Gluttony is the topic of columnist Steve Rushin in the current issue of Sports Illustrated (subscription required to read column online). The second half of his column is devoted to competitive eating. Crazy Legs Conti, described as a lean former three sport letterman at Johns Hopkins, says he once ate himself out of a sarcophagus filled with popcorn and that to win a bet, the only calories he received for a week came from Guinness. Rushin makes two mistakes: he says the upcoming corned beef contest will be on Saint Patrick’s Day (it is actually on the 16th) and that Kobayashi weighs 132 pounds (he was almost 40 pounds heavier at the Krystal Square Off finals.)

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The undelicious blog, a food blog based in southeastern Wisconsin, does not agree with Clarence Mertz’s claim that his referendum would pass by a 10:1 ratio.

Mertz’s requested referendum has put competitive eating in the news during a period of few contests. Many newspapers have picked up the AP article about the contest.

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The official IFOCE rankings have not been updated since September. I am going to do a series of posts providing information about the rankings which will help anyone who wants to create a more up to date listing.

I have not been able to find any information that the following eaters have competed since the US Open last July or earlier. This does not imply that the following eaters should be dropped from the rankings.

#13 Dale Boone
#17 Oleg Zhornitskiy
#29 Leon Feingold
#31 Randy Harrison
#32 Bill “Pit” Pendleton
#33 Lynn Curley
#37 Ken Tittle
#38 Cade Hardin
#41 Jason Kokoszka
#42 Ed Taboada, Jr.
#47 “Collard Green” Hughes
#48 Bob Ford
#49 Robert Brooks

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This column by Rick Horowitz from 1997 states that Clarence Mertz has been trying to stop the Sheboygan Bratwurst Eating Contest for almost a decade. In 1996, only five local competitors entered and the vomiting = disqualification rule was not in effect.

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While IFOCE.com does not provide the dates of the Nathan’s qualifiers, the registration page on Nathan’s website does list the schedule. Registration has opened and slots will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Competitors are limited to three qualifiers. The calendar for the qualifiers is:

April 15 — Florida Panthers, Sunrise, FL
May 18 — New York, New York Casino, Las Vegas, NV
May 20 — Nathan’s, E. Hartford, CT
May 27 — Independence Mall, Philadelphia, PA
June 4 — Arizona Mills Mall, Tempe, AZ
June 10 — MacArthur Center Mall, Norfolk, VA
June 17 — Mall of America, Bloomington, MN
June 18 — NY Mets-Shea, Queens, NY
June 23 — Molly Pitcher Travel Plaza, Cranbury, NJ
June 24 — Century Theaters, San Francisco, CA
June 24 — Long Island Ducks Stadium, Central Islip, NY
June 24 — Zoo Atlanta , Atlanta, GA
June 27 — Civil Service, South Street Seaport, NY

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Simon has informed me that he has founded the first competitive eating organization in the United Kingdom:

Hi – Simon here from CEUK – the UK’s only CE organisation. We have been formed
to promote the CE scene in the UK. I’d love to hear from you in the US with
advice and thoughts on how we can get the UK interested in CE.

The website for the CEUK can be found at http://www.freewebs.com/ceuk/index.htm and its blog is located at http://www.freewebs.com/ceuk/myblog.htm

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Several paczki (polish pastries similar to filled doughnuts) contests were held throughout the country yesterday in honor of Fat Tuesday. The Connecticut Post reports that “Gentleman” Joe Menchetti won a contest at Eddy’s Bakery in Ansonia for the third straight year by eating 11 paczkis in 5 minutes. The Muskegon Chronicle reports that petite teenager Valerie Wilcox won a contest by consuming 5 paczkis in three minutes. She was tied with Trent Swanson at the end of regulation, but he capitulated in the overtime period.

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The Sheboygan Press reports than Clarence Mertz, a former Sheboygan city attorney, has requested that the city hold a referendum to decide if the city will continue to hold the Johnsonville Bratwurst contest during the Bratwurst Days Festival. The contest is sponsored by the Sheboygan Jaycee’s and not the city of Sheboygan, so it is not clear what authority the city has to prohibit the contest. The festival generated a $30,000 profit last year and lost money before it had a sanctioned bratwurst contest.

Updated 11:07 AM
The Duluth News Tribune has an AP article about the dispute which mentions that Sheboygan County Clerk Julie Glancey said it was too late to get an advisory referendum on the April ballot. The next possible referendum could not occur until September, one month after the August contest.

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