Kobayashi's dominance a lot to swallow
44 1/2 hot dogs?? In 12 minutes? My God, just thinking about this makes me want to puke....
CONEY ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three minutes into the Nathan's International Hot Dog Eating Contest, Japanese speed-eater Takeru Kobayashi had scarfed down 17 hot dogs and buns. There were nine minutes remaining, but Kobayashi had already bested the personal highs of more than half of the competitors.
For the third consecutive year, the event was no contest as Kobayashi dominated. Although he did finish six hot dogs and buns short of the record he set last year, Kobayashi's 44½ dogs were 14 better than runner-up Ed "Cookie" Jarvis.
Kobayashi's unmatched success and overwhelming margin of victory have caused some to speculate -- as others have murmured about four-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong -- that the only explanation is the feasting phenom has an unfair advantage.
Kobayashi has told other competitive eaters that he uses aloe vera to coat his stomach, but after the competition, he once again denied he uses any sort of drugs to get an advantage.
Still, you can't blame the rest of the field for feeling like they're competing against an unnatural eating machine -- one that comes in an unbelievably rail-thin 145-pound package.
In 2001, David O'Karma ate 17 hot dogs in the first half of the contest, but when he heard that Kobayashi had already finished 27, he put down his franks and just watched.
"Ever since that day, I've been trying to figure out how he does it," said O'Karma, a 47-year-old painting contractor from Akron, Ohio, who owns the world doughnut eating title (30 donuts in 5:28). "I've researched and researched on the Internet, but I still can't understand it. Kobayashi gets stronger and stronger as he goes."
One of the great American traditions is gluttony (it ranks just slightly ahead of avarice and greed). What better time to celebrate it than July 4th? Of course, celebrating one of the seven deadly sins may not really be good stewardship, although it is great advertising for Nathan's. I just can't help but think that all of that food could be put to much better use- say by donating it to a food bank. Then again, that's just my bleeding-heart liberal sensibility coming through....
