Kobayashi wins 2012 Crif Dog Classic with 58.5 after plate recount
update July 5 The RecordSetter twitter announces Kobayashi’s official total is 58.5 and not 68.5 due to a plate miscount
Results from Crif Dog Classic
1) Takeru Kobayashi 68.5
2T) Tom Gilbert 31
2T) Stephanie Torres 31
4) Dave Brunelli 29
5) Pat Philbin 26 26.5
6) “Furious” Pete Czerwinski 25
7) Dave “US Male” Goldstein 23.5
8) Johnnie Excel 25 23
9) Brad Sciullo 20.5 19
3:25 Dave Brunelli 29, Pat Philbin 26, Brad Sciullo 20.5, Dave Goldstien 23.5
3:24 Tom Gilbert and Stephanie Torres tied for 2nd with 31.
3:23 Kobayashi’s total has been increased to 68.5
3:22 Stephanie Torres’ total has been announced at 31, making her the 3rd woman with a 30+ total
3:20 The contest is over. Kobayashi’s counter has gone down to 68.
3:19 Kobayashi now has 69 hot dogs
3:18 Kobayashi has 66 with one minute left
3:14 At the halfway point Kobayashi has 39. US male 18, Brad Scuillo 13
3:09 The contest has started 20 minutes after completion of introductions. No clock is visible.
2:57 Kobayashi is flanked by Brad Sciullo and Dave Goldstein. Pete Czerwinski and Tom Gilbert are probably most deserving of that honor.
2:50 Introductions are done.
2:45 Introductions are almost complete.
The contest is expected to take place between 2 and 3 eastern. The contest is being streamed at http://www.ustream.tv/crifdogclassic A band has just finished its set.
Personal bests of Crif Dog Classic field in 10-12 minute hot dog eating contests
| 2009 Jul 4 | 2nd | 64.5 | 10 min | Takeru Kobayashi | Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest | Brooklyn, NY |
| 2010 Sep 6 | 1st | 34.5 | 12 min | Tom “Goose” Gilbert | West Coast Hot Dog Eating Finals | Mission Viejo, CA |
| 2010 Sep 6 | 2nd | 33 | 12 min | “Furious” Pete Czerwinski | West Coast Hot Dog Eating Finals | Mission Viejo, CA |
| 2009 Jun 20 | 2nd | 32 | 10 min | Pat “from Moonachie” Philbin | Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest qualifier | Queens, NY |
| 2011 Jul 4 | 3rd | 28.5 | 10 min | Stephanie “Xanadu” Torres | Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest – women | Brooklyn, NY |
| 2007 Jun 28 | 2nd | 26.5 | 12 min | Brad “The Lunatic” Sciullo | Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest qualifier | West Chester, PA |
| 2010 Jul 4 | 3rd | 24.5 | 10 min | David “Tiger Wings and Things” Brunelli | Hot Dog Eating Contest | Ocean City, MD |
| 2010 May 29 | 5th | 20 | 10 min | Dave “U. S. Male” Goldstein | Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest qualifier | Atlantic City, NJ |
| 2010 Sep 6 | 3rd | 20 | 12 min | Johnnie Excel | West Coast Hot Dog Eating Finals | Mission Viejo, CA |
Money won by field since July 4, 2011 according to eatfeats database
| $33,000.00 | Takeru Kobayashi |
| $15,083.33 | “Furious” Pete Czerwinski |
| $8,550.00 | Stephanie “Xanadu” Torres |
| $7,983.33 | David “Tiger Wings and Things” Brunelli |
| $7,050.00 | Tom “Goose” Gilbert |
| $5,000.00 | Johnnie Excel |
| $550.00 | Pat “from Moonachie” Philbin |
| $500.00 | Brad “The Lunatic” Sciullo |
| $100.00 | Dave “U. S. Male” Goldstein |
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Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 2:30 pm
What a joke. The “judges” for this contest admit they have no idea what they are looking for. They are going to judge on originality and style. That’s perfect for this 2nd rate spectacle.
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 2:54 pm
Might as well let Brian and Jo Rose judge.
Tip said
July 4, 2012 @ 2:57 pm
The time was moved to take place after Nathan’s so Kobi could make arrangements to see the totals so he could make necessary arrangements to beat whatever number Joey put up.
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 3:03 pm
Anon 2:30, you are soooo right. No organization at all. They brought out all of the eaters and the host was talking to them all, then she said, “Enough with these guys, now for the real deal,” referring to Kobi who they had as a table ender. Apparently Pete, Male, Steph, Johnny, and Brad are NOBODY. They are only there as a joke to fill up the already too full table. They were asking for people out of the crowd to be counters. Then Maggie James had to tell these people how to run their contest so that her meal ticket can come out on top. Rediculous.
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 3:07 pm
I was willing to watch the grainy live stream of this but now the crystal clear ESPN coverage of Nathans is on, so SEE YA CRIF DOG.
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 3:08 pm
Like I said- with Kobi the fix is ALWAYS in. He makes sure his contract states he is the winner. I have a friend who works for a different indie event who told me for a fact. they should’ve had Sir Snorts-a-lot be a judge. At least he knows what he’s doing. That’s the justice furious puke deserves for running his big mouth and being a douche. Hahahaha crif dog – what a world wide joke. I say let us male take the win.
Tip said
July 4, 2012 @ 3:28 pm
See. Had Joey eaten 70. Kobi’s total would be 70.5 or more.
Interesting said
July 4, 2012 @ 5:08 pm
Two biggest surprises were Pete’s lower than expected total and Brad showing up.
Pat from Moonachie said
July 4, 2012 @ 5:24 pm
FYI, I had 26.25
BigWillTheChamp said (Registered February 1, 2009)
July 4, 2012 @ 6:00 pm
Wow. What a shit show. The announcers were awful. The fake guinness record people suck. The introductions lacked ANY energy, even koby’s.
I was offered a spot, talked to a few people about whether I should take it and ultimately declined. Looked like that was a good decision.
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 6:13 pm
How is it the Kobi is so great and yet he ate less than his Nathan’s record… With more time than Nathan’s? Pete came is tied for 6? 2 & 3 were tied like 30 under Kobi? At least when they pad Kobi’s numbers they should have someone come close. He should trade in that special skills visa and go back to Japan. He’s no Jaws and never will be even with his .5 hot dog. This thing looked like a waste of my time as a viewer and a total waste for the participants. Way to grt embarrassed on purpose people. Should’ve just won the contests you usually do. Independant idiots.
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 6:25 pm
Thanks for your honesty Pat
Interesting said
July 4, 2012 @ 6:29 pm
Furious Pete didn’t seem too furious in this event.
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 6:39 pm
Johnnie ate 23 hot dogs. Pete did a contest yesterday.
beautifulbrian said
July 4, 2012 @ 6:41 pm
Good people to chat with such as Pete Brad Excell Gilbert US Male . Aside from that very poorly orchestrated very unorganized . No refreshments for the guests. Hot dogs were $6 slice of pizza almost the same . Wait time was way too extensive nearly passed out cause of the oppressive heat. Had to beg for a cup of water or they might have charged me for that too. Young lady whom i was chatting with told me she paid $80 admission. You got to be kidding , Thanks to US Male for getting me in as a guest Much appreciated
Pat from Moonachie said
July 4, 2012 @ 6:49 pm
Yeah, i’m an Independent Idiot .. 2 contests = $1,300. …Well, Duhhh!
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 7:01 pm
lets see if any of them besides koby gets paid….anyone wanna take bets?
A-Bomb said (Registered May 7, 2009)
July 4, 2012 @ 7:06 pm
Love that extra .5!
Sad said
July 4, 2012 @ 7:34 pm
I didn’t think it was possible but this is more pathetic than last year’s stunt.
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 7:57 pm
@701 yea u might be right…did any eaters actually get paid yet?
anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 8:19 pm
The only good thing about this contest was BB interviews
Dang said
July 4, 2012 @ 10:34 pm
The west coast hot dog contest was waaay more organized and entertaining
Anonymous said
July 4, 2012 @ 10:45 pm
Fix those totals. Philbin 26.5 Excel 23 Sciullo 19.
ButtKicker said (Registered June 26, 2012)
July 5, 2012 @ 12:41 am
Congrats to Kobi! A new world record!
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
July 5, 2012 @ 7:34 am
I’m looking forward to the BB interviews.
Regarding the Crif Dog Classic, had it not been for eatfeats, I would not have known it was taking place or who was in it.
This article pretty much says it all:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1247333-crif-dog-classic-2012-why-this-competition-cant-compare-to-nathans
SPBBBBMBBSTBarlow said
July 5, 2012 @ 8:20 am
This was a field of very good eaters….give them time, they will probably get the “sideshow”, judging, counters, etc figured out…show certainly needs a lot of improvement, but so do most contests in their infancy….$80 for admission? Hope that wasn’t true, that’s insane! MLE is safe for now, but I could see this developing into a threat
papagorgio said (Registered December 30, 2008)
July 5, 2012 @ 9:04 am
Pete on his Facebook said that he had issues at crif dog due to him doing back to back contests. He won the zBurger contest with 15 burgers. That is a lot of burgers less than 24 hours before crif dog.
Gentleman Joe said (Registered December 8, 2005)
July 5, 2012 @ 10:43 am
Recordsetter just gained some credibility, at least in my eyes. mle wouldn’t admit such an error, especially a day after the contest.
The girl who paid $80. must have gotten her ticket from me. 🙂
In the past I had to wait over a month to get paid money from ifoce & i’m still waiting on 120lbs of hotdogs.
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
July 5, 2012 @ 10:59 am
I just noticed that GJoe (recordsetter announcing the 10-HDB error in Koby’s count). I wonder what affiliation RS has with Crif Dogs.
I’m sure Koby is not a Happy Camper. As such, to recoup some swallowed pride, he’ll probably do another roof top challenge to prove himself, once he secures an “official” counter.
I know it’s awful of me to question Koby’s integrity like that, but as great as he is, I think he’s becoming desperate to reclaim faded glory. Sort of like Al Bundy recounting the day he scored four TDs in one game at Polk High. (“I strode onto the field …”)
I wish he’d cut it out, ’cause my regard for him is waning, month-by-month, at an increasing rate.
Anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 11:30 am
GJoe stands by what he writes and made his choice to leave MLE and pursued on his own what to do in competitive eating. He has not looked back.
It looks like the publicity for the Crif event was far better than the reality by a huge amount. Just no comparison whatsoever with Nathans, likely never will be, they do not have the funds period. The contest was organized and run by Kobayashi’s manager, it seems, and she was rounding up counters at the last minute. Who actually made money besides Kobayashi and Robertas and whatever other prize money was paid out? How many people attended at $10 a ticket etc. Actually Crif’s really had not much to lose with this venture, Kobayashi may have won or received money but lost a huge amount of his already dwindling respect, imo. Even his manager said that in an interview, that they were both hurt by losing fans and wanted to tell “the truth” about his dispute with Nathans. It seems as if more information became available about the contract and imo Kobayashi had very different expectations when he came to the US on a long term visa and discussed nothing with MLE before that. That combined with advice from his translator become manager continues to have him spiraling downward. If he would just do other events and forget about July 4th a hotdog record he would be far better off. His visa would be safe, could be renewed etc.
Hells Angels Headquarters said
July 5, 2012 @ 12:38 pm
Thumbs up to the Sheas (i think) for banning the mental case pervs of this world from showing up at Nathans. Kudos to Criff dog owner for vowing that if anyone dared cause disruption , they would be thrown out head first by 10 mean looking security guards in plain clothes. Let that be a lesson in the future to anyone with a filthy mouth looking for trouble
Pat from Moonachie said
July 5, 2012 @ 12:45 pm
Rhonda, i’m just curious, in your perfect world scenario, what is Koby supposed to do ..not eat hot dogs on the 4th? ..sign the mle contract? ..retire? ..or what?..keep in mind that he’s making more money doing what he’s doing.
Crifdog etiquette said
July 5, 2012 @ 12:57 pm
To those MLE asskissers that were put on a VIP list for Crif but thought it would be better to score brownie pts with MLE because they moved up or debut in the rankings, you show no class whatsoever. Next time show a little character and come up with an excuse even if its a fake one instead of ignoring text messages and phone calls Geeez
Anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 1:16 pm
Why would anyone in MLE attend Crif? Once again Hells angels and crifdog sounds like the always self-serving BB saying he would get the real truth from Kobayashi. Really, how ridiculous. Lots of eaters in MLE treated BB very well and forgave him many things, so did many fans, but now they are falling by the wayside just like Koby. Does Koby try to stay in touch with MLE eaters? Let’s get real. And I doubt Koby is making more money than he would have if still with MLE.
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
July 5, 2012 @ 1:27 pm
Pat, it’s what he does–challenging MLE records after the fact, and then claiming a new record, etc. Then he goes public saying he wasn’t paid “x” amount of dollars. He is on a path promoting disrespect toward him, which saddens me, because I always held him in the absolute highest regard, even for a year or so after he elected to not re-sign with MLE.
I don’t blame him for not signing the contract (though I think he is stupid for not doing so, at least from a financial standpoint). I also don’t blame him for eating HDBs on the 4th, especially with the $s he is getting.
Pat from Moonachie said
July 5, 2012 @ 2:10 pm
I guess then any food he eats where there’s an “MLE Record” he shouldn’t eat or he’s “challenging” them? ..what foods can he or can’t he eat? ..I see Kobi as doing his own thing and everyone ELSE is bringing up comparisons to the MLE ..mostly anonymous people with an agenda ..Having not seen his contract with The MLE, I can’t comment ..it comes down to if the appearance fee and prize money were separate issues ..if an interviewer asks him about his contract can’t he comment?..interviewers are trying to create controversy ..Oh, and where are all the shit-talkers that said Crif Dogs was just a big setup for Kobi..I guess not, huh?
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
July 5, 2012 @ 2:38 pm
It seems to me, and I’ve said this before, that if Koby were still in MLE he would be raking in upwards of $80K a year in prize money alone. He’d win 1/2 to 2/3 of the contests he entered and would get second place money in the remainder of the events.
Also, because he’s the most recognixed name and face in CE, he would be in such high demand that his presence alone would command appearance fees, and would likely lead to small to substantial purse increases.
I thought that was the whole reason for coming to the US. After hearing that Koby wouldn’t sign, I imagine every eater in the MLE top 10 spouted forth a collective, WHEW!”
He needs to fire his “manager,” or get one who knows what he/she is doing.
anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 3:20 pm
Rhonda, I think part of the issue with his particular contract was that in lieu of any prize money, he would be guaranteed an appearance fee. It’s like buying a car, getting $6000 guaranteed for your trade-in, but you need to sign any rebates over to the dealer. He is no longer number one, so he can’t demand the $100,000 he apparently got before the 2010-2011 contract debacle.
anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 5:26 pm
CNN is now carrying the wrong count story. Koby, why?
Anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 5:56 pm
Well Pat, while there are points made, how can you say that it wasn’t a certainty that Kobi would win without having the competition of the top MLE Joey plus Pat, X, (Stonie pushing as well). He could not very well eat by himself again, could he? Already did that. And to say in his interview that he was the #1, that Joey could just come to Crif and prove him otherwise, also ridiculous. Even if you did not see his contract with MLE, you had one, and he gave out lots of information in his last interview. You can draw some pretty clear conclusions. But then you are writing a tell all book right? Well, anyone who writes only tells the story from their perspective just like I am doing commenting here. Good Luck Pat, think you have chosen well, cannot say the same for Kobayashi.
Anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 6:12 pm
5:26, thank you, just further embarrassment for Kobayashi.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/05/us/new-york-competitve-hot-dog-eating/index.html
Anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 6:18 pm
If you watch the video, a plate recount isnt enough. The plates for all the other eaters had 6 hot dogs and buns. The ones for Kobayashi sometimes had 4 or 5
Anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 6:33 pm
Beautiful Brian reports about this contest. Stephanie Torres snubs him again after all he did for her. She should be thanking him for all he did to help her
Pat from Moonachie said
July 5, 2012 @ 6:50 pm
Anon 5:56, Unless lightening strategically struck during these contests, nobody was gonna beat Joey at Nathan’s or Kobi at Crif Dogs ..2nd place at Nathan’s was like 15 dogs behind..Crifs, 27 or 37 (up for debate) ..you call THAT competition? ..neither contest was even close..one is The Joey Show and the other is The Kobi Show …and have you ever read a contract? ..the devil is in the details!..one word can change the whole meaning…what’s the definition of an appearance fee verses potential winnings..that whole “If you win, we recoup our money” ..that’s REAL good for competition, now isn’t it?
Pat from Moonachie said
July 5, 2012 @ 6:52 pm
Oh..and there shall be no book ..it’s my running gag..i’d tell ya about it but you’ll have to buy the book!
Anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 6:57 pm
Just watched the Ustream recording of the Crif Dog Event. SO many disparities between that event and Nathan’s.
1.) Maggie James herself said there were six dogs on a plate.
2.) The dogs appeared to be skinless. Huge difference in competition between eating skinless dogs and natural casing.
3.) What’s with the huge bowls for dunking? Everybody at Nathan’s has to use the standard 32 ounce cup, regardless whether your fist fits in it or not.
Even if the counts were accurate, you’re comparing apples to oranges.
Anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 6:58 pm
Yeah everybody owes Brian and in his mind their tabs pile up every day. Nothing comes free from that dude.
Anonymous said
July 5, 2012 @ 6:59 pm
Oh, and what about no touching of the food before the competition? Kobi was moving the HDBs around, taking them out of the buns, etc.
Anonymous said
July 6, 2012 @ 8:30 am
Now I am feeling sorry for Kobayashi. I know it sounds a bit ridiculous, he did win $15,000. But his manager clearly does not manage things well. After the various interviews she gave before the contest, it will be interesting to see how she handles the miscount. No matter what the response, it definitely isn’t good for Kobayashi, for his reputation, for his ego, all around just a big problem.
Anonymous said
July 6, 2012 @ 8:46 am
At Crif Dog there was only 20 oz cups . Each contestant had 3 or 4 . Not a dozen 32 oz cups.
anonymous said
July 6, 2012 @ 8:48 am
Kobayashi is still upset that he never competed in Go Go Curry
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
July 6, 2012 @ 9:27 am
It is a shame that BB always thinks he is “owed” when he does something nice for someone, even when that person hasn’t asked him for anything. I think BB has a good heart, deep down, and he has done lots of decent, heart-warming things via his site and other forms of media through the years.
However, his good deeds always seem to be conditional, which sends the unspoken, but heavily implied message, “Hey, remember the feature (or whatever) I did on you last year, I now expect you to repay me on MY terms, or I’ll let everyone know what I think of you.”
That sends the wrong message.
Anonymous said
July 6, 2012 @ 9:39 am
Stephanie owes alot to Brian. He helped her he gaver her the hotdogs to practice with friended her on facebook and chatted with her when no one else would. The way she repays him is by snubing him when he goes to do interviews with all the eaters. All the other eaters talked to him and thanked him she was the only one who didnt
Anonymous said
July 6, 2012 @ 9:53 am
@8:46 – Perhaps you should view the video of this sham of a contest. Yes, the eaters had 20 ounce cups to DRINK from, but what about the huge blue and green containers they were dipping their HDBs in? The Nathan’s competitors may have had a dozen cups, but they were for both dunking and drinking.
Better judging said
July 6, 2012 @ 10:12 am
With all the eaters involved, the time they had to get this contest together and the amount of prize money involved you would think that the contest would have been more orginized and have a better juding system. At one point I saw one of the hot dog counter girls take a plate away from Brad Sciullo (man, that kid gained weight)… you would think they would have a counter in front and a flipper in the back. The huge bucket to dunk wasn’t the first time we’ve seen that, they also did that in the West Coast Derby Deli, I almost wonder if that’s Kobi’s prefrence, but on the flip side, who is to say you need 32oz cups to dunk and drink from. A bucket to dunk and cups to drink doesn’t sound that far fetched.
I understand that this was the first year, so there will be growing pains. The IFOCE has been doing this for what a little over 20 years and they still have shitty judging (Hooters anyone… Nathan’s 2010 J. Lee reported 27HDB’s but later her judge blogged about how she only ate 23… and lets not forget Lerman’s 3rd place win over Hardy 8 years ago, lol). This contest can succeed, as there were some good eaters there, interest and more coverage then most IFOCE contest (sure not even close to the level of Nathan’s but thats been established for years now). Crifs just need to fine tune it a little better, maybe take a couple thousand dollars away from the 1st place winner and invest it into a legit emcee and judges.
beautifulbrian said
July 6, 2012 @ 11:05 am
Stephanie ignoring me at Criff was probably well justified. Ignoring me at Nathans last year was not. I was actually on good terms with her at that point. I am not the only one. Others in the past (not Crif dog) have told me she walked right by them without saying a word. If those actions are considered socially acceptable in NM then so be it. Welcome to the good old US of A I still wish her well. . Honestly who cares. For the record i never lost a wink of sleep over it. Shes not my girfriend. Heaven help the guy that hooked up with her .
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
July 6, 2012 @ 11:34 am
Brian I can understand your feelings about that. I’ve come to realize, however, that some people are very hard to read. Yet others act like they don’t know you (me and everyone included), and you say to yourself, WTH did I too to him or her? Where I work there are two people whom I will say Hi too and they both will look right at me and not say a word; neither are dumb, either. I mentioned it to others I work with and one of them does that to everyone. That’s just his way.
Also, for whatever reason, whether it’s because one person reminds another of someone they can’t stand, or whether it’s because of something else, some folks just aren’t going to like someone else, regardless. It used to bother me, but I’ve encountered a handful of people like that over the last year or so, and I just ignore them. Trying to analyze their behavior is not worth the time and certainly not the worry.
anonymous said
July 6, 2012 @ 11:53 am
If someone says hi to you and you look at them without a response , it better be because you had a major issue with that individual or its quite obvious that you have major screw loose in your brain
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
July 6, 2012 @ 11:53 am
Better Judging makes a lot of sense. The only alteration I’d make is instead they need to “fine tune” the event better, it seems that Crifs needs to be much better organized before it can be fine tuned or tweaked.
The intent to make this a legitimate contest seems to be there. As BJ alluded to, the IFOCE has been doing this for a couple of decades and they still have much fine tuning to do.
anonymous said
July 6, 2012 @ 1:33 pm
One wonders if Koby ever beat Joey.I don’t respect Koby anymore,but he still a good eater..If your goint to cheat, you have to learn to be better at it..
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
July 6, 2012 @ 2:03 pm
One thing Koby is not is a cheater. It takes class to say what he said in this article:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/05/us/new-york-competitve-hot-dog-eating/index.html
I’m starting to gain back a measure of the enormous respect I had for him. I hope he continues to excel and simply give credit where credit is due. That’s my wish.
No one on this earth has done as much as Takeru Kobayashi in putting CE as we know it on the map, and fans and eaters alike owe him a debt of gratitude. Regardles of what I say out of pent-up emotion, that’s how I honestly feel about him.
Metamorphosis said
July 6, 2012 @ 2:52 pm
Seiken is a stand up guy in person, but when he gets on the net things go downhill fast.
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