Hakuho is still undefeated (10-0 for the first time since his Yokozuna promotion) leads by 2 now, after Ama and Kotomitsuki both lost yesterday.
Kotomitsuki is the only wrestler 2 back after he beat Ama today (and Chiyotaikai lost, too).
Koto'oshu is still hanging around at 7-3 and Chiyotaikai only needs 1 more win to avoid demotion from Ozeki.
Most of the rookies are at 6-4. So is Baruto.
10-0: Hakuho
8-2: Kotomitsuki
7-3: Chiyotaikai, Koto'oshu, Ama
6-4: Kaio, Baruto, Kimurayama, Masatsukasa, Tochinoshin, Chiyohakuho
5-5: Takamisakari, Tochiozan
2-8: Futeno
Matches of the day tomorrow: Hakuho vs. Ama; Kotomitsuki vs. Chiyotaikai
Halfway over...
Hakuho still leads with an undefeated record.
All the Ozekis won today, keeping Kotomitsuki 1 out of the lead.
Ama also won to stay 1 back.
8-0: Hakuho
7-1: Kotomitsuki, Ama
6-2: Chiyotaikai
5-3: Koto'oshu, Kaio, Tochiozan, Kimurayama, Tochinoshin
4-4: Kotoshogiku, Baruto, Takamisakari
3-3-3: Asashoryu
2-6: Kisenosato
1-7: Futeno
0-8: Wakanoho
Match of the day tomorrow: Chiyotaikai (6-2) vs. Kaio (5-3)
Asashoryu dropped out of the tournament today after injuring his elbow in a match yesterday (as well as a lingering ankle injury from pre-tournament training). He finished 3-3, will take 3 weeks of rest, and come back for the September tournament.
Meanwhile, the other Yokozuna, Hakuho, is all alone on top of the tournament again. He beat winless wrestler Futeno today to go to 6-0, while the only other undefeated wrestler, Ama, lost to fellow Sekiwake Kotoshogiku.
Also at 5-1 are Ozeki Kotomitsuki (probably the only other wrestler with a chance to compete for the championship), Miyabiyama, rookie Kimurayama, and Georgian Tochinoshin.
Today was the first day this tournament that all the Yokozunas and Ozekis won. Koto'oshu, Kaio, and Chiyotaikai all went to 4-2.
Tochiozan dropped his 2nd today, while Baruto and Takamisakari evened their records at 3-3.
Match of the day tomorrow: Ama (5-1) vs. Kaio (4-2)
Hakuho rolls on, undefeated after 4 days.
There are only 2 other wrestlers at 4-0: the Sekiwake Ama, who's making a strong push for a promotion to Ozeki; and Tochiozan, a very talented young wrestler who had a few bad tournaments that left him at a low rank where he can beat up on his competition.
Asashoryu righted his ship, winning 3 in a row after his opening day loss.
Koto'oshu lost a 2nd match, effectively ending his chances of a promotion to Yokozuna.
The other 3 Ozekis are all 3-1 (somewhat miraculously).
Also 3-1 is Toyonoshima who beat a Yokozuna and 2 Ozekis in the first 3 days (then lost to Ama).
Among the rookies, Kimurayama and Chiyohakuho are both 3-1, as is sophomore Tochinoshin.
Not the best tournament so far for my favorites. Futeno hasn't gotten his first win yet, while Baruto and Takamisakari both lost their first two but managed to even their records on days 3 and 4.
The sumo tournament started today in Nagoya.
The big stories for this tournament:
- Koto'oshu goes for a Yokozuna promotion. After winning in May, Koto'oshu could earn a promotion with a 2nd straight championship.
- Will Asashoryu or Hakuho take the championship back for the Yokozunas?
- There are 4 new wrestlers in the top division: Kimurayama, Koryu, Masatsukasa (great name), and Chiyohakuho.
The big news on day 1 was the upset losses by Asashoryu and Koto'oshu. Asashoryu's been fighting a back injury, so maybe he won't be making it through this whole tournament. Koto'oshu is not looking likely to get that Yokozuna promotion after losing today.
Hakuho and the other 3 Ozekis (Kaio, Kotomitsuki, Chiyotaikai) all won today.
Chiyohakuho, Koryu, and Kimurayama all own their first matches, but Masatsukasa lost.
Today, I did my final day of workouts in the Men's Fitness "Eternal Beach Body Workout". In 3 months, I've lost 5-10 pounds, lost fat and gained muscle. Thanks, Men's Fitness, for a great workout -- I'm ready for the beach.
The results, I think, speak for themselves. Here's a picture of me after today's final tough workout (cut myself doing some lateral pushups to exhaustion...)
Hmm... I wanted this to permanently be on my blog. Need to figure that out before the baseball playoffs start...
Update: Great, I did it. But to make it fit in the right column, look how tiny I had to make it. Practically useless (except that at least it will remind me to click and read Bill Simmons' columns.)
You don't hear a lot of buzz about folk music these days. While the Newport Folk Festival scrounges for acts and comes up with Jimmy Buffet, there has maybe been one hit folk record in the last few years (unless Robert Plant & Allison Kraus count as country, not folk).
But I say folk music is alive, but these days it masquerades as "indy rock". Besides great folk music last year from indy acts Bright Eyes, M. Ward, Sea Wolf, and Jose Gonzalez, I've gotten 3 great indy records this year which pretty much qualify as folk music.
Bon Iver -- For Emma, Forever Ago
Easily one of the best CD's of the year so far, this is a minimalist masterpiece of acoustic guitars and falsetto harmonies. Like my favorite albums, the collection of songs builds an atmosphere and isn't just a set of songs by the same artist. Listening to this CD makes you feel like you're in an isolated cabin somewhere in Wisconsin in the middle of a long, bitter winter. (Probably because that's where the songs were written.) But it's a comfortable cabin with fluffy comforters and a crackling fire.
Tyler Ramsey -- A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea
Expertly played acoustic guitar. Beautiful harmonies. Introspective, thoughtful lyrics. Even a cover of Jackson Browne's "These Days". How much more folkie can you get? Though there are a couple songs here that expand into an electric, harder sound (a bit like Band of Horses, who I think this guy hung out with or played with or something -- I've got to say that these days I'm liking pretty much every act coming out of North Carolina), this is mostly a quiet, mellow and brilliant folk record.
Fleet Foxes -- Fleet Foxes
There's a lot of buzz about this band and CD right now. Relying more on vocals and harmonies (again, often sung in falsettos like Bon Iver, but much more insistent), this is maybe the folkiest of the three (and also my least favorite of the three). There are moments of real beauty in the vocals. There are also moments of traditional Americana. And yet somehow these guys are getting articles in Spin magazine, and buzz on all the indy rock blogs. Weird.
Oh, yeah. Congrats to the Celtics for doing it, too.
My Victoria Station postcard autographed by Dave Silk, member of the gold-medal-winning USA hockey team back in 1980...
