Sapp wins

[cstaylor]

Sapp beats Akebono in one round.

[kamome]

Post some links to pics of the bout if you can.

[Andocrates]

I think the whole thing is really sad. What a waste (Akebono)

At least if he went down in the first round we know it wasn't fixed. I got stuck watching hours of NHK enka.

[Steve Bildermann]

I think Marvin Feltcher has summed up the entire 'fiasco' excellently

Akebono's sappy show ends in 1st round KO

Akebono's trashy performance in falling twice before he was knocked out within three minutes matched the crass display of the hugely hyped bout

Even placing aside the decision to use wife beater and convicted rapist Mike Tyson as a special commentator aside, NTV's coverage of the event bordered on the disgraceful.

Sapp, whose career in Japan has been notable less for his fighting ability than a willingness to plug any product provided it pays,

Good stuff Marvin.

[Big Booger]

I mean could you expect anything less. Sapp is a monster. Akebono, is a walking jello pudding.

[tokyojoe]

I knew Akebono was in trouble when the pre-fight footage showed him rolling out of his limo seat.

[Steve Bildermann]

Before the bout, Stevie Wonder played a less than inspiring version of the American national anthem on the harmonica.

Yes I forgot that bit.

What was that all about? First we had some Japanse chick dressed up in a sort of kimono / coat of many colors like affair butcher the Japanese National Anthem (which nobody *ever* sings BTW) then not to be outdone in the weirder and weirder department, up pops little Stevie Wonder (who ain't so little anymore) for a quick tootle on his harp.

I didn't think it could get any worse but I was wrong



"You know when the TV called up and said 'how would you like to go to Nagoya and have a night with Bob Sapp' I sorta thought ok but what will we talk about, where will we go"

[Caustic Saint]

The bigger they are...

[tokyojoe]

Goddammit! How many times do I have to tell you?
I'm not fat, I'm big boned!!

[Shinigami]

That's what happens when you throw away your nationality to become nipponese......

Got no guts to be who you are you get knocked out.

How could anyone in their right mind want to throw away their nationality to become japanese? I don't get it...... Oh wait ,,, that's right,,,,, He was able to make money in japain just by being sweet and fat whereas in his home country he would be considered a lazy pig.

[Andocrates]

Shinigami That was such a retarded statement that I'm not sure where to begin to pick apart your assinine logic. Let's just say you're a clueless ass and leave it at that.

[GuyJean]

Let's just say you're a clueless ass and leave it at that.

I find it hard to understand his posts.. Maybe that's a good thing.

Actually, before Akebono went down in a thundering mass, (I was worried he blew out his knee from the fall) he had some good shots on Sapp. He was even defending the leg-kicks well.. But being punched in the face takes some getting used to. Years of Sumo and 2 months of K1 training isn't enough to prepare for a direct blow to the face..

I think Sapp is looking better, actually; better combos, balance, etc.. Of course, against a real opponent it might be a different story.

GJ

[Shinigami]

What's so hard to understand about my simple little post

My point is that I find it hard to understand how anyone could throw away their nationality to become nipponese.

I just don't get it. I mean unless you come from some third world armpit of a nation why would anyone want to become japanese

But then again in Akebono's case I guess I can kind a see why he probably did it. I mean back home in the Stated he'd be seen for what he is, a person who like many others in the US can't control what they eat whereas in japan he became a hero simply because he was good at pushing other fat people down. I mean what would he do if he went back to Hawaii? Sit at home and eat all day? Cuz I don't think they'd be using him in many TV commercials back home.

[GuyJean]

What's so hard to understand about my simple little post

I understood the meaning. I just didn't understand why, a person like yourself that's spent '30 years here' and, I assume raised your kids here, couldn't empathize with Akebono's reason's for wanting to become the best at a sport he has a gift for]I just don't get it. I mean unless you come from some third world armpit of a nation why would anyone want to become japanese [/quote]
I would venture to guess you 'don't get' a lot in this world if you don't understand why a person works their ass off to be the BEST IN THE WORLD at something they probably enjoy.

I mean what would he do if he went back to Hawaii? Sit at home and eat all day? Cuz I don't think they'd be using him in many TV commercials back home.

Man, how old are you? Do you really have a 24 year old son with no teeth?
http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5555

What happened on that other forum that got me banned was (now you're only hearing my side and since I'm not a liberal I know that it's always best to hear both sides of a story) that one of the moderators, on a thread about japanese dentists, was talking about the japanese practice of teeth blackening (where they put some black crap on kids teeth that makes them all rot out to make room for the new teeth) and the moderator said this was good. Then I said that they (japanese dentist) did it to one of my kids back in 84 when he was 4 years old and 2 years later he had NO TEETH.. The black shit never came off. It just ate his teeth away..

I still don't understand why, after 30 years of living in Japan, you don't have any appreciation for Sumo.. That's what I didn't understand..

GJ

[Shinigami]

I understood the meaning. I just didn't understand why, a person like yourself that's spent '30 years here' and, I assume raised your kids here, couldn't empathize with Akebono's reason's for wanting to become the best at a sport he has a gift for]


Then maybe you should have posted what you really meant. That way you could have saved us both a post or two

In fact, you've been here longer than Akebono; the first foreigner to become Sumo's grand champion..

That's right and in all the time I've been in this place I've really gotten to know it and its people, and that is exactly why I can't understand why anyone in their right mind would ever want to throw away their citizenship to become japanese

Are you sure you're citizenship hasn't changed to Japanese?.. And I'm not talking about the one stamped in your passport, but rather the one in your soul..

Believe me. I'm absolutely positive my citizenship hasn't changed. If it ever did I think I might jump in front of a train.

Isn't there a 'common-law citizenship' effect, or something..

I assure you,, not in my case.

I would venture to guess you 'don't get' a lot in this world if you don't understand why a person works their ass off to be the BEST IN THE WORLD at something they probably enjoy.

Now I think what you don't get is that I never said anything about someone working their ass off to be good at something. All I said was that I don't get why someone would throw away their citizenship to become japanese. What? You can't be good at sumo without being japanese?

Oh that's right,,,, I keep forgetting. "Japanese are special and unique in the world" "You can't make a good samurai movie if you're not japanese." That's why the Last Samurai sucks...

Man, how old are you? Do you really have a 24 year old son with no teeth?

Oh he has teeth now. Because a made sure that after his adult teeth came in we NEVER took him to another quack japanese dentist... (And please don't even try to defend japanese dentistry cuz everyone knows it in the dark ages )

I still don't understand why, after 30 years of living in Japan, you don't have any appreciation for Sumo.. That's what I didn't understand..

So I guess by your reasoning if a japanese lives in the USA for 30 years then he is obligated to just love football right?

Sorry but I never liked sumo. Just a bunch of pigs trying to push each other down as far as I'm concerned. But I have to admit that they are truly roll models of health. I mean they die 15 years younger than their average weight japanese counterpart but the japanese see them as these big healthy heroes. and it is stuff like that that makes me wonder why anyone would willingly become japanese. I mean if you think sumo wrestlers are healthy you're either japanese or you're unable to think on your own (which is about the same thing)

[cstaylor]

On Sumo: the lament of the "lack of strong Japanese rikishi" (a polite way of saying, "those damn foreigners are running/ruining our sport!") can be easily answered through a quick study of the economics and demography of present-day Japan.

The countryside, where most of the rikishi have come from, is dying, with more and more of its young people moving to Tokyo and Osaka for work. Sumo wrestlers don't make squat until they reach Juryo (this is something the Sumo association needs to change), and then the money slowly starts to roll in. Maintaining fighting status at Juryo or better rank for a lengthy amount of time is difficult, and compounded with the unspoken rule that Ozeki and Yokozuna should retire rather than face demotion (although Dejima has continued to wrestle as Maegashira after reaching Ozeki), the amount of actual money-making time averages no longer than 3 years (rough calculation). So, what Japanese parent would urge their child to join sumo at age 15 (more rare these days) or enter after college, knowing that their child's health would be in constant danger, that real money would be hard to obtain, and that for the most part Japanese fans would treat them as ritualized combat animals, to be cheered on by their fighting name?

Answer: parents from countries where hard Japanese currency means a better life for themselves and their children.

Result: Mongolians take four of the Makuuchi spots, with Kokkai (a Georgian) sweeping Juryo last tournament to make Maegashira for the January Tokyo tournament.

[cstaylor]

I'd have to agree with Shinigami's answer, but differ on the reasons. Let's take American citizenship as an example, because it doesn't support dual-citizenship.

-What does Japanese citizenship confer than permanent residency does not?

- Equal protection under the Japanese Constitution (although this hasn't been tested, and AFAIK the Japanese legal system doesn't use case law, so just because one naturalized foreigner wins a case doesn't mean you will too). Maybe Kamome can help out with that one.
- Protection from extradition to countries without extradition treaties (think Peru: Fujimori)
- The right to a strange kanjification of your name, a Japanese passport (imagine the strange looks you'll get at immigration), access to Japanese embassies, a JukiNet number, a family registry, etc...
- The right to hold public office in Japan.

-What does taking Japanese citizenship NOT provide?

- Protection from racial harassment. Does anyone know if a non-Yamato (for lack of a better word to describe the mixed race of the Japanese people) has ever successfully used Article 14 in a discrimination case?

- Legal protection against police brutality. As bad as the Nick Baker and other reported run-ins between foreigners and the Japanese police, the interrogation techniques used by the cops are also liberally applied to the skulls, knees, and backs of the citizens.

- Representation in a viable two-party democracy. The Jimento (LDP) has controlled Japan for over 50 years, with many of its members second or even third generation representatives from the same family. This isn't anything specific to Japan, as Al Gore and countless others were second generation politicians, but at least the parties in power change from time to time, not rotate from one faction to the next like in the LDP.

So, unless you already look Japanese, and can pass for Japanese when you speak, I don't really see what Japanese citizenship provides over permanent residency. Coupled with the fact that the loss of American citizenship means you've just limited your family's options (especially for your children), I can't see a good argument for giving it up.

Maybe someone can help me out with good reasons for taking the final step?

[Steve Bildermann]

Comon guys - don't just talk about Sumo...

Play the game



http://www.anasuya.com/toto/index.html

The Sekitori-Toto Tournament will coincide with the six hon-bashos each year, and just like the real rikishi, you will try to win your match each day and to amass the most wins from your 15 matches, aiming to earn your kachi-koshi. Tournaments are held in January, March, May, July, September and November.
You will use your shikona, or "battle-name", and compete for the Yusho, similar to many of the other already established internet Sumo picking games!

[Andocrates]

In the case of Akebono he is Hawaiian, not a mainland blond headed California boy. In case you were unaware it's a little retarded for us to have a state in the South Pacific, thousands of miles from land. The average Hawaiian had no choice in this matter and a great deal of resentment persists to this day. So I don't think it was as much an issue for Akebono as it would be for me. But at any rate, it made sense for him.

I would want to see proof how you worked hard at something, put up with years of humiliation and become the "#1 in the world" in your field, until you can prove that you're just a run of the mill hater. You are obviously ignorant to sumo and one has to wonder how the Japanese put up with your ass all these years, you sound like a real smug "I'm American so better then you" dick.

[Taro Toporific]

-What does Japanese citizenship confer than permanent residency does not?

As Korean 2nd-generation residents have said to me many times, the ONLY value of Japanese citizenship is getting slacker public jobs such a tenured college instructor and city-hall worker. For the past five(?) years, Japan's official university policy is to boot out all long-term employed foreigners.


Check out my favorite crackpot Arudou Debito aka Dave Aldwinckle'shomepage: " information for people considering longer-term residency in Japan"

[ramchop]

So, what Japanese parent would urge their child to join sumo at age 15 (more rare these days) or enter after college, knowing that their child's health would be in constant danger, that real money would be hard to obtain, and that for the most part Japanese fans would treat them as ritualized combat animals, to be cheered on by their fighting name?

Answer: parents from countries where hard Japanese currency means a better life for themselves and their children.

like America (Hawaii)? :P

Result: Mongolians take four of the Makuuchi spots, with Kokkai (a Georgian) sweeping Juryo last tournament to make Maegashira for the January Tokyo tournament.

So is this Georgian the first white guy to break through to the top division?

[cstaylor]

I'm not sure about that. There are no more Americans in Sumo at the moment (Sentoryu was the last one, and he retired after the Kyuushu tournament).

[GomiGirl]

I'm not sure about that. There are no more Americans in Sumo at the moment (Sentoryu was the last one, and he retired after the Kyuushu tournament).

Sentoryu has retired???

What is he planning to do in retirement?

[Taro Toporific]

... Japanese fans would treat them as ritualized combat animals, to be cheered on by their fighting name?

GET'S GANG WAR!

On TV tonight Sunday Feb 15, at 8pm on NTV (Nippon Television Network Corp, ch4 Tokyo), it will be the Sapp gumi vs Akebono gumi fighting K-1..just their gumi/gangs not them.
VS

See also...
K-1 rematch against The Beast? Ake baby, say it ain't so
By DAVE WIGGINS Special to The Asahi Shimbun

See historical video of J-fights at http://www.ntv.co.jp/yu-movie2/