Joey Chestnut to Defend Hot Dog Eating Title

[clevfan]

Joey Chestnut to Defend Hot Dog Eating Title

By JOE KUKURA
nbcbayarea.com
Updated 8:07 PM PDT, Thu, Jul 2, 2009

A great tradition continues this July 4th at Nathan's Famous Frankfurters on Coney Island in New York City, as the 94th International Hot Dog Eating Contest -- the Super Bowl of competive overeating -- takes place Saturday. And American Joey Chestnut comes in again as the favorite, with his rival Kobayashi ready to end Chestnut's two-year championship reign.

Chestnut broke the world record at the 2007 Hot Dog Eating Contest, inhaling 66 hot dogs in twelve minutes and snuffing out Kobayashi's seven-year reign as champion. Last year Chestnut won again in a thriller, the first "overtime eatoff" result in the 93-year history of this iconic event.

"Gas is approaching $5 a gallon, tomatoes are unsafe to eat, but the Mustard Yellow Belt is on American soil," said Richard Shea, President of Major League Eating after the 2008 contest, in a quote that I guess maybe made sense this time one year ago. "Joey Chestnut is an agent of change."

Richard Shea, President of Major League Eating? The MLE? So what's your collective bargaining agreement look like, MLE?

And heck yes Vegas is laying odds and taking wagers on this event. Bodog currently has Chestnut as the oh-so-slight favorite, with 20-to-31 on odds. Kobayashi is just behind at 21-to20 against, with Tim "Eater X" Janus also in the mix at 23-to-2 against. The field of other eaters offers 13-to-1 odds.

Tim "Eater X" Janus competes in these things wearing Ultimate Warrior-style face paint. This "sport" just gets awesomer and awesomer the more you learn about it.

This is no gimme for Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, despite his winning the last two consecutive Nathan's contests. Kobayashi won their most recent face-to-face competition, a P'zone eating contest to see who could eat the most of the bizarre Pizza Hut concoctions. But this Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is the mother of all annual eating events, and whomever wins is regarded for that year as the greatest eater on earth.

The event will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN and online at ESPN360, the morning of Saturday July 4. There is even a 90-minute pre-game broadcast.

But if you're watching in high-definition, you probably want to make sure you're not trying to eat breakfast while you're watching this sort of thing.

[clevfan]

Arch rivals square off at Nathan's hot dog-eating weigh-in

BY Zak Failla
NY DAILY NEWS WRITER

Friday, July 3rd 2009


Joey Chestnut, left and Takeru Kobayashi square off at the official weigh in for the Nathan's Hotdog eating contest Thursday at Macy's


The big dogs are in town.

The two main rivals in the annual Coney Island hot dog-eating contest held a dramatic stare-down yesterday as they prepared to battle tomorrow for the biggest prize in competitive eating.

"Hot dogs on the Fourth of July - it doesn't get any better," said Joey Chestnut, 25, of San Jose, Calif.

This year's frank fight is a grudge match between Chestnut and six-time Coney champ Takeru Kobayashi of Japan.

"It's going to be a good battle this year," said Kobayashi, 31, through an interpreter. "I'm going to bring the belt back."

The two men, dubbed "eating legends" by organizers, have split the past four stomach-stuffin' contests on the Boardwalk. Now it's time to pass the mustard and settle the score.

"The first two years, he beat me," Chestnut said. "The next two years, I beat him, so we're even. He's why I push myself so hard."

The two men couldn't look more different. The barrel-chested Chestnut weighed in at 218 pounds and fought back a grin as the pair stood side by side for the boxing-style weigh-in.

Kobayashi is a wiry 132 pounds and kept an angry poker face as he glared up at Chestnut.

Mayor Bloomberg joked that the serial wiener eaters are "the most dedicated athletes in the world."

"July 4 isn't a holiday for these men," the mayor said. "It's going to be a day of reckoning."

Eighteen other competitors won preliminary contests to get a spot in the annual contest, which is sponsored by Nathan's.

Few expect it will be anyone other than Chestnut or Kobayashi who will wind up wearing the prestigious mustard belt that goes to the winner.

No-nonsense retired Correction Officer Charles Hardy will judge the contest.

He vowed to watch carefully for violations like dipping hot dogs in water for too long, but he admitted the job mostly involves keeping track of the dozens of dogs devoured by each contestant.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist," Hardy said.