Off Topic Other Sport

QUEENSLANDER ..... QUEENSLANDER ..... QUEENSLANDER.

STATE OF ORIGIN. GAME 1.

NSW 14 - 18 QLD.

 

And we go again:

Ravens -4.0
Vikings -4.0
Seahawks -3.0
Titans -3.0
Redskins -2.5
Cardinals -4.5

£5 returns 279.15

And College Football:

Northwestern -3.5
Oregon -8.5
Cincinnati -12.5
Georgia -3.0
USC -11.0
Minnesota -7.0

£5 returns 247.55

 

Sumo time boys and girls. This is the 6th and final tournament of 2020, and the two Grand Masters are missing for the second time in a row. Both of these aging warriors who are on the brink of retirement. One of them Kakuryu is close to being forced out of the game by the powers that be because of his inactivity. That would be a shameful thing, so if they decide to push him out, they will give him the opportunity to retire and thus save face. The other is the living legend Hakuho who plans to finish during the Olympics where Sumo will be showcased.

As both Yokuzuna will soon be gone, the Sumo Association is now desperate to fill the void. But they just can't promote someone who then struggles because a Yokuzuna can never be demoted. And the last thing they need is a Grand Champion who can't win tournaments.

There are only 3 men ranked in the next level below that elite status, Asanoyama, Takakeisho and Shodai, three young bulls with heaps of ability. The Association will be hoping that at least one of them can make the jump from Ozeki to Yokuzuna. It's a huge ask though and it wouldn't at all surprise if they all fall short. They usually need 33 wins from their last 45, and a winning tournament. All three have tournament wins, the most consistent being Takakeisho. But the other two have won more recently. Interesting times ahead for sumo.

Day 1.

 

Day 2.

 

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Mo Farah is contemplating racing in the 10,000m in Tokyo.

 

Day 3 and the battle for promotion between the three Ozeki is rapidly falling apart. First, after a 1-1 start, Asanoyama has pulled out injured and won't be seen again. The second of them, Shodai the winner of the last tournament, limped away after his bout. We'll have to see if he can continue, and if so, will he be hampered? The third of the Ozeki, Takakeisho, "the little bulldozer" now seems best placed to go on with it. But there are still 12 bouts to go, so anything can happen. Even if he wins the basho, I think he'll probably struggle to get the 33 wins needed from his last three tournaments to win Yokozuna status. But he's proved over the last 2 years to easily be the best of them out there. He's ultra consistent, which is something the Association craves.

 

With one of the Ozeki out of the tournament, only two are left. Shodai appeared to limp after a win yesterday so all eyes were on him. The longest reigning Ozeki, Takakeisho fought last on the program. After 4 days, there were 7 still undefeated.

 

Och aye the noo Scotland wre at the Euros, they will play England as well I think?

 

Day 5. And then there were 4 tied on top.

 

Day 6, bout of the day. 13:27. And the most experienced Ozeki, Takakeisho, a man who stands just 5'9'' and weighs a massive 28 stone ends the program.

 

Those slow mo's don't give em much to hide from Cyc, some of em are BIG lads...!!!

 

Another dud. So here's this weeks:

Buccaneers -6.0
Chargers
Seahawks
Raiders -3.5
Bills
Vikings -3.0

£5 returns £352.22

And College Football:

Virginia -3.5
San Jose State -16.0
Indiana -7.5
West Virginia -3.0
Marshall - 23.5
Florida -17.5

£5 returns £237.05

 

Day 7. Fight of the day. 16:33. And Takakeisho attempts to cement his place as the gun Ozeki. (The rung below Yokozuna.)

 

A real shock RU result:

New Zealand 15 - Argentina 25

The Tango triumphs over the Haka!

Bravo Pumas!

 

Bet landed. All very comfortably covered the handicap apart from San Jose State who won the game by 17 and had me sweating a bit at the end there.

 

Day 9. At the 10:50 mark in the clip, Enho who's been winless so far in this tournament, has to face Aoiyama, a man who is 8 inches taller and 15 stone heavier than him. When Enho entered to top rank 9 tournaments ago, he was a sensation. He was all over the place with dazzling speed. But as time wore on, they began to find ways to counteract is speed. Now he struggles. But each time he enters the ring, there much support for him. It's sad to see him working his heart for no reward, but when gets a win, it's always extremely well received by the crowd. They love his courage and never say die attitude.

 

Going into day 10, there three men on 8-1 and another three on 7-2. After the giant killing effort yesterday by Enho, to get his first win, he faces another monster. This time he gives up only 170 pounds. 4:58. The highlight of the day for me came at 13:30 when the two Fuji's staged a titanic battle. At the end, the judges couldn't split them, and they had to do it again.

 

QUEENSLANDER, QUEENSLANDER, QUEENSLANDER. CHAMPIONS AGAIN.

 

Spoiler alert, spoiler alert... I was going to watch that later on tonight after I finished work Cyc... Cheers...