A graph in last year’s broadcast of the Nathan’s finals listed Llamas as the top Nathan’s performer in the 1980′s with a total near 20 hot dogs. This is based on a Wikipedia fabrication claiming that Luis Llamas from Mexico won the 1983 contest with a total of 19.5 hot dogs.

According to an Associated Press article, the winner in 1983 was Emil Gomez with a total of 10.5 hot dogs.

We said this was an annual tradition since 1916. In Coney Island pitchman style, we made it up.

After being contacted by the New York Times, a Nathan’s spokesman said the company had no evidence of pre-1970s competitions. (A Nathan’s contest held in 1967 in honor of the 100 year anniversary of the creation of the hot dog was reported by the UPI. Walter Paul reportedly won the contest by eating 127 hot dogs in an hour).

Matz also says that Nathan’s turned down the opportunity to be the sponsor for the New York City Marathon in 1976.

update Aug 20 Gothamist has a blog entry about Matz’ admission. Matz is featured in a 1979 New York Magazine article about press agents. The article does not bring up Matz’ work for Nathan’s, but the restaurant is mentioned in Godfather author Mario Puzo’s cover story about Coney Island.

• In: Joey Chestnut, Pat Bertoletti, Tim Janus, Juliet Lee, Tim Brown, Crazy Legs Conti
• Out: Eric “Badlands” Booker, Cookie Jarvis, Don Lerman, Charles Hardy, Kevin Lipsitz, Ed Krachie, “Kid” Cary DeGrosa, songwriter Amos Wengler.
• Staying: Takeru Kobayashi, Sonya Thomas
• Neither in nor out: “Notorious” Bob Shoudt (current #2 IFOCE ranking)

George Shea is quoted:

“The question is this: Do you listen to Lady Gaga or The Who?” Shea asked. “The bottom line is that it’s a ‘Wall of Fame.’ None of the people you mentioned, plus Don ‘Moses’ Lerman, ‘Krazy’ Kevin Lipsitz or Ed ‘Cookie’ Jarvis, have fame anymore. The guys on that wall now have eclipsed all of them.”

Badlands Booker ate 38.5 hot dogs in a Nathan’s qualifier last month. Three of the new entrants (Juliet Lee, Tim Brown, Crazy Legs Conti) have never eaten that much.

A picture of the old Wall of Fame

Nader has done some great things for safety in automobiles. I believe he said he would give up driving in cars. I get the impression he now intends to give up eating in New York.

The next thing you know he will no longer wear clothes because of defective labeling, and that could result in his total exposure.

The article also mentions Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Cook Book.

Trivia Time The Jets’ linebacker coach in Super Bowl III was Buddy Ryan, father of current head coach Rex Ryan, a possible entrant in the 2010 Nathan’s finals.

The Colts’ head coach in Super Bowl III was Don Shula, who would later lead the Miami Dolphins to an undefeated season and found a chain of steak houses offering a 48 ounce steak challenge which has been completed almost 35,000 times.

Hot Dog Salad Dressing. For six servings, grind eight hot dogs with one-half teaspoon dry mustard, two tablespoons milk, one tablespoon pickle relish and one-third cup of mayo. Think about that for a second. That’s 1.3 hot dogs per salad serving. This is nothing more than a ploy to sell hot dogs.