March 26, 2023 News and Notes

• I think it's seriously time for the NBA to stiffen the Rasheed Wallace Rule.
• Dillon Brooks has received his second one-game suspension for reaching 18 technical fouls.  Between fines and lost suspension salary, Brooks has lost more than $300,000 to the league.
• That is, in fact, the third game Brooks has been suspended for.
• Draymond Green got a 16-technical suspension last week.
• And presumptive NBA MVP Luka Doncic will be suspended for his 16th T, given today.  He was just fined $35,000 for a gesture to the officials to indicate they've been paid off.
• Trae Young of the Hawks, who was just thrown out of a game over the weekend for chucking the ball at an official (and may get suspended for that) is on 17, so he's already been suspended once for T's already!
• Six players, led by Young with 19, were suspended last year.  Doncic and Green were also both suspended twice.
• Three players, including Doncic, were suspended two years ago.
• So how do you fix it?
• The minimum I probably would accept at this point would be that all suspensions accrue.  Meaning that, if you get any second suspension in a season, one game is added.  A third means at least two games are added.  Any more, and it's an in-person meeting with Adam Silver before you play again (meaning you go on the Commissioner's List or whatever), and a minimum of five (ten if any one of the other three was five or more).  The Commissioner (or an appeals group between the league and NBPA) must clear you, or you're out until next season.  Any fifth suspension, and you aren't playing again for the balance of the regular season and playoffs.
• If you're not going to do that, you need not only to make the "one-plus-one" rule (ejection from a game is an automatic one-game suspension at minimum) in force, you also need to drop the season suspension number to about 10 or so.
• End of the May sumo tournament was held this morning our time in Japan.
• Congratulations to Sekiwake Kiribayama, who defeated Komusubi Daieisho twice in the final day to win the May tournament in a playoff at 12-3.
• Yokozuna Terunofuji and Ozeki Takakeisho nursing knee injuries.  Takakeisho is now kadoban for the May tournament.  Terunofuji, FOR NOW, is expected back.
• At Sekiwake:  That's Kiribayama's first tournament at Sekiwake, so he can't advance yet.  Hoshoryu had an outside chance of perhaps being promoted, but lost two matches in the final four days and now only has 29 in his last three Sekiwake tournaments, and the SA won't promote that.  Wakatakakage has a knee injury of his own, and will demote.
• At Komusubi:  This is going to be where a lot of the action is going to take place for the May banzuke.  Wakamotoharu went 11-4, so he SHOULD promote.  Daiesho went 12-3 and lost in the playoff, he SHOULD also promote.  The problem is going to be, you've got a third possible promotion (Tobizaru at 9-6), but will the SA take five at Sekiwake, hoping one gets the 33 wins in 3 to make it to Ozeki?
• Maegashira:  Shodai (10-5) returns to Komusubi.  Other possible promotes:  Abi (9-6 at M2), Midorifuji (right on the line at 10-5 at M5).
• Juryo:  Ichinojo wins the division at 14-1 (only loss to Gonoyama), Asanoyama is 13-2 (losses to Ichinojo and a Maegashira).  They will probably be the only two promotes, as it appears there are only two who are going to be demoted out of Maegashira (Bushozan, 5-10 at M14, Azumaryu, 4-11 at M11).  Gonoyama probably ends up an unlucky winner at 11-4 at J6.  (He probably would need Kagayaki to go down at 5-10 at M12, but that's a dicey proposition.)