Most Popular Athlete

[madorosumaru 7]

Here are the results of a recent survey to determine the most popular professional athlete, active or retired. Those interviewed were both male and female adults over 20 years of age.

1. Ichiro (baseball) - fifth year in a row in a landslide

2. Ryo Ishikawa (golf)

3. Shigeo Nagashima (baseball)

4. Hideki Matsui (baseball)

5. Sadaharu Oh (baseball)

6. Mao Asada (figure skating)

7. Tomoaki Kanemoto (baseball)

8. Shunsuke Nakamura (soccer)

9. Kimiko Date Krumm (tennis)

10. Masahiro Tanaka (baseball)

13-tie. Hakuho (sumo)

The same group of people were asked to name their three favorite rikishi.

1. Hakuho - second year in a row

2. Asashoryu - up from #4 in 2008

3. Takamisakari - same as 2008

4. Harumafuji - up from #9

5. Kaio - up from #6

6. Kotooshu - down from #2

7. Chiyotaikai - down from #5

8. Kotomitsuki - down from #7

9. Kisenosato - down from #8

10. Goeido - not on list in 2008

A whopping 45.7% of those interviewed could not come up with even one name. Two years ago, it was an even worse 54.2%

[Takamizawa 0]

That's really interesting! Do you have the source of this by any chance? I think it would be highly useful for a presentation I'm making for my advisor. Thanks! (Sign of approval...)

[Sasanishiki 57]

It is good to see that there has been an 8.5% change in the number of people who can name a rikishi. I just hope that the names they are using aren't Tokitaizan, Roho, Hakurozan, or Wakakirin.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

In my experience, those are exactly the rikishi many 20 and 30-somethings remember whenever sumo is mentioned.