Oikeassa

Thanks to both of you for the quick replies. Problem not solved, but dealt with: The stream does NOT work with WMP11, but I acessed the stream on the first attempt with another computer using WMP9. Thanks again, Asojima and Kintamayama.

Is there some "secret" to the new feed? I try to connect, get the japanese characters in the bottom left corner of WMP, but then get the network error that "Windows Media Player cannot play the file because a network error occurred. The server might not be available. Verify that you are connected to the network and that your proxy settings are correct." Is it already overloaded--I've been trying and getting the same error message since 3:00 JST. Thanks to any experts out there who can help!

Experts: Has it ever happened that the YOKOZUNA and FIVE OZEKIS all lost on the same day? I would certainly think that this is a first.

what goes around comes around... you might as well be mad at Kaio for breaking elbows. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> . . . or be mad at Chiyotaikai for always slapping people around. I wonder how much Kotooshu is thinking about today's match: I guess we'll all see how much additional punishment his injured face can take.

I admit to disliking henkas in most cases, but in sanyaku they really seem out of place to me. So what about Days 10 & 11--who are really the biggest culprits? Is Tosanoumi just an idiot for being unprepared (and going makekoshi in the process) or are these two (supposed) ozekis just disrespectful of their rank?

How about the almost comical Tokitsuumi vs. Ama? (see http://www.banzuke.com/~juryoika/200503/ )

What the heck is going on? Seems like everyone below ozeki (and even some of them) are trying to henka this basho! Does anybody track such information--and, if true, why this sudden fondness for trickery?

"Poor Takamisakari"!? When he does his face-slapping finale before a bout, the other rikishi just stands in his corner--boiling and getting pissed. As much as the cash bonus, I think this showing up of the other rikishi provides the incentive for all of "Poor Takmisakari's" opponent to REALLY "do their best".

If this was a basis for kyujo, Takanonami would be in sandamme.

Sumo is finding its way into more and more bigger newspapers/websites--often due to Asashoryu's boat-rocking. Here's a piece today from the UK Guardian.

The Eurosport website at Eurosport Schedule shows the Sumo Basho broadcast is on 15/02 from 1900-2100 CET. (Let's hope!)

Incredibly, there was just a piece on CNN International--including coments from Musashimaru and Akebono--covering most of the stuff in the article.

Sorry, Kintamayama--my Reuters link didn't work, so I pasted the article to the other topic.

Interesting article from Reuters: Ancient sumo grapples with modern times Fri 6 February, 2004 03:06 By Dan Sloan TOKYO (Reuters) - Tracing its origins to the dawn of time when gods grappled for sovereignty over the Japanese isles, the sport of sumo has an iron grip on national mythology. But sumo, which emerged as a professional sport in the Edo era from the 17th century, has lately been pushed to ring's edge by tough economic times and competition from other entertainment. With waning sponsorship, falling turnout and -- perhaps most troubling -- the loss of its biggest stars, sumo has been less than agile in responding to very modern business woes. Retiring grand champion Musashimaru put it bluntly: "Hello, it's 2004. We're not in the Edo Era." Musashimaru, who entered the sport in 1989 and reached its pinnacle before retiring in November, says the lack of a home-grown yokozuna, or grand champion, leaves sumo vulnerable. "We have a big hole right now. We need a Japanese yokozuna, but I don't think the guys we have right now will make it," the Samoan-born wrestler told Reuters in an interview. "They're not big enough or physically tough enough. Their lack of something -- confidence, that's big." Still sporting a topknot and 235 kg (518 lbs), the goliath's departure left sumo with only one yokozuna, Mongolian-born Asashoryu, and follows the loss in the last few years of Japanese brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana along with Hawaiian Akebono. Asashoryu won the recent New Year's tournament, dashing hopes that a rival Japanese wrestler would capture enough bouts to warrant promotion to the top spot. ROLLIN' AND TUMBLIN' The sumo hierarchy overseeing the 2,000-year-old sport is an incorporated, non-profit association known for its tight control, which is only now coming to grips with its problems. "The more influential leaders of the Sumo Association have a sense of crisis and are aware that more must be done," said Clyde Newton, editor of Sumo Digest. Falling ticket sales for the six annual tournaments and the cancellation of a nightly televised digest of matches reflect the continuing desertion by once-loyal fans. Many of sumo's corporate backers deserted during the decade-long recession that followed the bursting of Japan's late 1980s "bubble economy" due to a combination of financial strain and the growing attraction of rival sports such as soccer. "The economic downturn caused a lot of financial sponsors to disappear years ago," said Lynn Matsuoka, a sumo commentator. "A lot of things that the sumo wrestlers and Association want to do, like tour the country, they can't do that now." Only sumo's relatively low overheads have staved off worse woes. "Salaries earned by competitors in the top two divisions are very low compared with other professional sports," Newton said. A grand champion is estimated to make about $300,000 a year compared to around $5 million for a top baseball player. LORD OF THE RINGS A deep body blow was the loss of Wakanohana and Takanohana, scions of a family that dominated the sumo dohyo, or ring, for much of the 20th century. "Once the brothers started to fade in the late 1990s, public interest in sumo in Japan declined markedly," Newton said. Musashimaru said the ancient sport, which has recently added a bilingual Internet homepage and convenience stores to its ticket retailers, still needs better public relations efforts. "If you don't promote, you won't get anywhere." Perhaps the conservative sport's greatest modernisation was the welcoming of foreigners such as Musashimaru, who stoked interest because of rivalries with Japanese grand champions. But with only one yokozuna, competition is falling flat, and the exit of some stars has underscored its slide. Former yokozuna Akebono cut his ties to sumo to join K-1, where boxers, kickboxers and wrestlers battle in a free-for-all style. In a nationally televised New Year's Eve match, Akebono was quickly dispatched by former American football player Bob "The Beast" Sapp, an outcome that did little to enhance sumo's dignified image. The former yokozuna, who considered leading his own sumo stable of wrestlers, says money was a factor in his move to K-1. "For yokozuna, people expect if you stay in the Sumo Association that you'll open your own stable, and that's not free," the K-1 fighter now known as Taro Akebono told Reuters. "Basically, I wondered if I went the stablemaster way or the K-1 route, which risk would be less for me? "It's a big risk staying in sumo." ------------------------------- An ancillary issue is "What's up with Musashimaru?" He seems to be coming up with a bold quotable statement almost every day. Some of them have been posted here in the last few weeks. This piece includes: "Hello, it's 2004. We're not in the Edo Era." "We have a big hole right now. We need a Japanese yokozuna, but I don't think the guys we have right now will make it. They're not big enough or physically tough enough. Their lack of something -- confidence, that's big." This doesn't seem like the Musashi we've seen over the years. Is this just his true personality finally coming through or is he trying to generate publicity to promote some new career aspirations? (Hopefully, not K-1 (I am not worthy...)!) Edit: Couldn't make the link work--had to paste the article.

According to Chiyanofuji's site at http://www.chijanofuji.com/, Oko showed up again at Juryo-12 in Natsu 1985. He went 4-11 and disappeared again. Maybe he got injured in 1982, battled back by 1985, but just didn't have it anymore.