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Champ retains NYC hot-dog eating title in overtime

Jul 4, 7:17 PM (ET)

By ADAM GOLDMAN

NEW YORK (AP) - Joey Chestnut achieved frankfurter immortality Friday, outdueling his celebrated Japanese rival in an epic hot-dog eating contest that pushed both of the gluttonous gladiators to the brink.

In a seesaw struggle for the ages, Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi each consumed an eye-popping 59 hot dogs in 10 minutes, forcing an unprecedented showdown that tested the very depths of their distended stomachs.

Under the glare of ESPN and facing a boisterous and sweaty crowd of thousands on Coney Island, Chestnut, the reigning champ, and Kobayashi, the six-time title holder, were forced to gobble down another five hot dogs in overtime.

Staring into the wiener abyss, the pair found the pluck to continue, devouring the beef and buns with renewed gusto, before Chestnut finally prevailed to chants of “USA!“

When it was over, Kobayashi was left holding a soggy mush of bun in his hand, and Chestnut had achieved nearly mythical status in the annual event held by Nathan’s Famous since 1916.

It was a frankfurter photo finish.

“It was crazy,“ said the 24-year-old Chestnut, who was mentally prepared to eat 70 hot dogs and acknowledged that his body at times almost failed him. “It pushed back against me. I had to push harder. It just didn’t want to swallow.“

The diminutive Kobayashi had hoped to reclaim the throne after last year’s disappointing three-dog loss shattered his six-year winning streak.

Kobayashi said he was one mouthful from recapturing the famed Mustard Belt.
He lamented not finishing off the resilient Chestnut during regulation, which was two minutes shorter than in previous years.

“If I put one more mouthful in, I could’ve won,“ Kobayashi said through a translator.

Both men said the shortened contest threw off their game. They said they had a hard time finding a rhythm despite leaving a slew of other competitors - including a renowned female professional eater known as the “Black Widow” - in a trail of mustard.

My kind of sport!! GO USA!!!

I watched this live on ESPN as I do every July 4th.  Of course the real “fireworks” take place the next day, and I sure as heck wouldn’t want to share a bathroom with Joey on the 5th.  or 6th.  or 7th.

This is so gross.  I always feel like…why didn’t the hotdog company just feed a bunch of people on the 4th instead of giving a handful of people 60 or 70 hotdogs??

I can imagine the pukefest that happens after the contest..

Urk.. I’m trying to eat here…

But yeah.. Professional eating contests are just.. ick. Amusingly, the winners are usually NOT the 400-pound gastropods that you would think would win, but rather skinny little guys, whose lack of a ring of blubber around their midsection permits their stomach to expand with the culinary assault.

Maegan - 07 July 2008 03:20 AM

This is so gross. I always feel like…why didn’t the hotdog company just feed a bunch of people on the 4th instead of giving a handful of people 60 or 70 hotdogs??

I’m with you on this one maegan….
With food and oil prices sky rocketing….
Why even bother wasting food for such silly contests….

But I guess entertainment, advertising and pride over take global concerns.
Imagine how much gas we could save if people stopped making Automobile commercials that show the vehicles driving around for 30 seconds. (Not including all the takes and getting to their shooting location.

DJ_Canada - 08 July 2008 12:48 PM

Maegan - 07 July 2008 03:20 AM

This is so gross. I always feel like…why didn’t the hotdog company just feed a bunch of people on the 4th instead of giving a handful of people 60 or 70 hotdogs??

I’m with you on this one maegan….
With food and oil prices sky rocketing….
Why even bother wasting food for such silly contests….

But I guess entertainment, advertising and pride over take global concerns.
Imagine how much gas we could save if people stopped making Automobile commercials that show the vehicles driving around for 30 seconds. (Not including all the takes and getting to their shooting location.

You may think it’s gross or silly, but these people take it seriously.

If you want to feed the hungry, start as home.  Are you willing to give up all your treats and snacks (and kids treats) and use that money to buy nutritional food for the hungry?  That’s what you are suggesting Nathan’s Hotdogs do. 

And try and tell as Nascar fan that his sport of choice is wasteful of our fossil fuels.

I got a reply, but it is hard to put into words….
We have both a food and gas shortages apparently in the world today.
Both are identical problems.

Nascar and other racing venues are more popular.
While Competitive eating is rather newer.

In time… race events will go high tech, and use electric cars, I’m guessing.

Bio fuels are not an option, because that will also impact the food supply (unless the news that wastes can be made into bio fuels happens). Less food for the live stock to eat, means less live stock too…

Competitive eating tho… only way to make that environmentally friendly is too have people eat the stuff that regular folks will not eat… Bull Testicles anyone?

Tho… the HotDogs you are eating may already contain Bull Testicles…..

Oi…. Though subject

I can make more comparisons. =)

I rather have 40 people survive on unhealthy food than to let one person die for entertainment purposes

DJ_Canada - 08 July 2008 01:54 PM

In time… race events will go high tech, and use electric cars, I’m guessing.

Bio fuels are not an option…

Maybe not entirely true.  Though I can’t offer any links to the story or information on the subject.  But one day I was running errands.  There was a tease for a story on ESPN Radio about a potential bio fuel that could power NASCAR (and other racing leagues?) made out of some plant.  The plant is a weed or nuisance plant in the south (of America), apparently.  Some plant that was brought in back in the day for beautification/landscaping reasons, but has grown out of control and causes problems.

Anyway, just a thought that there are other options and sources being looked at.  If I hadn’t had to get in to an appointment I would have listened to the story and gotten more information.  Unfortunately, all I have is a very vague tease for a story that I never heard.

Was this the sort of thing, Tah?

Madmouse - 08 July 2008 02:17 PM

Was this the sort of thing, Tah?

All I have is the vague info I’ve already shared.  But that looks like what they were going to talk about.

Thanks, MM!

Still would have to covert the engines, which may cost the drivers a lot of money. =P
Bio Fuels, for now, cannot provide too much of a punch for competative racing with fossile fuel cars.
In time tho, in time.

Where’s that thread I posted about a certain Bacteria being used as a bio fuel. Posted it 2-3-4 months ago I think. =)