Quote:
Originally Posted by Original Position
It is interesting to see the religious element of sports fandom more integrated with more typical religious practice.
Western sports also have a kind of ritual nature to them, but with sumo there seems to be a seamless integration of athleticism, ritual traditions, and commercialism. The referee, dressed as a Shinto priest, hands the victor an envelope of money. Maybe if football is played for a few hundred years it will develop the same aesthetic.
I still love the fact that you get to see the winner ceremonially collect his paycheck. Other than poker, I don't know of any game where you get to see the victor scoop the pot. Sports fans follow salary negotiations and contracts and such, but it's all hidden from the game itself in lieu of a ceremonial cup. It's kind of refreshing to see a game openly acknowledge that the athletes are motivated by money in addition to the thrill of competition.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kintamayama
There's actually a lot more depth and technique then would appear at a glance.
Even as a casual observer, it's clear that there's a lot of technique going on. There's one bout where a much lighter opponent sort of sidesteps the bigger guy like a matador and uses his momentum against him. There's one at the beginning of Day 3 where a dude slaps the **** out of his opponent right out the gate and it causes the other guy to lose concentration and balance. Good stuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedRock
Have you ever tried one of those Suomi simulation suits?
No, and I think that would defeat the purpose. Sumo is like the ultimate spectator sport; I feel like I'm much healthier than any of the athletes if I just stay away from playing the game.