[sumo] A small Comment about the Numbers Game

[Jack Gartin]

If you take a look at the total performance of the sanyaku this basho as a
single item, not considering the flashes of brilliance that we saw in the
tournament, nobody did very well.


 2-7-6 <http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=2830&b=200803>
Kotooshu <http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=2830>OKotomitsuki<http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=876>
8-7 <http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=876&b=200803>
8-7<http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=7&b=200803>
Kaio <http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=7>OChiyotaikai<http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=8>
8-7 <http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=8&b=200803>
8-7<http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=1111&b=200803>
Ama <http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=1111>SKotoshogiku<http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=1226>8-7
S <http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=1226&b=200803>
8-7<http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=1235&b=200803>
Kisenosato <http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=1235>KTakekaze<http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=1284>
3-12 <http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_basho.aspx?r=1284&b=200803>

Not to say that Mr. Hardy and SML comments are invalid, by any means.  Just
that sometimes the numbers don't tell the whole story.

It is hard for me to agree that once anyone makes Ozeki and misses a shot at
Yokozuna for a couple of years, he gives up and says 'Ozeki is good enough
for me'.  Recall that Kaio made what was probably his last run at Yokozuna
not too long ago (3-4 years?) and was clearly still trying.  I think
Chiyotaikai, with his limited technique, might be one who did decide, or was
told by his shisho, Ozeki is 'it' for me.  Kotooshu, on the other hand, has
been promoted beyond his ability in my view and will shortly be demoted.
The big, tall, long armed guys all have a limited advantage which doesn't
seem to play out well at Ozeki.  I'm waiting to see what happens with Baruto
but I fear he will hit the same wall:  You've got to be technically sound,
fast and wily to stay up there in high sanyaku.  Long arms and strength
aren't going to do the job.  It goes without saying that bad knees don't
help either.  The shining example of the technique/fast/wily combo is Ama,
in my view.  The smallest guy in the division and many times the most
exciting to watch.  I am deliberately excluding Asa from this as he is just
in a class by himself (in more ways than one ;>}}}}.  But surely, he is a
brilliantly successful example of all the traits above, as was Chiyonofuji.
Not the biggest men, but superlative athletes.

I'm waiting for someone to argue the Akebono case in rebuttal.

Tamagoyama