Major League Eating Enjoys Its Fourth of July Spotlight Once Again
Joey Chestnut made headlines this week when he won his 14th Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, downing a new world record 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes, a feat that, unfortunately, Ali and I missed as we were on our way home from a family trip.
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| George Shea and Joey Chestnut |
Taking an eater's accomplishments, a vocabulary that would make most MENSA members jealous, and an imagination that makes Dr. Seuss look like whoever it was that wrote those "Dick and Jane" books, Shea is able to craft entertaining intros that blend fact and fiction into 5-10 seconds of linguistic perfection for each competitor.
Lists containing some of Shea's best work can be found online. My personal favorite was in 2016 the year after Chestnut's streak of eight straight wins came to an end. Not because I enjoy taking delight in the misfortune of others, but because it set the table for a dramatic tale of redemption that would see Chestnut start a new winning streak that remains active following this year's win.
“Two years ago, on this stage, he asked his girlfriend to marry him. And then last year, one week before the contest, the wedding was called off. And then on the Fourth of July he lost the title of world champion. And he was beaten, and he was broken, and he was alone. And nothing that he owned had any value, and his thoughts had no shape, and no meaning, and the words fell from his mouth without sound. And he was lost and empty-handed, standing like a boy without friends on the schoolyard.”
This gem and nine others can be relived at https://www.theringer.com/2018/7/4/17532876/nathans-hot-dog-eating-contest-george-shea-best-introductions.
Back to Chestnut though, 76 hotdogs in 10 minutes! I don't think I could eat 76 hotdogs over the course of 24 hours. How long would it take you to eat 76 hotdogs? Feel free to comment below.
In addition to holding the world record for hotdog eating, Chestnut also holds the records for most soft tacos from Taco Bell eaten in 10 minutes, most glazed donuts eaten in eight minutes, most Twinkies eaten in six minutes, and of course given his knack for coming through in big moments on America's birthday, most apple pies eaten in 8 minutes. Those are only a sampling of his records.
Below is a list of 10 records, seven of which are real, though not necessarily held by Chestnut. Without looking up the answers, can you guess which three I made up. Comment with your answers, and I'll identify the phony records on Friday.
1.) Seven, quarter-pound sticks of butter in five minutes
2.) Six pounds of Spam, from the can, in 12 minutes
3.) 28 pounds of poutine in 10 minutes
4.) 255 Peeps in 5 minutes
5.) 346 Dunkin Donut Munchkins in 6 minutes
6.) Four, 32-ounce bowls of mayonnaise in eight minutes
7.) 814 popcorn shrimp in 4 minutes
8.) 141 hard boiled eggs in eight minutes
9.) 13.23 pounds of cranberry sauce in eight minutes
10.) 11 8.4 ounce cans of Red Bull in 2 minutes
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