This blogging thing might actually be for real.
Important people are starting to blog. Big people.
Really, really big people.
Komusubi Futenho‘s got a blog. It’s in Japanese, which I don’t read, but Jeshii has offered some translations. The post he translates seems to deal primarily with athelete’s foot.
Futeno‘s not my favorite rikishi – he’s a bit old school for my tastes, as compared to the tiny Mongolians I’m a fan of. But if Futeno’s blogging, it can only be a matter of time before Yokozuna Asashoryu has a blog. For that, I’d learn how to read Mongolian.
Sumo’s very big in the US right now. A recent demonstration event at Madison Square Garden wasn’t exactly authentic… but sounds like it was enjoyed by at least some of the audience. The New York Sun titled their article “Tired of Fixed Fights? Try a Different Kind of Wrestling.” Guess they haven’t read Steven Levitt’s brilliant paper on corruption in sumo wrestling…
One small observation – we’ll know sumo has actually been taken seriously in the US when someone can write a story about the sport that doesn’t focus on the mass of the competitors. Asashoryu (current champion of Japanese sumo, 68th Yokozuna, astoundingly successful wrestler, winning 86% of matches as Yokozuna) – 319 pounds. Orlando Pace – Pro Bowl offensive lineman, Saint Louis Rams – 325 pounds.
C’mon, guys. Real men wear diapers.