[sumo] News article - Whats the best job in sumo

[Barbara]

The Ozeki system now in place is unfair to the sekiwake. Consider that 
the worst Ozeki can theoretically go 0-15 in one basho and then 8-7 in 
the next, alternating indefinitely, and remain an ozeki.  That is an 
average of 4 wins per basho.  It is an outrageously easy task compared 
to the sekiwake just underneath, who must make a 8-7 or better every 
basho.  The boundary between the ranks is too extreme.  If Ozekis were 
more readily demoted, the ozeki election requirements might be eased, 
benefiting the sekiwake.

We have seen too many ozeki get out of kadoban with a 8-7 record. That 
tells us one possible answer - it should be required that a kadoban 
ozeki make a 9-7 or better.  The weak ozekis would fall like bowling 
pins under that requirement, wouldn't they?

I have no problem with the "second chance" opportunity at Sekiwake for 
the former ozeki to return to rank with a 10-5 or better.  But that 
second chance has not been frequently successful for a falling ozeki in 
the recent past, if my memory serves me.

I imagine that the current system of rank-adhesion is partly due to the 
phenomenon of fame - that is, once a wrestler has reached a high rank, 
they are an attraction, they command an audience, and it is desired that 
they be given as many breaks as possible to maintain their position, 
especially since it could be feared that the shame of a demotion might 
cause them to retire early and disappoint their fans.

But that strategy is backfiring now.  The sekiwake seem to be the 
exciting ones, and often it is they who are dumping the yokozuna. That's 
what the ozeki were supposed to be doing.  We are getting many exciting 
surprises from sekiwake and komosubi contrasting with the same-old 
ho-hum-yawn disappointments from the ozeki. If it is so important to 
retain these big names, why not retire them and make them commentators? 
I'm being semi-serious there, but what is better, big names or exciting 
sumo?

Barbara Murasakihana


Sumocypher at aol.com wrote:
> If an ozeki drops eight, he can keep the rank with eight wins at the next  
> tournament. If that is beyond him, 10 wins as a sekiwake will bounce him  
> straight back up.