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. George Shea and Joey Chestnut I'm not sure if others who enjoy watching the contest on TV agree, but I actually find the introductions of the competitors the most entertaining part of the event. George Shea, one of the two brothers who oversee Major League Eating is truly a master on the mic. 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 af...