[sumo] Sumo streaming video

[Jim Bitgood]

This is based on the records I have kept since I started watching the 
streaming video a couple years ago. Before that I was watching the 
occasional still frame and listening to the audio. It's a lot better 
with moving pictures. I cannot guarantee that the times I connected 
to the video are precisely accurate compared to when they turned it 
on, but they will be very close in most cases.
Anyway, if you watch the video, look for it to start early on Day 1. 
With the exception of last September when they must have had some 
problems, in the last two basho, the video has started in the 1pm 
hour in Japan (1:14pm and 1:25pm). That's early enough to see some 
Makushita matches and all of the Juryo matches. In Sep, the Makuuchi 
matches had already started when the video came on for Day 1. But 
then they seemed to get on track and consistently got it 
going  between 3:30 and 3:50 pm thru day 7.
Something else to look for is that when they leave Tokyo, there seem 
to be more technical problems.  Last year for the March basho, the 
video started at 3:36pm JST, about 14 minutes after the first 
Makuuchi result was posted on the Kyokai website. But to make up for 
that, over the next five days, the video started in the 1pm hour, 
from as early as 1:12pm to as late at 1:54pm. On Day 2, I saw the 
last six Sandanme matches.
I think the Kyokai website says they show all the Makuuchi matches. 
But I think it depends on when the person operating the camera shows 
up to plug it in. (And I would still volunteer to operate the camera 
if they would only pay for my transportation :-) )
So if your favorite wrestler isn't quite ready for prime time, tune 
in early and you might catch him live.

         Jim
         "Chitose-Taikai"