(Image source: New York Daily News)
 

BY JOSH FRYDMAN

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Some can’t stomach it. Others gobble it up. But one thing is clear -- the sport of competitive eating continues to expand like the bellies of the Coney Island hotdog eaters.  

“We are coming down to the final seconds… 25 seconds now. Bring them home!”

A weekend poll of ESPN viewers shows that more people were interested in hot dog eating than Wimbeldon, the Women’s World Cup Soccer and NASCAR. 

And this year -- American Joey Chestnut scarfed down 62 dogs in 10 minutes to win his fifth straight Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.

A new wrinkle in the 96th annual competition separated male and female eaters into two divisions. Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas chowed down 40 dogs, winning the women’s division and her own Mustard Belt -- the pink version.

“’You had 40, right, to win yesterday?’ ‘Yes, but if I had more time I could have ate at least 45.’ ‘What’s your strategy?’ ‘I just focus my mind and next to me Julia Lee, and she was pushing me to eat.’”

The Fourth of July tradition is now as American as apple pie -- and the Star Spangled Banner -- and it's chewing its way into the rest of the world’s consciousness.

Just last month, China crowned its first Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating champion. Major League Eating representative Mike Antoloni believes more eating events catered to Chinese tastes, such as egg rolls or dumplings, could be on the forefront.

“I don’t think there is any doubt that there is going to be a Chinese champion that contends for Joey’s mustard belt, sooner rather than later… China is the future of competitive eating I feel.”  (MSNBC)

But even with competitive eating spreading to the four corners of the earth, not everyone looks at America’s example fondly. A blogger for the UK’s The Telegraph says...

“For some, it’s a painful reminder of excess -- especially as the U.S. battles a growing obesity problem. The American Medical Association opposes competitive eating, saying it’s harmful to the human body.”

PBS attributes the popularity of speed-eating to Japan, and the rise of eaters like Takeru Kobayashi, whose strategy of breaking the dog in half, eating both sides at once and dipping the buns in water is now the competition’s standard.

So where was Kobayashi in this year’s hot dog eating contest?
Locked out -- because of a contract dispute with Major League Eating, giving the competition more in common with other pro sports than first meets the eye. 
But the ban didn’t keep the one time wiener king from eating away.

“And then not far away in Manhattan, Chestnut’s archrival, Takeru Kobayashi, who was banned from the official contest because he will not sign an official contract. Kobayashi claims he put away a record breaking 69 hot dogs. But oh no, hang on a second. That was out of competition so it doesn't count.”

Joey Chestnut’s 68 hot dogs in 2009 in still the official record.
For Chestnut’s 62 dogs effort this year, he took home $10,000 dollars.

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