Syracuse.com reports that Hofmann Hot Dogs has added Takeru Kobayashi as a business partner / brand ambassador. The partnership will officially announced at a press conference at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino. Kobayashi might compete in a Hoffman hot dog eating contest at the New York State Fair.

30 Comments »

  1. Anonymous said

    July 18, 2012 @ 5:28 pm

    I bet Crif Dogs LOVED this announcement. Talking about chewing up and spitting out past business sponsors – this takes the cake. Many other things come to mind like biting the hand that feeds you and a recipe for disaster! New businesses might want to think twice about working with him. Zero loyalty! Now he is saying Hofmann Dogs are better than Crif Dogs!

  2. anonymous said

    July 18, 2012 @ 5:55 pm

    Please everyone boycott this guy contests and don’t accept his invites to compete against him. Setting himself up for another Crif crap

  3. Anonymous said

    July 18, 2012 @ 7:36 pm

    I love Kobi no matter where he eats dogs he is my hero….

  4. Anonymous said

    July 18, 2012 @ 7:36 pm

    He must have gotten a big payday when he signed on. It is rather unbelievable that he has no concern about making this deal right after Crif Dogs. He must have known about this in advance of the Crif contest. Joey Chestnut said that he thought Kobayashi would return to MLE?

  5. Anonymous said

    July 18, 2012 @ 8:31 pm

    Kobi is just being honest. There’s nothing wrong with that. Boycott ignorance.

  6. Anonymous said

    July 18, 2012 @ 9:03 pm

    Many hot dogs are REGIONAL. Hoffmans should fit this category. Like Bright Leaf in N. Carolina, Hummels in CT, & Humbolts in Albany, to name a few. With 2? stores, Crif fits in w/these. What Kobi needs is Hebrew National, Ball Park, or Oscar Meyer.

  7. ButtKicker said (Registered June 26, 2012)

    July 18, 2012 @ 9:48 pm

    All you Kobi haters are idiots. Where was George Shea’s loyalty when it came to signing Kobi for a new contract?? In the end, all that matters is the contact.

  8. Anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 12:56 am

    Haters will hate….. Crif treated him like crap and so did Nathans. Hofmann’s is a good company that is staying loyal to their recipe and people. Just bringing it to the masses! I know kobi made the right decision go kobi

  9. Anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 1:11 am

    Contracts have nothing to do with it. It’s all about the pay day with Kobi. I laugh in the face of his supporters the way Kobi laughs in the face of loyalty. If his “fans” were on fire he wouldn’t piss on you unless if was for a buck. Think he’s taking the American dream a little too far. When does the “work visa” expire? Is there a backstabbing clause in the somewhere as a violation?

  10. Anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 1:19 am

    Hahahaha This is great! I give his girlfriend credit for consistently using companies to make him big bucks. Who says second best isn’t good enough? He shit the bed at Crif Dog and came in 10.5 dogs behind Joey’s record and people will still pay top dollar for a looser to rep them? Good for him! Milk this country for all it’s got man. Just keep playing that using game. Just remember kid- eventually the well will run dry.

  11. Anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 2:06 am

    Crif paid him $15,000. We should all have that problem.

  12. Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)

    July 19, 2012 @ 7:47 am

    I don’t blame Koby, and I wish him the best in this venture. I am very happy for him.

    The bridge between him and MLE is now ash. I doubt he will be signing any contract with MLE in the forseeable future, and that’s okay. This sends a strong message that a world-class competitive eater can do more than merely “survive” outside of MLE.

    No one’s CE resume can measure up to Koby’s, when you look at his complete body of work. Though Joey is arguably a better competitive eater overall at this point in time, Koby is recognized by far more people as the face of competitive eating. Even though he cannot speak English very well, he communicates enthusiasm, passion, and energy better than any other competitive eater on the planet.

  13. Joe said

    July 19, 2012 @ 10:47 am

    What some of the morons on this site fail to understand is Hoffmans is a company that MAKES hotdogs ( and damn good ones), Crif is a company that COOKS hotdogs. You haters would think if I drive a Chevy I can’t endorse Mobil or if I wear Nike I can’t endorse Foot Locker. Congrats to Kobi

  14. MLE faithful are reaching said

    July 19, 2012 @ 11:45 am

    Good for Kobi!

    Have some of you MLE Loyaltist/Kobi haters ever think for a second that the company is trying to use Kobi to endorse their product/restaurant? It’s about creating more business. The general public couldn’t give two shits if Kobi eats more then one brand of hot dog, (The general public doesn’t even know it’s Nathan’s Hot Dogs they see on ESPN on the 4th) all they care about is watching a little Asian guy eating a load of hot dogs very fast.

    MLE has a contract with Nathan’s exclusively! Which means any other Hot dog company that wants to come around and hold a contest with MLE won’t be able to because of Nathan’s… So in a sense MLE COULD potentially be losing more money then they make with Nathan’s.

    Now if Kobi signed an exclusive contract with Hofmann’s (much like MLE did with Nathan’s) we’ll just see once the West Coast Derby Deli comes around.

  15. anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 12:05 pm

    MLE faithful the bottom line is who cares. It benefits Kobi Not me not you not anyone. Money in his pocket and another chance for him to grab supporters oops i meant suckers to cheer him on at another hot dog venue where stupid people pay to watch him eat dogs while he racks in another high five figure total. He should know what its like to go out and earn a real living like the rest of us

  16. CE Foodie Fan said

    July 19, 2012 @ 12:08 pm

    Kobi sucks. He’s the face is CE because for some reason people are excited about that “little Japanese guy who can eat a lot”. A lot of the eaters on this site have helped shape the face of CE and it’s acceptance by the public as more than just “fat guys stuffing food in their faces”. Joey, Pat, Sonya, Janus, Pete, Squibb, Juliet, Stephanie, Jamie Mc, Stonie… All participate in the changing of the global mindset that CE is for fat gluttonous people. Though Koby prefers to eat against himself exhibition style these days Id hardly classify him as the greatest eater of all times. If we are going to point out how successful you can be as a CE also make note that he pays a team to handle his pr, apperances, contract negotiations, and fees. When he was on his own was when he could negotiate for himself. Thank Maggie for his successes of payment. Koby’s kindness and enthusiasm can be misinterpreted by as many of you suckers that buy into it, but he’d push your head under water and drown you if it meant he would win something. Loyalty and honor are two things he knows nothing about. His main concern has, is, and always will be himself. He is as great as he negotiates himself to be. I have personally seen his numbers padded. I’ve watched a judge do it in the middle of a contest twice now. I cannot reveal where or how yet until my piece is published, but know that he is NOT what he is cracked up to be.

  17. Anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 12:18 pm

    Long Live Joey… The KING of CE! A true eating champion!

  18. Anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 12:23 pm

    Kobi’s people set up Crif Dog. The coverage AND the judges sucked cause he had a say in it. He pushed the time back too. Pull the wool off ur eyes sheep. Ur so blinded by his “greatness” u can’t see all the smoke and mirrors. Keep falling for that fake smile and him pretending he can’t talk to u without his gf. It’s all a front. I heard him speak English to that wash up from OffSpring. I used to see him as a hero. Now I k ow what’s behind the curtain.

  19. Yea right said

    July 19, 2012 @ 12:39 pm

    Hes just doing what any of us would. Getting paid and making a name for himself.

  20. Anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 12:55 pm

    @12:05 agreed!

  21. Anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 1:23 pm

    Sell out! Anything for a quick buck.

  22. Kobilicious said

    July 19, 2012 @ 2:40 pm

    If not for Kobi, competitive eating would be paid much less attention to than it is now.

  23. Anonymous said

    July 19, 2012 @ 3:03 pm

    Does anyone think the Shea’s are not in this for the money & because its a hell of a lot more fun & easier than commercial real estate?

  24. Anonymous said

    July 20, 2012 @ 12:00 am

    You want to talk the Shea’s or MLE? Fact is – the Shea’s made Koby! If it wasn’t for them he’d be on a “wipe out” style Asian tv series eating against an animal still. CE is an American sport. It’s been around as long as we’ve all been alive and LONGER. People have gone to state fairs and watched as well as participated in these events. Pies, hot dogs, ice cream… It’s the sport of gluttony Americans are famous for. If you think for a minute that this selfish s.o.b is responsible for “people paying attention to competitive eating” you have no business in this sport. He will NEVER compete in a high caliber level contest with other “pro eaters” again. Without the MLE he goes up against no named shlubs who he will burry. How many times can he do that before people stop caring? Mmm… Crif Dog = loss of interest by fans. Then I guarantee his “ferocious competitor” at this NY state fair act is another animal. Up against a bear again probably. He will continue on to do stunts as a solo act until people loose interest completely. At that point you are no longer a competitive eater. You are an exhibitionist. A circus freak. That’s when the unique skills visa gets revoked. Does Japan have an unemployment line? Guess we can ask him later.

  25. anonymous said

    July 20, 2012 @ 1:41 am

    I watch a great deal of Asian porno on the net and i could swear Kobi is a dead ringer for this japanese porn star. I would link the video but porn is not related to comp eating

  26. Anonymous said

    July 20, 2012 @ 2:03 am

    @1:41 remember he isn’t gay, he’s Japanese. It’s different. I’d link the video, but he isn’t really related to CE.

  27. Anonymous said

    July 20, 2012 @ 11:18 am

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha this is so funny.

  28. Speedy said

    July 20, 2012 @ 1:08 pm

    Congrats Kobayashi! You are loved.

  29. Anonymous said

    July 24, 2012 @ 2:18 am

    This was great PURE CE entertainment on this very pg Love the enthusiasm everybody’s displaying

  30. anonymous said

    July 24, 2012 @ 10:13 am

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqE2PM6rUAo

    I did it for you

  31. Buy Tapentadol Online said (Comment pending approval)

    March 9, 2024 @ 7:57 pm

    It’s truly very complex in this active life to listen news on Television, thus I
    just use world wide web for that reason, and
    get the latest information.

RSS feed for comments on this post · TrackBack URI

Leave a Comment

Log in | Register | Comments by users who have not logged in will be held for approval