# Coney Island Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest 2011 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 4, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816 "2011-07-04T15:30:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/1 "2011-07-04T15:30:23Z")
Streamed [here](http://espn.go.com/espn3/player?id=202820&league=Nathans%20Hot%20Dog). They’re still not letting Kobayashi compete, so there isn’t much in the way of interesting competition. They’ve broken off the woman into their own competition, so I guess that could be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/2 "2011-07-04T16:57:32Z")
No love for Americas Greatest Sporting Event? Ah well. Sonya Thomas easily won the womans with 40 ( I think the 2nd place was 30 or less). Joey Chestnut won the mens with 62, but it was semi-competitive, the second place contestant was within three or four up until the end. Also, I’m pretty sure the second place guy smeared his hands with ketchup so that he could enjoy some condiments with his 50-something hot dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/3 "2011-07-04T17:03:11Z")
I think they said the 2nd place guy was not drinking water, but some kind of other drink. I guess that is why his hands were red. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/4 "2011-07-04T17:09:23Z")
Two women tied for 2nd with 29. The Black Widow is way ahead of the competition. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/5 "2011-07-04T17:12:45Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think they said the 2nd place guy was not drinking water, but some kind of other drink. I guess that is why his hands were red. Ah, that makes more sense (but is less funny). He looked pretty predatory scarfing down meat covered in blood colored liquid. I also liked the one contestants super-hero origin story. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/6 "2011-07-04T17:30:24Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Two women tied for 2nd with 29. The Black Widow is way ahead of the competition. Even in the Mens her results usually put her third or fourth. I actually can’t think of any other sports where the top woman would rank as favorably in mixed-gender competition. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/7 "2011-07-04T19:01:13Z")
It’s just no fun without Kobayashi. This July 4th and last year’s were a big dissapointment. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/8 "2011-07-04T20:29:52Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/04/new.york.hot.dog.contest/](http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/04/new.york.hot.dog.contest/) Kobayashi claims to have eaten 69 today on a rooftop while simulating the contest. That would be a new record. Chestnut did 68 last year. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/9 "2011-07-09T22:15:25Z")
Why can’t Kobayashi compete? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/10 "2011-07-09T23:29:56Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Why can’t Kobayashi compete? The organization that runs the event requires competitors to sign an agreement not to compete in events that aren’t sanctioned by them. Kobayashi earns his living doing eating events, and refuses to sign. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/11 "2011-07-09T23:33:21Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > The organization that runs the event requires competitors to sign an agreement not to compete in events that aren’t sanctioned by them. Kobayashi earns his living doing eating events, and refuses to sign. Life is tough, in a dog eat dog world. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/12 "2011-07-10T00:43:30Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > [http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/04/new.york.hot.dog.contest/](http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/04/new.york.hot.dog.contest/) > Kobayashi claims to have eaten 69 today on a rooftop while simulating the contest. That would be a new record. Chestnut did 68 last year. And I would agree with Chestnut that it does not count, since it wasn’t in competition. If you run the mile in record time on your own, it does not count unless you can do it in a sanctioned contest. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/13 "2011-07-10T02:51:38Z")
I’m just going to go off on a hijack and mention here that my dachshund is named Nathan “because he’s such a good hot dog” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/14 "2011-07-10T04:16:24Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I’m just going to go off on a hijack and mention here that my dachshund is named Nathan “because he’s such a good hot dog” Get him a brother named Tony Packo. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/15 "2011-07-10T04:21:51Z")
Actually, if I’d had two dogs instead of one I’d name them Oscar and Meyer. Or possibly Ballpark. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/16 "2011-07-10T21:47:29Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Actually, if I’d had two dogs instead of one I’d name them Oscar and Meyer. Or possibly Ballpark. [Nitpick] It’s Mayer. Not Meyer. [/Nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/17 "2011-07-10T22:19:23Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > [Nitpick] > It’s Mayer. Not Meyer. > [/Nitpick] Well, yeah. “My bologna has a first name… It’s O S C A R. My bologna has a second name It’s M A Y E R. Oh, I love to eat it every day and if you ask me why, I’ll say… 'Cause Oscar Mayer has a way with B O L O G N A!” No googling involved. I actually still remember that commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/18 "2011-07-11T01:55:56Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Well, yeah. > > “My bologna has a first name… > It’s O S C A R. > My bologna has a second name > It’s M A Y E R. > Oh, I love to eat it every day and > if you ask me why, I’ll say… > 'Cause Oscar Mayer has a way with B O L O G N A!” > > No googling involved. I actually still remember that commercial. Who doesn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coney-island-nathans-hotdog-eating-contest-2011/587816/19 "2011-07-11T12:00:51Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Who doesn’t? Baker. Duh. 😉