The new poll asks if you think if there should be a minimum number of hot dogs a Nathan's qualifier winner must eat to advance to the finals.

May 10, 2010 at 3:57 pm by ojrifkin · More posts about:2010 Nathan's Hot Dog Contest | Permalink * Comments (35)

35 Comments »

  1. Anonymous said

    May 10, 2010 @ 4:55 pm

    Either you win the f &*%ing thing or you don’t. And if you win you qualify for Coney.

  2. wrecking ball said

    May 10, 2010 @ 5:12 pm

    no, if you win you should be in! all competitors were at an equal advantage during the competition and the best eater that day won! anyone could have signed up at any qualifier they wanted to, sometimes it just luck of the draw who you will be competing against! basically the fourth of july is winners of qualifiers trying to catch chestnut and kobashi anyway, so just put the winner in! bryan deserves to be there!

  3. Gentleman Joe said (Registered December 8, 2005)

    May 10, 2010 @ 5:41 pm

    There has been a qualifier for yrs @ UMass.

    I think its for students only.

    It has had a minimum of 16 hdb’s in the past to go to Coney.

    I don’t disagree w/a minimum.

    These days 20 hdb’s seems reasonable.

  4. Anonymous said

    May 10, 2010 @ 5:43 pm

    30

  5. tiger wings and things said

    May 10, 2010 @ 6:07 pm

    there has to be a min. what happens if monson gets sick in vegas. 13 hdb’s gets a seat at coney.

  6. gastroboy said

    May 10, 2010 @ 6:46 pm

    Setting a minimun number of hotdogs seems like a good idea at first, because that guarantees that everyone in the finals will put on decent numbers, but any fixed number will turn to be unfair for a handful of eaters: those that don’t reach that number in a qualifier and those eating more than that number in a qualifier they lost. That minimun should be set by the competitors. If the 16th best mark(supposing there are 16 spots free in the finals) is 25 hotdogs, those 16 eater that performed better should be in the finals. If that solution is not viable for travelling plans or something, then i’d rather not mess things up.

  7. Anonymous said

    May 10, 2010 @ 6:51 pm

    Anything to be controversial Joseph. thata some f===ed up way to get attention/.

  8. Anonymous said

    May 10, 2010 @ 7:45 pm

    It depends on what kind of dogs are served.Two years ago Rich LeFevre was given quarter pounders in Tempe and qualified with low numbers,other qualifiers serve hotdogs with skin ( and the wont snap ) while others serve the hotdogs grilled perfectly..So what can you do?

  9. Ray said

    May 10, 2010 @ 8:04 pm

    The winner goes to Coney .Thats the way it has been since the inception.

  10. Gentleman Joe said (Registered December 8, 2005)

    May 10, 2010 @ 9:19 pm

    Things don’t always continue as they have always been.

    The contest itself has been dropped from 12 min to 10 min.

    There is a history of a minimum. (thru the example provided previously)

    A minimum makes sense from a financial standpoint & from a competitive one.

    If you have people that can’t reach 20, all you’ll get later is MORE complaints about not getting tv coverage.

  11. Anonymous said

    May 10, 2010 @ 9:56 pm

    Joe, Finally a guy with a level headed opinion about this issue. It was clearly stated in the rules that to get to the final table 20 HDB’s must be eaten. I totally agree with you that a minimum of 20 to qualify is a good number. It makes for a more competitive final table on the 4th. Bryan Beard and his 18, a mere 2 away from there being no controversy at all.

  12. Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)

    May 10, 2010 @ 10:03 pm

    Clearly there was some environmental factor (prep or weather) that kept the numbers lower in San Jose. Really doesnt matter though. 90% of life is showing up. If you took the time to figure out the best contest to go to, and you showed up, and you won, than bully for you. You are the winner.

    If I showed up and managed 19 dogs, than I would be the champion. But I didnt and neither did any of you.

    And lets be real for a moment. Most of the people who qualify this year are gonna be high 20’s or better and they still dont have a shot of winning a penny any more than Jed Donohue did with only eating 1.

    Congrats Big Sexy on your table win. I hope they let you go to Coney, and I hope you have an awesome time!!!!!

  13. Minimum... under minimum conditions said

    May 10, 2010 @ 10:16 pm

    This is a stupid question. The real question is what the minimum is for IFOCE eaters. But even of the 10 or 12 or however many who qualify, there are some who will NEVER win. Yet, they qualify almost every time. Just because they are IFOCE members and because IFOCE does not allow any other qualifiers. Just 2 wildcards. Just as an example, Booker almost always qualifies. And I’m VERY sorry to take him as an example because he’s a great guy, but he has no chance of winning or even getting close. Meanwhile, others who DO have a chance of ending up in the top 3 are not even allowed to enter in a qualifier. Unfortunately for the “sport” of Competitive Eating, IFOCE is turning into WLOCE… Dale Boone being the world champion even if he loses all the time.

    If this is about being a true WORLD CHAMPION, then let AT LEAST let a loser like Boone JUST compete. And let Furious Pete compete. And Gentleman Joe. Alas, just like Boone is always the World Champion in his own organisation, so does IFOCE make their artificial rankings. Why don’t the Shay brothers publish how they “calculate” their rankings? Err… because they do NOT calculate. They just choose. NOTHING to do with the best competitive eater in the world.

    Unfortunately, there is NO organisation in the world of CE that uses anywhere NEAR measurable standards. It’s all a sham. A Sham. A Shaym.

    And the Shay brothers are using this sham to get rich fast…

    So sad.

  14. Larellmarie said (Registered May 9, 2010)

    May 10, 2010 @ 11:25 pm

    I don’t agree with the 20 minimum and was actually quite surprised and disappointed (since I don’t see myself eating that amount EVER lol) to see that on the registration confirmation email. However, since it was alrady stated that eaters had to manage at least 20 this year, it is what it is! It would be unfair to change a rule after the fact. Next year perhaps will be a different story.

  15. Yonger said

    May 11, 2010 @ 12:02 am

    Too bad about the rule.I agree Ray you win your in

  16. Anonymous said

    May 11, 2010 @ 1:24 am

    Remember IFOCE picks who goes where. Some have signed up within seconds of the time only to be told all the spots were filled while others who sign up days later, for the same spot, get in. IFOCE can pick high number eaters to compete and beat out lower ranked eaters and they can stack the deck the other way by picking low number or new eaters that can can give basically a free pass to Coney. It happens in so many eating contests. It happens with IFOCE, WLOCE and others.

  17. deleted said

    May 11, 2010 @ 8:19 am

    I have been to several hot dog qualifiers that have been MC’d by the Shea brothers as well as others and they make points of saying keep it clean (debris), no physical contact while at the table (nudging, pushing, etc) and absolutely no throwing up.
    So, why is it that they cannot just interject the whole notion that a win is only a win if you eat 20 dogs or more.
    There has to be instances where there have been and will be contests where the eater who wins will not make 20. It seems like the worst outcome to feel like you have won, but really you didn’t.
    I understand that Coney Island is regarded highly and I am sure it is not unreasonable to expect that most eaters can do 20, but that was not the case.
    I am not a well versed sports enthusiast, but I have never heard of sports where the winner does not get the prize.
    Seems a little too nitpicking for a sport that seems to make so many other exceptions when it suits them.

  18. A-Bomb said (Registered May 7, 2009)

    May 11, 2010 @ 8:20 am

    The “rule” is stupid. Steak kind of pointed to the environmental factors. Because every qualifier can be different, there’s no way to lump them all under one umbrella rule and apply that rule to each one. In one qualifier, the buns could be dry and crumbly, and maybe steamy and soft in another. Could be a rainy day at one, sunny at another. And we as eaters know environment or food preparation matters so much.

    The IFOCE, WLOCE, AICE thing. Give that up. The Superbowl is NFL only. Yet it is a “World Championship”. Only PGA pros can win the PGA Championship.

    If Bryan and Ryan had not been there, Legs would’ve won with 16. Would the Sheas not let him in?

    But as Munch says, this is eating.

  19. Mega Munch said

    May 11, 2010 @ 9:06 am

    Yeah, Steak and A-Bomb have good points about environmental factors. I don’t think there should be a 20 HDB rule. I’m not even sure what the purpose of that is. Maybe to cover the Shea’s asses in case they have a qualifier that’s low on talent and something happens to the only two ranked eaters who were scheduled to compete in that qualifier. Next thing you know, you’ve got a local going to Coney Island after eating 13.5 HDBs. Actually, would that be so horrible? They’ve had less deserving people at the big table in Coney before.

    “Minimum” had a good point about welcoming ALL eaters to determine who is truly the “World Champion”. I don’t expect the IFOCE to suddenly open their doors to everyone, but how cool would it be to have one event, once a year that’s open to EVERYONE. Joey and B.O.B. and Pat finally sharing a table with GJoe, Pete, and the Invader. And yes, even Dale Boone, just to make things interesting. How awesome would that be?

  20. tiger wings and things said

    May 11, 2010 @ 9:36 am

    the rule was stated before hand. it would be unfair to change it now. can’t change it because it actually happens. y put out a memo in the first place?

  21. Too dumb said

    May 11, 2010 @ 10:02 am

    It’s not about being “World Champion.” It’s not about the best eater in the world, so stop wetting yourself. The reason MM, A-Bomb, and “Minimum” don’t get it is they were never really eaters to begin with, so they never had to figure out that this is a (sometimes) entertaining promotional stunt. There’s nothing “awesome” or “sad” about it. At least GJoe knew enough to walk away because the deal wasn’t right for him. The other geniuses here came close to having the choice – they think this is a sport. Actually, that’s the sad part. If you’re a professional anything, you do what you’re paid to do. Looks like somebody didn’t do it this time, but stop playing “ain’t it awful?”

  22. gastroboy said

    May 11, 2010 @ 10:34 am

    Oh, i didn’t know a minimun was stated beforehand. Then be it, but i still think it’s a bad rule. If Pat ate 26 hdbs in his qualifier last year, who can qualify under the same conditions? Just a handful of eaters.

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

    May 11, 2010 @ 10:51 am

    It’s moronic to have a rule requiring an eater tp down a minimum number of dogs in winning a qualifier in order to to “earn” a seat at Coney. Unless you can get credit for (not necessarily eat) 60+ at the finals, save the 10-second intros, the crowd pays no attention to you anyway.

    If you’re going to go the minimum rule route, discard all qualifier winners who don’t eat 50 and shit-can the rest. Then there will be only four eaters to worry about, which makes judging easier and saves money on food.

  24. Mega Munch said

    May 11, 2010 @ 1:09 pm

    Good point, Rhonda. Why have qualifiers at all if you’re just going to mandate that they eat a certain amount anyhow. To address “Too dumb’s” point, I don’t know who Minimum is, but I do know that A-Bomb and myself were, and still are, competitive eaters (albeit a leisurely one on my part). Just because we’re not in the IFOCE and can’t eat 20 HDB (I can’t, at least), doesn’t mean we’re not “really eaters”. I’d like to know what your definition of “eater” is.

    But even if we weren’t “eaters”, of course we understand that this, as you put it, a “(sometimes) entertaining promotional stunt.” You don’t have to be an “eater” to know that. In fact, non-eaters know that better than anyone and I, who creates “entertaining promotional stunts” for a living understands that even better.

    It’s BECAUSE I understand that these events are just stunts that I arrived at my conclusion that the 20 HDB rule is crap. Like Rhonda said, except for maybe three or four eaters on that stage, no body gives a shit how many HDBs Joe “Second Eater from the Left” Schmoe ate. 15? 20? 25? They all look crazy and slight disgusting no matter what, and THAT’S the real entertainment behind these promotional stunts.

    It’s people who SUPPORT the 20 HDBs minimum who might be overthinking things and forgetting that these are silly, promotional stunts.

  25. Anonymous said

    May 11, 2010 @ 2:11 pm

    qualifiers are worthless if there is a minimum. Maybe next year they will get rid of that rule. I agree with tiger wings though. Too bad Bryan won with sub20 THIS year.

  26. The Dawg said (Registered September 30, 2008)

    May 11, 2010 @ 2:20 pm

    First off – Great Job Mr. Beard. You won at the table and beat a great eater in the likes of Mr. Conti. Maybe MLE does try to set the eating contest up for their top guys to win. That does not matter, You came in and won the thing. The rule For Prize: “PRIZE: Seat in the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest (winner must eat at least 20 hot dogs to win seat)” Does not mean anything. MLE also has a little rule that can change the rule anytime. “The MLE/IFOCE and the event sponsors reserve the right, at any time, to change any and all details concerning the event, including, e.g., time, duration, location and prize structure.”

    Mr. Bryan “Big Sexy” Beard you have a GREAT time in Coney!!

  27. anonymous said

    May 11, 2010 @ 2:44 pm

    Thats the best he can do Val Bronman update. Anything but Beautiul Brian. I hope he goes back on his word and calls you eatfeces again. Please do it Brian this asshole isnt worth shit

  28. REAL sports said

    May 11, 2010 @ 3:10 pm

    In most of “real sports”, there is a general consensus about who is the “World Champion” and who is the “Olympic Champion”.

    In boxing, there is not, but that is one of the VERY FEW exceptions. Meanwhile, in Competitive Eating there is NOTHING. Just several organisations and NO OBJECTIVE RATING IN ANY OF THEM. How does Boone get rated world champion? Because it pretty much says he’s number 1 no matter how many times he loses. As for IFOCE, Shea brothers. How do they rate people? Never have they published their rating calculations. Because they do NOT calculate ratings. They just take a guess at what would make them (THE SHEA BROTHERS) the most money. This has NOTHING to do with ratings of competitive eaters. The Shea brothers just found a way to make themselves rich. Much richer than the organistation they run.

    The Shea brothers only care about themselves and making money for THEMSELVES. They don’t care about competitive eating. That’s obvious.

  29. Anonymous said

    May 11, 2010 @ 3:24 pm

    New policy effective as of 5/1. No more slamming other bloggers or posting on their sites. I basically hurt myself and my readership by resorting to those tactics. If i am directed or see something negative in print, i will pay it no mind. When you come down to reality you realize that responding to someone afraid to post under their real identity is a waste of valuable time.

  30. NReda said

    May 11, 2010 @ 5:33 pm

    I like this new policy. I am not sure how we will enforce it!

  31. A-Bomb said (Registered May 7, 2009)

    May 11, 2010 @ 9:39 pm

    That’s pretty good, NReda, pretty good indeed…

  32. Yonger said

    May 12, 2010 @ 12:15 am

    Wow it works.I didnt read a word you said.

  33. Pat From Moonachie said (Registered December 10, 2005)

    May 13, 2010 @ 7:14 am

    I say have a lot more qualifier all over the U.S. (if EVERY Nathan’s had a qualifier that would create quite a buzz!) where if you win, you get the trophy and the Hundred bucks but only the ones with the biggest numbers get to Coney Island ..and the preparation of the hot dogs should be standardized ..that’s how chicken mcnuggets taste the same all over the world!

  34. The minimum is that the Shea brothers should be kept out said

    May 13, 2010 @ 9:59 pm

    The Shea brothers really don’t care about competitive eating. They only care about filling their own pockets. The only minimum is that the Shea brothers should be kept out. Their way of ranking people at IFOCE has NOTHING to do with how good the competitors are. It ONLY has to do with how much they (the Shea brothers) think they can earn by ordering people in the rankings in a certain way. The Shea brothers are the biggest scam in competitive eating and ruin it for any LEGITIMATE organisation.

  35. Disgruntled much? said

    May 14, 2010 @ 12:10 am

    If you have all the answers, then why haven’t you started a “LEGITIMATE” organization? Seems like a bunch of folks seem to think this one works for them. And you don’t mind inferring that they’re stupid? Probably should let them know personally – they need your help. I understand the WLOCE is willing to interview qualified candidates.

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