Contrary to what most people would imagine the best eaters are small people. Many years ago there were 400 pounders but they are mostly gone. The federation shows a great sense of humor and the event is fun to watch. ESPN will play it over a few times.
Official MLE/IFOCE results:
Joey Chestnut: 66
Takeru Kobayashi: 63
Pat Bertoletti: 49
Tim “Eater X” Janus: 43.5
Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas: 39
Bob Shoudt: 35
Chip Simpson: 35
Rich LeFevre: 31
Hall Hunt: 29
Juliet Lee: 26
Dale Boone: 25
Pat Philbin: 24
Crazy Legs Conti: 23.5
Erik “the Red” Denmark: 23
Tim Brown: 22.5
Arturo Rios, Jr.: 21
Allen Goldstein: 21
Hermione dies
I loved that spoiler. I giggled maniacally for a couple minutes after seeing it.
Well, since Eater X had it on his sign, I had to put it there.
[QUOTE=mobo85]
Well, since Eater X had it on his sign, I had to put it there.
[/QUOTE]
And I love you for it.
[QUOTE=Figaro]
I always think of the pie eating contest scene from *Stand By Me * when this thing rolls around every year…
[/QUOTE]
Later this month, MLE/IFOCE is sponsoring the first ever Stand by Me Blueberry Pie Eating Contest in the city where the movie was filmed. Interestingly, the IFOCE doesn’t have any blueberry pie records. This will be part of a special screening of the film which also features a “find the body” scavenger hunt. Unfortunately, no match-up between Mighty Mouse and Superman, though.
Get ready here are your targets.
[QUOTE=samclem]
They’re sea spiders. Crabs exist along the East Coast of the United States. The Mid-Atlantic states are the home of the Blue Crab.
I might allow some FL. residents to say that stone crabs are pretty good. They are.
But, West Coast stuff masquerading as crab meat?—give me a break.
[/QUOTE]
Ha. Don’t worry, Samclem, I’ve been in the midwest long enough to know that nothing called a “crab” (or especially “crab cake”…don’t get me started on that) around here will replicate the “Barrel full of freshly steamed blue crab smothered in Old Bay” experience of back home.
But every now and then a guy just has to have crab. Even if it’s…gasp…from the Pacific 
[QUOTE=Malodorous]
My guess is that its Kobsyashi’s influence, and the fact that before him competitive eating was more or less a lark for those involved . His first few years he was the only person that would break out of the ~20 dog range. He inspired a few other people to take it more seriously, and it turns out that when people put their minds to it, they can scarf down a lot more hotdogs.
Looking at the results, even now theirs a fair gap between the winners and the rest. More then half come in under 30, and the next highest after Kobayashi didn’t break 50.
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You can see this change in the TV coverage, too. I heard the announcers’ repeatedly call the eaters “trained athletes”…
I doubt you would have heard that phrase in the '80s in reference to professional hot dog eaters…
The AP story on this had a funny line:
(bolding mine)
I have never had of the term “tubesteak” being used as a euphenism for anything but a penis.
I wonder if it was intetnional or not.
And now Joey Chestnut enters the pantheon of American heroes with Abraham Lincoln Neil Armstrong and Taylor Hicks.
Not with Daniel Boone’s kin in the eating race!!
[QUOTE=deadeyesdad]
And now Joey Chestnut enters the pantheon of American heroes with Abraham Lincoln Neil Armstrong and Taylor Hicks.
[/QUOTE]
Hell, Hicks looks like he could hide 66 hot dogs in his cheeks.
Dizzy Gillespie just found his new calling, then.