Asameshimae

I doubt Homarenishiki not being on the retired list is much of a sign. It often takes a while to get on that list, and this tends to be when the retirement was planned in advance, and I doubt Brody's was. It would also raise a flag for everybody and then there are more questions to answer.

The only info I have found in Japanese (and this is over 10 days or so) is exactly one twitter tweet that says nothing new. They are certainly keeping this under wraps for now.

And it turns out the heart issue at least was a misdiagnosis. One doctor told him that and it became gospel. But after another thorough check, his heart is fine (funny, as he was using mini oxygen tanks at practice the two times I went). I'm not sure if they half size lungs thing isn't just a rumour that go legs itself. Anyway, I still like the guy and hope he makes his way back up.

I am feeling pretty good about coming in second place in the Maegashira game even though I actually missed my picks for one day. Having said that, I realize the Maegashira game doesn't take as much calculating as many other games, and beyond that I doubt I would have got 29 points on that particular day that it would have taken to pass Jakusotsu for 1st place. Ah well, take your wins when you can get them right?

I have done a few news searches in Japanese and have still found zip. Anyone else? All I know besides hearing a rumour Homarenishiki had gone back to Canada is what I have read here.

Have you had a chance to see sumo training in a stable? You would disabuse yourself quickly of "bullying being beneath your image of people who practice sumo". I have seen hazing/bullying on a scale that had me cringing. I think anyone who has been to see sumo practice a few times could tell similar stories. I can't imagine what goes on when visitors aren't watching. This all goes on under the premise of "toughening them up" but I think many would agree it goes way too far. While I am commenting, I thought I'd add: the word "IJIME" translates well into English as bullying, there isn't much of a cultural nuance here, IJIME is bullying - by a group, by one person, whatever.

I went to the first day of sumo, and before I could even get settled in, I heard that Homarenishiki had "gone" back to Canada, but that could've just been people jumping the gun. I heard no speculation or rumours about why.

Sorry, if I'm starting a thread that doesn't need to be. I lost all 3 of my picks - too bad. But it always takes me a second to be sure. This is because a loss in the maegashira game is marked by a white circle. A win, called a shiro-boshi/white star is represented by a white circle in many places all over Japan, including the newspaper. Could whomever runs the maegashira game change it so that a white circle is a win and a black circle is a loss, as is the case most everywhere else? I'd send am email asking about this, but I don't know who runs the game. For now, I'll just keep changing my Mac screen to negative colours to keep myself from getting confused. :)

Along with others I am sure, I was waiting for Kotoyuki's bark - I never really gave it that much thought but last year in Osaka the guy behind me in line just happened to be Kotoyuki's brother (no special considerations in many cases for tickets for relatives) and he obviously loved his brother so much, telling me how Yuki's family and his heya were behind him; and his bark. Anyway, I listened to the commentary for Kotoyuki's bout in both English and Japanese. As I suspected, Ross spoke of the bark and Hakuho's open condemnation of it. The Japanese announcers didn't breathe a word of it - it's just not palatable commentary from their perspective. I was both disappointed they didn't share this tidbit with fans who don't live and breathe sumo and pleasantly reassured that Japan announcers still have a degree of restraint (too much sometimes of course).

I think I'll stick with switching the screen to negative colours.

That's a point I had not considered yet. Perhaps they were ALL fixed. ;) No, I kid, congratulations to them all - and congrats to Shogiku, though I do have trouble being 100 percent convinced it was completely legitimate. I'm not much of a doubting Thomas and have never questioned any bouts before this tournament since 2011. I also deliberately stayed away from this forum until after the basho as I wanted to form my own conclusions (call it my own confirmation bias if you will) before I came here. I hope it was legitimate and I believe there is a good chance it was. Short of incontrovertible proof I'm sorry to say there will always be a bit of lingering doubt in my mind.

I, as I am sure many did, watched Hakuho's reversal several times - one thing among many that struck me was that his heel almost touched outside the tamara/straw bales and he managed to re-place his foot to avoid this while being pushed back, and then executing that throw perfectly. It looked as if Hakuho was being overpowered in a way he rarely is and then he proved himself yet again. Though I do agree that Aoiyama's technique (or lack of it) was his downfall, even the commentators watching that bout, specifically the ever loquacious Kotonishiki, were saying that luck is often a factor.

As far as I can tell, Ksato only has the twitch when he is nervous. I have seen him out and about, talking to people and reporters etc. and he doesn't have the twitch at then that I can detect.

I didn't listen to all of Kaku's post interview on the dohyo, but at one point the interviewer said, "that was some Yokozuna-like sumo you showed in the playoff match." I couldn't help but think that this was a slight at Kaku's perceived less than Yokozuna-like sumo the day before. Having said that, I agree with the sentiment that Japan will have forgotten this by about Wednesday, though it may take a bit longer on this forum. :)

These youtube thumbnails are really annoying (even showing a rikishi at the edge or outside the dohyo sometimes). Indeed they are selected randomly but it's also possible to choose another thumbnail. Actually if I click on the video link in the DB, this "starting screen" is not shown, the video starts immediately. Is it different for you? The sumo app for smartphones is terrible that way too. It almost invariably shows the winner on the thumbnail shot. Or at least it did; I haven't paid for it in a few months.

I assume so. I haven't inquired. There are broken homes everywhere, but far too many more in mixed marriages here. There are a lot of mixed kids here who, sad to say, only have their mothers.

Speaking of Big Sandy, I assume you guys saw this in the news? I saw it earlier but forgot about it until now. I doubt I wasn't beaten to the punch, as it were, on this one, but here it is: http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20150923/sum15092319550006-n1.html 妙義龍（大砂嵐の荒々しい張り手を浴び）「こっちは相撲を取りにきているのに、向こうは相撲を取っていない。意味が分からない」 Myogiriyu said after his bout yesterday when he got a barrage of harite form Osuna "I came to do some sumo, the other guy is not doing sumo. I don't get it." edit: yep, found it under "Talks" which I didn't realize was a rikishi quoting thread. Ah well, it's worth seeing twice.

Is it often hard to hear the kimarite announcement in the KKan? Not really, unless it is a rarer one and hard to make out because of this. It takes more of a focused attention span than anything else. It usually takes them a bit to announce it, and by this time the next rikishi are often already getting on the dohyo (in pre sekitori bouts anyway) and your attention diverts to them.

Itadaki is a nice kid. He was planning to quit a while back, which I believe was what caused his kyujo last year. I, for one, am glad he stayed in. Itadaki suits him more than Kikuchi, too.

Karakawa is the rikishi I am watching the most closely in the lower ranks right now; I was hoping he had a chance in heck to pull off a win against 加奈乃山 but nope. At least I can be consoled that he way playing above his rank, and did his best. Anyway, I do wish Kananoyama, I mean Homarenishiki, the best.

It's always been there, at the KKan at least, AFAIK. The Asashi article mentions the start of the predecessor of this electric scoreboard as May 1958 in the Kuramae kokugikan, but not if it had a kimarite display. I'm pretty certain that the LED kimarite display was from this basho; I even asked around about this, and the consensus was that it was installed this basho. I agree that it kind of ruins the fun about asking around for the kimarite. If they are going to break this tradition, they could at least turn on the LED and display the winner for pre sekitori matches (I know, not gonna happen).

That was my take on it too. I looked for a signal of that sort in the video (not that closely). I was too into the spectacle at the time to notice whether he had a cue from someone or not. Edit: I take it back, the video quality is not so good, but there is a subtle gunbai signal to the right (stage left) from the gyoji "on deck". It couldn't have been more subtle and still shown up on the video. :) btw, I changed the link as advised to just youtube.com, but it still shows up as a link as opposed to being embedded.

Ah, good. This is a better angle (for the gyoji pratfall, not so much the bout). I see no way to link video and there is a 500K limit to uploading so, here it is on youtube where I just uploaded it. He dropped his gunbai, which I've heard is a big no no; perhaps everyone pretended not to notice. I'm proud of him for still managing to point his gunbai the correct way. It would be easy to make a guess, but still, he could've got it wrong. https://youtube.com/QJP2Ii8i2iM I am sure I will be told there are three ways I could've linked the video, silly boy. Ah well. disclaimer: I didn't actually take the video, I was sitting next to the person who did, who was fine with me posting it.

Way behind on this, but did people get a chance to see the gyoji taking a flying leap off the dohyo under his own power in the Chiyoo / Shodai match on Day 8 Nakabi? At first I remembered it as being a lower division battle, but now that I see it was juryo, so I suppose many have seen it. I happened to be there on the day and can upload the video if anyone is interested.