A website calling for a boycott of Nathan's until Takeru Kobayashi is allowed to compete against Joey Chestnut has been launched at http://freekobi.com/. A corresponding facebook and twitter have also been started. The gallery associated with the twitter probably verifies that it is by the actual Kobayashi.

July 5, 2010 at 10:04 pm by ojrifkin · More posts about:Kobayashi (小林尊), Websites | Permalink * Comments (33)

33 Comments »

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

    July 5, 2010 @ 10:17 pm

    I would fully expect Coondog to get in touch w/his ‘little buddy’ & either see him show up @ Lake Quassy or Akron burgers.

    Sabrina Ho Sang would pay a four, maybe even a five digit appearance fee to get Kobi there.

    I’d pay to eat against him in either contest as previously run.

  2. wrecking ball said

    July 5, 2010 @ 11:12 pm

    isnt kobi free to do any contest except ifoce sanctioned events? so what is this free kobi crap? he is free to do whatever he wants to do. if he wants to do sanctioned ifoce events he could have or probably still can sign (i doubt the same agreement, i am sure his would be much more lucrative than oh lets say mine) an ifoce agreement. i know he is an awesome eater and has proven it for years but if anybody deserves to make his own agreement shouldnt it be the number one and now four time defending super bowl of eating champion?

  3. NReda said

    July 6, 2010 @ 2:45 am

    Either way, I think it would be interesting to see Joey and Koby in a head-to-head hdb eating match. If you strip away all of the fanfare and show associated with Nathan’s Famous, that was what the actual contest boils down to…. because frankly no one comes close to putting up the numbers that Joey and Koby put up.

  4. Rob said

    July 6, 2010 @ 6:19 am

    Video interview upon his release linked from his facebook page:

    http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/07/05/kobayashi.hot.dog.arrest/index.html?hpt=Mid&fbid=fAP87bIUFfj

  5. iwasthereonce said

    July 6, 2010 @ 6:36 am

    Free Kobi as I see it means ALL eaters should be free to participate in any Contest,Challange or Event

  6. SPBBBBMBBB said

    July 6, 2010 @ 8:45 am

    good luck making the BIG money in the World Loser league…Koby made a mistake. The IFOCE may be restrictive, but if I’m Koby, and I can make a couple hundred thousand a year – I take the money, and kiss the Shea’s butts for basically inventing a chance for me to make this kind of money.
    If he entered EVERY contest the WLoser league has, and all the contests the Independent league has all year – they wouldn’t total up to 1/2 what he makes for appearing (not even winning) in basically 2 or 3 contests IFOCE has….my kind of restrictive lifestyle.

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

    July 6, 2010 @ 8:59 am

    Paul, you’re not looking at the big picture. Koby’s independence changes the CE landscape. He’ll draw money away from all eating organizations.

  8. anonymous said

    July 6, 2010 @ 9:13 am

    Rhonda its not like Kobe competes on the circuit. A good guy in whole but very selfish. He does the two biggest contests per year Nathans Krystals then dissapears. He might get another big payday with Joey like pizza hut or singapore. I cant see him eating with those mickey mouse leagues and putrid purses unless he just wants to rub into the Sheas. MLE had better modify that current contract or not restrict anyone from eating when and where they please or many will leave . Some are making plans to do so as we speak

  9. SPBBBBMBBB said

    July 6, 2010 @ 9:38 am

    Koby can still make a lot of money as a sideshow…but, his leaving the IFOCE won’t cost them a cent. I always enjoy talking with Koby, and this is nothing aginst him, but competitive eating keeps getting more and more popular – there’s still a ton of money to be made, with or without him. We haven’t even scratched the surface in the marketing opportunities that are out there. More and more people I meet instantly know Joey Chestnut, X, Badlands, certainly Sonya, Pat, Lazylegs (oops, Crazylegs), and once in every 2,251,988 Atlanta residents, somebody recognizes me….
    Hey, this may be a good thing…now we can see matchups like Furious Pete VS Koby – that would be awesome!

  10. Anonymous said

    July 6, 2010 @ 9:45 am

    Nathans is way bigger than any little spoiled over rated crybaby eater! NO BOYCOTT!

    There’s Koby Beef, now there’s KOBY CHICKEN!

    FREE NATHANS (for everybody)!

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

    July 6, 2010 @ 9:50 am

    The man has been living in Japan. He needs to make a living too. Nathan’s and Krystals have been the only contests that paid enough prize money to make it worthwhile for him to travel.

    I have a hunch that might change now, perhaps in no small way.

    I feel for the IFOCE. They’re in a tough spot. They brought some of it on themselves.

    I hope things work out best for them and Koby.

  12. anonymous said

    July 6, 2010 @ 9:59 am

    Needs to make a living? Wanna bet his bank account has trump like figures attached to it. Gimme a break Rhonda and yes i agree with anony 9:45 . Is this all about Free Kobi? What about the rest of us? The only eater that stands to make big money in endorsements and appearance fees before he puts one drop of food in his mouth is Joey Chestnut. Eaters spending countless amts of $$$ for airfare and hotel to travel to these events is ridiculous. Sponsors or MLE need to reinburse everyone travel expenses

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

    July 6, 2010 @ 10:47 am

    Furious Pete against Koby would not be a laugher. Having said that, I’d like to see it one time. Just to settle it.

    Koby would give Pete something to be Furious about.

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

    July 6, 2010 @ 10:51 am

    Koby Chicken eh?

    It’s a shame he wasn’t allowed on stage. Had he, Joey would have probably wished he never made that ridiculous statement about Koby not being a “real man.”

    You don’t let your mouth write checks that your ass can’t cash!

  15. anonymous said

    July 6, 2010 @ 11:00 am

    The smart move would be for MLE to sign the biggest free agent on this planet Furious Pete . Kobe would be a forgotten man in no time

  16. i know Joey Chipwood said

    July 6, 2010 @ 11:18 am

    LMAO!

  17. Anonymous said

    July 6, 2010 @ 11:25 am

    “The man has been living in Japan. He needs to make a living too.”

    Then he should go back to his day job. All eaters have regular jobs regardless of how much they make off of the eating circuit throughout the year. Don’t feel sorry for Kobe. He can choose to do what he wants like any other person out there.

  18. gastroboy said

    July 6, 2010 @ 11:52 am

    It’s important to note that freekobi.com and the facebook page are not from kobayashi himself. If you click on the twitter’s link at the end of the page, it links to twitter.com/frekobi and not twitter.com/freekobayashi which is the twitter that seems to be from koby himself (or his friends).

  19. Andrew Kossuth said

    July 6, 2010 @ 11:54 am

    This was mentioned on 610 WIP this morning. The morning show have openly invited both Joey and Kobi to eat against one another at the 2011 Wing Bowl. They claim that Kobi is free to eat at their event in January. Thought I would pass this along.

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

    July 6, 2010 @ 12:26 pm

    Nice catch Andrew. Koby would absolutely love such a spectacle.

    He would make it the greatest, highest attended Wing Bowl in history!

  21. RJ said (Registered August 28, 2008)

    July 6, 2010 @ 12:30 pm

    How is leading a boycott of Nathan’s going to endear anyone enough to sanction this rematch next year? I’m not sure slamming a major sponsor is an intelligent approach. Nathan’s didn’t bar him from eating. The IFOCE did. And they should have. It’s their business. Sign the contract and move on already or stop trying to harm them. If he keeps pushing it, he’s going to end up treading on defamation, libel and slander ground, which I’m pretty sure he wants none of. The whole thing is immature. His ego is too big. He’s an amazing eater, but that’s really irrelevant in the big picture. I’m at a loss as to what “Free” Kobi means. He did it. He didn’t sign. And now he’s free. Congrats!

  22. Wrecking Ball said

    July 6, 2010 @ 1:03 pm

    I couldnt agree more RJ!

  23. WyattEarp said (Registered November 4, 2006)

    July 15, 2010 @ 2:53 am

    I still think Takeru was very smart to play out his little “crusade.” He was gonna lose again, and now, he didn’t have to suffer defeat, while simultaneously appearing to stand for something. Very smart. Sneak, but smart….Reminds me of December 7th.

  24. anonymous said

    July 15, 2010 @ 8:44 am

    I think he should have waited until dec 7th to jump the stage. A date which will live in infamy

  25. Anonymous said

    July 15, 2010 @ 10:07 am

    Wyatt, no guarantee that Joey would have won. We will never know, will we? Everyone…….Try to keep the racist attitude private. What happened years ago has nothing to do with Kobi. Want to take responsibility for all infamy in American history? Be my guest.

  26. e unit said

    July 15, 2010 @ 10:25 am

    RJ, spoken like a true right winger. Kobi is asking to be able to eat at the biggest show on earth for his sport. But due to corporate BS (where he is essentially used and paid very little in comparison to what MLE and Nathan’s make), he is unable to do what he loves to do. Furious Pete, G Joe, and others have been held back from this opportunity to compete at Nathan’s because they would not sell our their values, or would not make any money. The weak argument that $hea makes about Peyton Manning and the Superbowl is wack. Manning pimps himself out to every advertiser that comes by, while Kobi has to ask permission to eat in public. I think we can all agree that it is a shame when business BS gets in the way of watching great sports match ups (ie: Mayweather v. Pac-Man), and that is what took place in Coney Island this year.

  27. RJ said (Registered August 28, 2008)

    July 15, 2010 @ 11:02 am

    Kobi can ask to do whatever he wants. The fact remains that Nathan’s is the sponsor of an event which is a part of their marketing budget. The purpose of marketing is to offer assistance in building the Nathan’s brand and generating a profit.

    I know this is hard for a lot of people to hear, but the sole purpose of a company is to generate revenue, with which they turn around and create jobs, and grow. Investors, in turn, buy shares of stock in public companies such as Nathan’s (NATH) on the NASDAQ, and do so increase the cap value of these companies. But, in doing so, they are also expecting a return on these investments, or they will sell their shares off, and invest in other companies that continue to grow and earn money.

    Now Nathan’s doesn’t have competitive eating experience, nor the inclination to undertake such a venture, as this would be a deviation from their core business model, which is manufacturing and selling hot dogs. So, the Nathan’s organization would logically outsource such a task to someone with these expertise. The Shea’s would be the only logical choice in this instance, as they have extensive marketing and PR experience, and have spent years building up MLE.

    MLE is privately owned, so in order for the Shea’s to continue to run the organization, they must too, generate profits and continue to grow. Their growth and profits demonstrate their success in the field and show large corporate sponsors that they are the only choice in events such as these. Large sponsors, existing and potentially new will then invest their money, much like their own investors, in the Shea’s ability to succeed in generating a buzz for the event, leverage their brand, and create ROI on money which could just as easily be spent in other marketing channels.

    The Shea’s can not simply allow Kobayashi to go eat freely as:

    a.) he is a representative of THEIR league. Every appearance, whether it be a media interview, talk show appearance, or simple eating event WILL reflect back on the MLE brand. Meaning if Kobayashi goes and participates in an unsanctioned contest with a current sponsor, or even a competitor or a potential sponsor, they could and probably would lose the chance to secure a contract and create new events or retain the current ones. This in turn, would result in no money for any eaters.

    b.) in representing their brand, he must play by the same rules as every other eater. A league without such rules wouldn’t really be an organized league of any sort, now would it? It would eventually deteriorate into 3 minute eat offs at picnic tables set up in tents at fairs and festivals, with no organization, rankings or money behind it.

    The point is, Kobayashi wouldn’t have made it to where he is without the money provided by these sponsors and negotiated and secured by MLE. He, no more than any other eater deserves one cent of it, if they don’t choose to comply with the rules of the check writers.

    In these instances, he, Pete, and all other eaters, who I actually respect as amazing eaters, can’t have it both ways. As an alternative, they should take an approach more like that of open source, and band together, come up with a plan, approach targeted sponsors, and negotiate their own deals. Money doesn’t fall from the air – it has to be earned. Any organization paying hundreds of thousands of dollars annually if not over a million, has a tremendous amount at stake they have to answer for. It is a business and has to be run as such, or it will fail completely.

  28. Anonymous said

    July 15, 2010 @ 11:19 am

    The reality is there is only 2 people in the entire world that can eat hot dogs like Joey and Kobayashi. Think about that. . .2 people in the entire world. What other sport/game/activity has the top two people that far ahead of the rest of the pack? There isn’t anybody who can step up to give Joey a real competition in hot dogs. . .so unless Joey leaves too, Nathans contests are going to be a boring one sided show for a long time. It was very short sighted for IFOCE to alienate the only other person besides Joey IN THE ENTIRE WORLD that has this unique skill.

  29. Anonymous said

    July 15, 2010 @ 12:28 pm

    RJ, you’re wrong about this point at the very least:

    “b.) in representing their brand, he must play by the same rules as every other eater. A league without such rules wouldn’t really be an organized league of any sort, now would it? It would eventually deteriorate into 3 minute eat offs at picnic tables set up in tents at fairs and festivals, with no organization, rankings or money behind it.”

    He has never played by the same rules as the others because he has always had a non-standard contract. Joey now enjoys a non-standard contract too. The other eaters do not. So, in fact, it is not imperative that Kobayashi plays by the same rules.

  30. RJ said (Registered August 28, 2008)

    July 15, 2010 @ 12:59 pm

    Being that as it may, he is still obligated to be contracted by MLE in order to participate in MLE sanctioned events. I can see their point in offering alternative rules for higher value names. Regardless, that’s their call to make. At the very least, it’s their final decision whether to go to contract or not based on stipulations demanded by any entity. It’s a privately owned business and the Nathan’s contract is their asset to protect. If they feel it’s in their best interest, that’s their right.

  31. Anonymous said

    July 15, 2010 @ 1:17 pm

    Thanks to RJ and the well taken points open for discussion and the responses. There is nothing right wing about what he writes. Cultural misunderstandings abound for Kobayashi even with a translator whose understanding of Japanese may be fluent but whose understanding of other “things” is not. That having been said, one cannot calculate the marketing good or ill will generated for/by Nathan’s and the IFOCE by these events. No doubt his “day in court” will bring legions of press. Thus, this story is far from over.

  32. e unit said

    July 15, 2010 @ 2:27 pm

    One point is that has long been made is like many businesses in the world, MLE is excessivly greedy. Again, the MLE makes far more cash than Kobi does. You don’t see the MLE offering profit sharing with its work horses (in this case eaters). Could the MLE afford to pay for all its eaters to travel at every contest…absolutely. I agree with RJ on one point, and that is that until the MLE eaters organize (my guess is that it will have to come from the table enders, as the top 4 are likely satisfied with their weekly earnings) they will continue to be taken advantage of financially.

  33. Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)

    July 15, 2010 @ 6:03 pm

    RJ, I’m just reading your comments here and it’s like I wrote them myself. For some reason alot of the vocal people here have a hard time with the Sheas making money. The hard truth is that if the Sheas and Nathans ARENT making money than there is no reason to even hold these contests. They put up with a boatload of crap and bust their asses to find enough sponsors to fill a years worth of eating, I hope they can be rich enough that they can wipe their asses with $100 bills.

    This is not Communism folks, you have to get out there and find a reason for them to need to pay you more. Look at Furious Pete, that dude is his own league and hustles and promotes himself into his own movies and tv shows. Get a gimmick, be a better eater or both. Prove that you can be an announcer at a contest or do a good interview on tv.

    Koby is a goldmine and I think he will be able to workout his deal with the IFOCE. My guess is that he’s done very very well with the IFOCE to this point and he’s just playing alittle American Hardball before he comes back to the negotiating table.

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