# Takeru Kobayashi, champion weiner eater no more... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549 "2007-06-03T03:34:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/1 "2007-06-03T03:34:01Z")
[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/06/02/hot.dog.record.ap/index.html?cnn=yes](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/06/02/hot.dog.record.ap/index.html?cnn=yes) He had quite a run but it looks like he is going to have a hell of a time ever getting the record back. This dude smashed the heck out of his record with a whopping 59.5 hotdogs with buns in 12 minutes. Wow! What’s TK going to do now? Get a real job i suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/2 "2007-06-03T04:19:16Z")
[QUOTE=Stinkpalm] What’s TK going to do now? [/QUOTE] I 'unno. Eat crow? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/3 "2007-06-03T04:20:34Z")
Ah, he only broke the record. He apparently didn’t do it while up against the record holder. THAT I’m waiting for. Should be interesting. Or disgusting. Whichever. 😃 ---
**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:** [June 3, 2007, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/4 "2007-06-03T04:36:03Z")
That’s just crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/5 "2007-06-03T05:00:10Z")
Since the thread title said he was “no more,” I was sure I was going to read that he died (maybe of a hot dog overdose.) ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/6 "2007-06-03T05:41:59Z")
I wouldn’t count Kobayashi out. The de facto world championships is the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. He has broken the record, but did they weigh the hot dogs and wieners? Everyone will tell you that there is a lot more pressure in the Olympics. There are scads of world record holders who never have won a gold medal. I eagerly wait for the 4th of July and am considering traveling out to NYC for a couple of weeks around that time. This challenger is mighty, but perhaps he will merely drive Kobayashi to new heights. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/7 "2007-06-03T07:28:09Z")
Never count out the scrawny guys. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/8 "2007-06-03T07:30:56Z")
I just wanna know why this article is in \*\*Sports \*\* Illustrated. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/9 "2007-06-03T11:41:57Z")
USA! USA! USA! ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/10 "2007-06-03T13:02:18Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] I wouldn’t count Kobayashi out. The de facto world championships is the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. He has broken the record, but did they weigh the hot dogs and wieners? Everyone will tell you that there is a lot more pressure in the Olympics. There are scads of world record holders who never have won a gold medal. I eagerly wait for the 4th of July and am considering traveling out to NYC for a couple of weeks around that time. This challenger is mighty, but perhaps he will merely drive Kobayashi to new heights. [/QUOTE] Ah, I thought this was the Nathans contest, I guess because he’s wearing a 2007 Nathans shirt in the picture. I guess we will have to see who can chow harder then in July, though I don’t think TK is going to be able to eat 7 more dogs than last year. He didn’t even match his record last year did he? ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/11 "2007-06-03T13:49:28Z")
Call me skeptical- this guy has been a competitive eater for years, never got close to this amount, and then all of shudden shatters the record? Was this a sanctioned event? Was it taped? Nathan’s weiners are much bigger than normal weiners- what size were these? ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/12 "2007-06-03T13:56:18Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Call me skeptical- this guy has been a competitive eater for years, never got close to this amount, and then all of shudden shatters the record? Was this a sanctioned event? Was it taped? Nathan’s weiners are much bigger than normal weiners- what size were these? [/QUOTE] I was wrong- this isn’t the guy I thought he was. This guy has done over 50 before, and was second last year to TK. Should be a good battle at Nathans this year- hope not so big that it goes to pay per view 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/13 "2007-06-03T14:04:29Z")
A true “No win scenario” if ever I saw one. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/14 "2007-06-03T18:41:10Z")
[QUOTE=labtrash] USA! USA! USA! [/QUOTE] [Homer Simpson seeing the backward-flushing toilet in the US embassy in Australia] Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing [/HSSTBFTITUEIA] ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/15 "2007-06-03T18:47:48Z")
I’m vaguely aware of this guy. Is this _all_ he does? Can you really make a living traveling the globe participating in competitive gluttony contests? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/16 "2007-06-03T18:55:21Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] I was wrong- this isn’t the guy I thought he was. This guy has done over 50 before, and was second last year to TK. [/QUOTE] It will probably be revealed he’s been doping. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/17 "2007-06-03T19:03:30Z")
They get better as time goes by. How do you train to eat. I eat everyday . I could have been a contender. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/18 "2007-06-03T20:11:41Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny Hildo] I’m vaguely aware of this guy. Is this _all_ he does? Can you really make a living traveling the globe participating in competitive gluttony contests? [/QUOTE] I’ve read that Kobayashi makes 6-figures a year. [This article](http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/01/pf/eating_to_live/) seems to think differently. It is 2 years old though, and perhaps Kobayashi made up the difference with endorsements or something. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/19 "2007-06-03T20:34:04Z")
[QUOTE=Snarky\_Kong] I’ve read that Kobayashi makes 6-figures a year. [This article](http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/01/pf/eating_to_live/) seems to think differently. It is 2 years old though, and perhaps Kobayashi made up the difference with endorsements or something. [/QUOTE] Well in Japan, its a huge deal, with TV shows and series and the like, so I can see how the best guy in the world operating in the most popular country for doing it can make a living it at, but in the USA, I’m positive all of the big names have regular jobs. In fact, the contest in the OP paid a first prize of a whopping 250.00, probably not enough to cover your travel costs even if you win, unless you live in the area. ---
**Author:** ![Miscue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Miscue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miscue)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549/20 "2007-06-04T15:47:15Z")
A wise old pool player once told me ‘anybody can beat anybody once’. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/takeru-kobayashi-champion-weiner-eater-no-more/406549.md?page=2)