[sumo] [getting off-topic] Police To Charge Tokitsukaze Oyakata

[Robert Hovestadt]

I will agree with most of what you said here.
Unfortunately I do not agree that there is a problem with a pitcher
throwing pitches high and tight. Those pitches are meant to
get the batter to back off the plate they are not meant to hit
the batter.  The problem I have with MLB is that obvious incidents
of pitchers throwing at batters are not dealt with immediately.
I have seen numerous occassions in the last month where
pitchers have purposely hit batters and all that is given is a
warning.  It was to clear to even the most ignorant person watching
that the pitcher had every intention of hitting the batter.  The response
should have been a swift heave ho from the came, followed by the
commissioner fining and suspending the offending pitcher. If this is
done swiftly and often then you will see and end to most of these
shenanigans.

I believe the Kyokai needs to do the same thing.  In cases where
wrestlers are obviously being abused the Kyokai needs to step in
and take appropriate action. Fines, suspensions, legal action, whatever
is appropriate. It is quite apparent to this non-japanese sumo fan that
the sport can not handle much more scandal and expect to survive. The
assault and abuse of the very men they are depending on to keep the
sport alive is ludicrous.  If the Kyokai does not step up and take stearn
and tough action the sport may be doomed completely.

Bob Hovestadt.


On 9/27/07, Keri Sibley <kerisib at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> In addition to what Joe said, let me add that Baseball
> also has a heritage of hazing and rituals. Some of the
> simplest being blowing a bubble gum bubble and placing
> it on top of a rookies hat during a game. Football
> players tape other players to the goalposts. Hazing is
> fun when its done non-maliciously. I have been hazed
> myself and am no worse for wear. Now if someone were
> to hit me on the head with a beer bottle, that's not
> hazing, that's brutality and assault.
>
> And then there's Takatoriki's forehead. He used to
> deliberately konk heads with his opponent at the
> tachi-ai. How does one prepare for that kind of
> assault at keiko? It's inevitable! In sumo your going
> to get konked on the head a few times...but by a beer
> bottle...not necessary.
>
> Baseball has a dark side as well, and the commissioner
> has done nothing about it. You see on ESPN at a
> minimum of once or twice a week of an incident where a
> pitcher throws a baseball high and tight, or even at a
> batters head. The pitcher does it on purpose. Is
> someone going to have to get killed for it to stop?
>
> Tokitsukaze needs to be dealt with by the authorities.
> Kitanoumi cannot police every heya 24/7. The Oyakata
> need to be responsible and maybe this is what it will
> take to clean it up. Maybe this will encourage
> Takasago to come down on Asashoryu for beating the
> crap out of everybody who threatens to become a rival.
>
> Just my 2¢
>
> Hinerikeri
>
> --- Joe Petrow <joepetrow at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > On 9/27/07, Scott Kahn <smk1 at columbia.edu> wrote:
> > > Your comparison to the baseball commisioner is
> > irrelevant because he
> > > does not preside over a sport with a deep rooted
> > cultural heritage in
> > > Japan
> >
> > Actually, yakyu (baseball) has a very deep rooted
> > cultural heritage in
> > Japan.  They take baseball more seriously than any
> > country in the
> > world, United States included.  Attending a Hanshin
> > Tigers home game
> > is almost a religious experience:
> >
> >
> http://www.japannewbie.com/2007/09/02/hanshin-tigers/
> >
> > When you make such statements that are so blatantly
> > ignorant of
> > Japanese culture, it's kind of hard to take
> > seriously anything else
> > you say on the subject.
> >
> >   - Peterao
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://www.webtrek.com/mailman/listinfo/sumo
> >
>
>
>
>
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