seem to see him lose matches that he
oughtn't lose, and then I see him lose matches that he deserved to lose.  He
has had times when he could have pushed hard and made Yokozuna, but
somehow...just...didn't.  But I have a sneaking suspicion that there are two
things going on with him:

1. I think he's a bit too one-dimensional.  He relies upon tsuppari attacks
far too much and as the saying goes, he who lives by the tsuppari, dies by
the tsuppari.

2. I also think that he knows that he's good, but not *that* good.  I think
he conciously doesn't want to be Yokozuna.  There is tons of pressure on
Ozeki, sure, but there is tons more on the top.  I think he knows that he's
not up to it, and he deliberately "manages" his performances at basho to
keep himself where he is.

Of course, I'm not present at the basho, I don't even have the ability to
watch sumo each basho unless i can stay up past 1am and watch the internet
feed.  So these comments are purely my own idiocy, not insider info of any
kind.  :)

On 3/8/07, Jezz <jejima at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Although I understand his sentiments, I'm a little disappointed with
> Chiyotaikai's comments.  Rather than breaking the record for Ozeki
> longevity, he should be more focussed on becoming a Yokozuna.  To say
> he has been thinking about the record for the past year is surely not
> a good thing to admit to.
>
> Therefore I am hoping he will be striving for back-to-back yushos, and
> not merely settling for extending his Ozeki career.....
>
> Am I wrong?
>
> Jejima