Sumo Wrestlers on Dope

You thought Michael Phelps sucking on a bong was scandalous? It's nothing compared to the sumo drug scandal in Japan: In the past six months, four wrestlers have been kicked out of the ancient sport for allegedly smoking marijuana, creating the biggest drugs-in-sports scandal that Japan has ever seen. More from AP... Sumo is an ancient sport, possibly 3,000 years old. According to essortment.com, "The earliest written mention of Sumo is found in the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), a book from the year 712, which is the oldest example of Japanese writing. The Kojiki relates a legend about how possession of the Japanese islands was determined by a Sumo match 2,500 years ago between the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata." The sumo scandals broke last summer. Business Week wrote about it in September, 2008: It’s hardly the only bad publicity for sumo, lately. Last year, the sport’s training practices came under fire after the head of a sumo stable, or training gym, was arrested for allegedly beating a young wrestler. The 17-year-old wrestler, who had run away from the stable, later died of his injuries. Also last year the sport’s top-ranked wrestler, Asashoryu, was suspended for feigning an injury and playing in a charity soccer match in his home country of Mongolia. More from Business Week... Huge fat guys in loin cloths stoned out of their minds and looking for a fight. Think about that. MORE: Pot scandal jolts Japan’s sumo world - AtlantaHeadlines.com Japan's sumo fans hold on despite scandals - Los Angeles Times Sumo wrestling history, the Ancient Japanese sport Nihon Sumo Kyokai Official Grand Sumo Home Page CNB RSS Feed

The Fat Keep Getting Fatter in Rogers Park

Fat cat David Gassman, the landlord who allowed a "stealth rehab" program into his apartment building at N. Sheridan and W. Lunt, recently agreed to pay nearly $7 million for another apartment building nearby. Times are tough for many of us, but not for those tied into the local Democrat Machine. From ChicagoRealEstateDaily.com: Rogers Park apartment sells for nearly $7 million Nightclub owner and North Side real estate investor David Gassman paid $6.85 million for a 90-unit apartment building at 6954 N. Sheridan Road in Rogers Park. Despite the credit crunch, sales of North Side apartments priced between $1 million and $10 million remain strong, says Gregory LaBerge, a sales manager in the Chicago office of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage Co., which brokered the deal. Mr. Gassman, who owns Spin Nightclub, 800 W. Belmont Ave. in Lakeview, financed the deal with a $5.2-million loan from Wyomissing, Pa.-based Sovereign Bank, according to property records. The seller was real estate investor Steven Pekic of Chicago. Messrs. Gassman and Pekic could not be reached for comment. RELATED: Search for "David Gassman" on The Bench Search for "David Gassman" on Broken Heart