It's Friday.
It's raining.
It's August.
The markets are as squishy as one can imagine.
Non-dollar, non-yen cash (my SOV of choice) is looking just fine.
So rather than rant I will share this amusing article from today's "Daily Yomiuri".
ASAHORYU SCORES OWN GOAL - GETS 2 RED CARDS
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The Japan Sumo Association suspended yokozuna Asashoryu for two tournaments and docked his pay by 30 percent for four months Wednesday after he was seen running around a soccer pitch while on sick leave. It is the first time a yokozuna has been suspended from a tournament.
The saga began when the yokozuna handed in a sick note excusing him from this month's tour of Tohoku and Hokkaido on the grounds he had a stress fracture to his lower back and niggling elbow injuries. He then flew to Mongolia--reportedly for treatment--and was shown on Japanese TV playing in a charity soccer match supported by the Mongolian government. Although the yokozuna scored, his antics did not impress the sumo association, which immediately condemned his behavior and demanded an explanation.
An apology to association Chairman Kitanoumi on July 30 was deemed insufficient, and Asashoryu's punishment was agreed on at a special board meeting Wednesday.
As well as the suspension and pay cut, Asashoryu has been grounded--he is not to go anywhere except his home, Takasago stable or the hospital where he is receiving treatment until the final day of November's Kyushu Grand Tournament.
His stablemaster, Takasago, also received a 30-percent pay cut over four months.
(Aug. 2, 2007)
I thought we might get a post from Cassandra featuring John McEnroe today...that is if Cassandra tuned into the RAS call yesterday. If she hasn't...'tis not time wasted.
ReplyDeleteRJ
Sadly, the JSA are no different than too many Japanese I've talked to about Asashoryu, angry that he has dominated Sumo so incredibly, displaying such skill and power that he threatens to go down as the best of all time and is clearly the modern master of the sport. Asa has committed the unpardonable crime of wounding so much nationalistic arrogant confidence that surely no foreign born rikishi could defeat all Japanese contenders so handily.
ReplyDeleteThere's an enormous difference between trotting around a soccer field with little children and facing an enormous and massively powerful wrestler in the most explosive blast of force in all of sports, which would run the risk of serious permanent injury if you have nagging back and elbow problems. Clearly, the JSA are the ones lying here, not Asashoryu. They've been looking for an excuse to stop him because no mortals can. Shameful of them and they should be the ones confined to their homes as they have lost all their face and will embarrass themselves further when they appear in public when they are seen by those who have not deluded themselves with their racially protectionist unwarranted pride.
Same happened to kieren world champ Gord Singleton when he went pro in 1983 (if I remember). He spent a year beating up on Nakano and his diamond studded front forks, then inexpicably failed to have his contract renewed.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice for me to have found this blog of yours, it's so interesting. I sure hope and wish that you take courage enough to pay me a visit in my PALAVROSSAVRVS REX!, and plus get some surprise. My blog is also so cool! Don't think for a minute that my invitation is spam and I'm a spammer. I'm only searching for a public that may like or love what I write.
ReplyDeleteFeel free off course to comment as you wish and remember: don't take it wrong, don't think that this visitation I make is a matter of more audiences for my own blogg. No. It's a matter of making universal, realy universal, all this question of bloggs, all the essential causes that bring us all together by visiting and loving one another.
You must not feel obliged to come and visit me. An invitation is not an intimation. Also know that if you click on one of my ads I'm promised to earn a couple of cents for that: I would feel happy and rewarded (because I realy need it!!!) if you did click it, but once again you're totaly free to do what ever you want. I, for instance, choose immediatly to click on one of your ads, in case you have them. To do so or not, that's the whole beauty of it all, however, blogocitizens must unite also by clicking-help eachother when we know cybermegacorporations profit from our own selfishness regarding to that simple click.
I think it's to UNITE MANKIND that we became bloggers! Don't see language as an obstacle but as a challenge (though you can use the translater BabelFish at the bottom of my page!) and think for a minute if I and the rest of the world are not expecting something like a broad cumplicity. Remenber that pictures talk also. Open your heart and come along!!!!!