[sumo] [Spoiler] Rikishi Talk Day 3 Aki Basho 2007 (plus Kyokai criticism rearing , , , )

[Scott Kahn]

Joe,

Thank you for this continuing in-basho contribution.  Our personal 
opinions on the Asashoryu issue aside, this is indeed a fascinating turn 
of events.

Do you know what Mr. Sugiyama's criticism of the Kyokai entailed?  Has 
he been in hot water with the Kyokai before?  I wonder whether this 
threat of revoking press passes may have influenced Mr. Buckton's Japan 
Times contributions...  I guess my personal application for a press pass 
"got lost in the mail"!

Sukubidubidu

>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>The Sumo Kyokai is playing really tough with those
>reporters who openly disagree with the Kyokai's
>handling of the whole Asashoryu affair.
>
>To be able to work as a reporter at the Kokugikan and
>other venues staging Ozumo, the reporter needs to be a
>member of the Ozumo Press Club at each hon-basho and
>requires a Kyokai issued press pass through the club.
>
>In addition the Sumo Press Clubs provide an honorary
>membership to those reporters who have contributed to
>ozumo reporting and writing for many years the same
>press privileges and arrange the press pass for them.
>
>An honorary member of the Tokyo Sumo Press Club,
>Kunihiro Sugiyama, former and long time NHK sumo
>announcer, has been working as a sumo commmenter and
>writer was asked by the Kyokai to return his honorary
>press card on September 10.
>
>"As a honorary press club member, he should be in a
>position to offer a correction or should be asking for
>a retraction whenever TV hosts or other guests made
>invalid comments on the shows but he simply nodded
>along and was even agreeing with them in some cases.
>Considering his position, he should display more
>responsibility," Kitaoumi oyakata, chairman of the
>Kyokai, stated requesting the return of the press
>privileges from Sugiyama. "If he wants to work as a
>commentator, then fine, he has no need for our press
>card. I don't want anyone to use it for one purpose
>and then come back conveniently to work as another."
>
>Sugiyama was asked by a female employee of the Kyokai
>office to hand back the card and he did not want to
>get her in troubles with the chairman and other
>executives, Sugiyama agreed to hand back the press
>card but the Tokyo Sumo Press Club filed a letter of
>protest with the Kyokai yesterday.
>
>Kunihiro Sugiyama
>----------------------
>"I accepted to appear on TV shows because I wanted the
>Kyokai to face the whole Asashoryu issue squarely and
>conduct themselves decisively. I have never ever made
>any derogatory comment towards the Kyokai. I feel
>saddened to see myself losing the press card for
>something as innocuous as having nodded to someone
>else's comment. I have been reporting on Ozumo all my
>life as one who loves sumo earnestly so this measure
>is not only disappointing but also regrettable."
>
>Tomozuna Oyakata
>----------------------
>(One of the oyakata known to be critical of Kyokai's
>handling of Asashoryu)
>"I feel Mr. Sugiyama has been making reasonable and
>valid points. This is simply a really terrible
>response by the Kyokai's internal clique."
>
>Masayuki Tamaki, sports writer
>------------------------------------
>"Sports reporting has a risk and tendency to become
>the organizer's mouthpiece or a voice of their PR
>department. So actually we have more reason to view
>them with more critical eye. Organizations like the
>Kyokai who would shut the door from such criticism
>will eventually perish for certain. More than ever I
>feel apprehensive about the Kyokai's future. We
>journalists should never let this Kyokai's measure
>stand."
>
>Yasuhiko Oishi, Aoyama Gakuin University Proferssor
>(Media Ethics)
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>"As a publicly run organization, the Kyokai should be
>in a position to listen to and accept as many opinion
>expressed so from that point they should be criticized
>for this measure. But equally I believe the media who
>have seized on this Asshoryu incident are viewing the
>sports simply as a type of entertainment or leisure
>item and got themselve overheated. There is definitely
>a need for media to re-examine and review their
>reporting methods so we can elevate the culture and
>social benefits of sports inlcuding sumo."
>
>
>.....Jonosuke 
>  <  Heart  Technique  Physique      &#24515;&#12288;&#25216;&#12288;&#20307;&#12288;>
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