[sumo]Musashigawa remarks- Latest items from Moti

[Keri Sibley]

Which category of Scott's recent poll do you think Scott's most recent post would fall under? 1....2....3....or 4? In my opinion it is scathing and inflammatory! This is why people leave the list! I have held on this long, now I'm gone!

Hinerikeri


--- On Wed, 9/10/08, Scott M. Kahn <smk1 at columbia.edu> wrote:

> From: Scott M. Kahn <smk1 at columbia.edu>
> Subject: Re: [sumo]Musashigawa remarks- Latest items from Moti
> To: sumo at webtrek.com
> Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 10:03 AM
> "The more things change, the more they remain the
> same..."
> 
> Musashigawa declared, as stated below, "that
> everything started  
> falling apart after Asa's soccer scandal and the
> handling of it".  As  
> a friend of mine e-mailed me, as new rijicho, Musashigawa
> has wasted  
> no time in maintaining what we all know to be true. 
> Asashoryu is the  
> cause of all ills to hit sumo.
> 
> No, as my friend suggests, the hazing death of a rikishi
> and the  
> subsequent (criminal) cover-up was just a bump in the road.
>  Vehicular  
> manslaughter, yakuza connections, prior Yokozuna steroid
> use (come,  
> come), allegations of match fixing, please fill in your own
> sumo  
> transgression here......  these were ignorable.  But Asa,
> at 22 yusho,  
> appearing sans mage in a photo from a book, has committed a
> crime of  
> such transgression that it warrants calls from the new
> rijicho in his  
> first public statements for Asashoryu's retirement. 
> What better way  
> to get the Kyokai's house in order than to focus the
> press and the  
> hatred of all that is sumo on Asashoryu.  When Asashoryu
> leaves, all  
> good will return, I guess.
> 
> Not that Musashigawa thanked Asashoryu for sponsoring the
> Mongolia  
> Jungyo (how many rikishi or yokozuna have done so in the
> past?).   
> Instead, Musashigawa made it very clear that Asahsoryu
> disrespected  
> sumo becasue he had the gall to want to stay longer so that
> he could  
> properly thank all the politicians and individuals who made
> the Jungyo  
> happen.
> 
> So, Musashigawa has publicly demonstrated that he has his
> priorities  
> straight as a new rijicho, the wise overview of pressuring
> Asashoryu  
> into retirement and to enroll foreign rikishi into a 1 year
> training  
> course, all will be well with the Kyokai.  Of course, as
> Yokozuna,  
> Asashoryu is the face of sumo and must behave like a
> traditional  
> Yokozuna.  Keep the traditional inner workings of the
> Kyokai (not the  
> sport) in place, at the expense of true reform, and keep
> the well  
> intended critics out.  I guess the following issues are of
> little or  
> no consequence to Musashigawa as Kyokai head at this time.
> 
> 1)  A public investigation of the role of Kyokai members
> and Oyakata  
> into the cover-up of the hazing death last year.  And where
> was  
> Musashigawa in all of this?  Was he involved in the
> cover-up?  Has  
> anyone inquired about this possibility?  No, we don't
> want to delve  
> too deeply, for the inner workings of the Kyokai must be
> kept as  
> secret as La Cosa Nostra and we can't implicate the new
> rijicho,  
> defender of traditionalist ways.  I guess that is more
> important that  
> Oyakata get reprimanded and penalized over pot smoking than
> cover-ups  
> of manslaughter.
> 
> 2)  Immediate adoption and implementation of tests for
> performance  
> enhancing drugs.
> 
> 3)  Education of, dare I say, Japanese rikishi on how not
> to abuse  
> alcohol.  How many problems has alcohol caused, relative to
> the  
> Puffing Trio?
> 
> 4)  Education of Oyakata on the ways of foreign rikishi. 
> Many Oyakata  
> view foreign rikishi as cash cows who rise up the banzuke
> faster than  
> Japanese rikishi.  See Takamiyama's book for how he
> overcame the  
> difficulties.
> 
> 5)  A change in the policy of publicly promoting rikishi as
>  
> personalities.  Instead of promoting rikishi for their
> idiosyncrasies  
> (Takamisakari), make personalities out of those rikishi who
> exhibit  
> outstanding abilities.
> 
> 6)  This may already be in place, a health program for
> retired rikishi  
> to help with their transitions from active wrestler.
> 
> 7)  Put their money where their mouth is- A day or a few
> days during  
> which the Kyokai gives away free seats to the public to
> restore  
> relations.  Not that the Kokugikan will be filled every
> day.
> 
> As Dana Carvey says, doing his Bush the Elder impression,
> "Not gonna happen."
> 
> We have the torchbearer competition, anyone want to guess
> on how soon  
> Asashoryu will be pressured to retire?  Heaven forbid, that
> Asashoryu  
> surpass Takanohana in total Yusho, or that he continue to
> advocate pay  
> raises for rikishi.
> 
> Sukubidubidu
> 
> Quoting Harold Shaver <hal6671 at sbcglobal.net>:
> 
> > Musashigawa is wasting no time. He let reporters into
> his room and
> > immediately started talking about what he intends to
> do.
> > Asashouryuu: No more nonsense. "If he doesn't
> do everything the right way,
> > I'll have no choice but to make him retire".
> He maintains that everything
> > started falling apart after Asa's soccer scandal
> and the handling of it. He
> > is also critical of the way Asa treats some Oyakata
> with disrespect and
> > arrogance, and of his frequent flier status on
> Mongolian Airways. "What do
> > you think about his going to Mongolia every basho? I
> heard he has a
> > photo-book out. Past Yokozunas would never even think
> of doing such a
> > thing..", he said. "I'll invite him here
> and directly caution and lead him,
> > if he does something wrong!", he added.
> > Deteriorating Tachiai- "I will instruct all
> Oyakata to tell their deshi to
> > make a point of putting their hands down at the
> tachi-ai.
> > Foreigners- "I would like new foreign recruits to
> study about a year until
> > they are allowed to enter", he proposed.
> "They should speak Japanese well!"
> >
> > Asashouryuu was asked what he thinks of the new
> rijicho. "No comment. He has
> > many problems to tackle and I am not in a position to
> say anything". In the
> > past , he said "I'm not going for degeiko to
> that heya - the shisho is
> > really strict.."
> > Some other remarks: "Ms. Uchidate got a haircut.
> Isn't she beautiful?" As
> > for his keiko at Sakaigawa Beya - "Goueidou and
> Toyohibiki have gotten
> > stronger. Either that, or I'm just plain
> rusty..". He even joked. "Lately, I
> > went to a medical check up. I was not found positive
> (to drug use). I'm
> > 99.999%  OK.."
> >
> 
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