IFOCE top 50 October 2011 released

October 26, 2011 at 5:23 pm by ojrifkin · More posts about:Rankings

The IFOCE top 50 for October 2011 has been released. The top 3 remain unchanged, the new top 10:

1 Joey Chestnut
2) Pat Bertoletti
3) Tim Janus
4) Sonya Thomas
5) Bob Shoudt
6) Matt Stonie
7) Adrian Morgan
8) Tim “Gravy” Brown
9) Erik Denmark
10) Sean Gordon

Dropping Out: Pat Philbin #19, Ryan McKillop #33
Entering: Maria “Edible” #30, Matt Raible #50

Ben Monson remains ranked at #17 despite not having done a contest since August 2010.

Comments (52)

52 Comments »

  1. anonymous said

    October 26, 2011 @ 6:25 pm

    Obviously.favortism rules as seiken gets screwed again. Edible never beat seiken and larell beat him by a few centimeters and they rank both 10 spots over him. because they are females ? Why is subich still ranked in the top 25?

  2. Brraaaiins! said

    October 26, 2011 @ 6:38 pm

    3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are all very close. You could even reverse them all and it would still be accurate.

  3. Brraaaiins! said

    October 26, 2011 @ 6:43 pm

    I thought Brian Seiken would be in the top 35. Actually he deserves it.

  4. Damon Wells said

    October 26, 2011 @ 6:46 pm

    Congrats to Matt, Adrian and Flash… All well deserved top 10 spots!

    Also glad to see Yasir finally moving up in the rankings…

    Welcome to the top 50 with your 30th ranking, Maria… PS – I love you!

  5. Damon Wells said

    October 26, 2011 @ 6:53 pm

    I just noticed Pat Philbin is gone… What happened?

  6. BigD said

    October 26, 2011 @ 7:22 pm

    Has anyone even gotton in contact with Monson? Why is he still ranked?

  7. anonymous said

    October 26, 2011 @ 7:53 pm

    Why is Adrian 7th? Should be 10th in my opinion

  8. anonymous said

    October 26, 2011 @ 7:59 pm

    Denmark has SUCKED this year except in hotdogs

  9. anonymous said

    October 26, 2011 @ 8:56 pm

    I love you ? Dude get a grip

  10. Larell Marie Mele said

    October 26, 2011 @ 9:19 pm

    Whoooohooooo, broke the 20s! 🙂 Congrats to the newly ranked and to those who moved up!!!

  11. NReda said

    October 26, 2011 @ 10:13 pm

    Ben’s still around. He’s alive. Why he’s still ranked is anyone’s guess. Perhaps his contract hasn’t expired? Personally, I find it ridiculous that he’s still in the top 20.

  12. anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 6:57 am

    Who would actually care 6:25pm

  13. Gastrodyne said (Registered July 17, 2011)

    October 27, 2011 @ 7:05 am

    Monson should remain at about the same position he was at (10th or 9th?) or drop from the rankings altogether. It doesn’t make sense to put Monson at 17, when everybody knows he is better than a lot of eaters ranked above him. Let him stay or quit, but don’t make up the rankings like that!

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

    October 27, 2011 @ 7:16 am

    It is very, very difficult do accurately rank the top 50 competitive eaters, and overall, I think the IFOCE did an outstanding job. Not everyone will be pleased. As I used to tell students, “This is earth, not heaven.”

    MLE’s efforts surely must have been aided by this site’s eater-handicapping and head-to-head statistics. Head-to-head stats, though very helpful and effort-consuming to comprise, are limited in their worth, because all eaters don’t participated in all foods. So quantity eaten in a given amount of time has to be factored in too, along with many intangibles, which the IFOCE seems to do in an effective manner.

    Congratulations to all those who moved up. I’m sure it was well deserved.

  15. anonymous fan said

    October 27, 2011 @ 9:41 am

    Rhonda, IFOCE did an outstanding job? i beg to differ; the man who is ranked #17 has been dormant for well over a year. The fact that he is taking a slot away from someone who could crack the top 50 is appalling. I agree with Gastrodyne; either have a proper ranking for him or since he has not been heard from in well over a year get him off of there.

    Yasir and his jump is totally justified; he is a great competitor and totally deserves his jump from the high 40’s to the mid 30’s.

    Edible is disgusting and is ranked way too high; if i knew getting my arms tatooed up and taking half naked pictures and flaunting it all over the interwebs would get me a top 30 ranking i would do the same thing. She is a disgrace to the sport and the family entertainment aspect the MLE and IFOCE stand for.

  16. anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 10:21 am

    You cant really make an argument when it comes to the top 15 or 16 because the majority of those names made it to Coney Island on a consistent basis. 20 and up is where the favortism slowly sets in, Some of those names have hardly proved anything except for being mediocre with no title or titles attached to their names, If you are well liked by the people that run the organzation they will reward you based upon just that instead of actual eating ability

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

    October 27, 2011 @ 10:55 am

    A 9:41: I don’t believe one “Ah Shit!” should overcome a thousand Atta Boys, even if I do agree that Ben should be removed from the rankings due to inactivity.

    As for Edible, you’re speaking for the vast minority there, which I’d say takes guts if you weren’t anonymous, but that fact sort of cancels out the other.

    By the way, I love Maria’s tatoos; they’re pretty much in vogue nowadays, and she’s a damned good eater. I hope to dine with her (and LMM) some day if they promise not to eat so fast.

    As for a10:21, I know of no organization that does not reward loyalty; that’s as it should be, especially in close calls. That’s one of the things I like about MLE.

  18. anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 11:24 am

    Personality wise Edible is a step or two above Torres that’s a no brainer right there. Even if she doesnt say much, the flamboyancy will take care of that. As far as eating ability? Shes right there with Subich and Seiken and that doesnt amount to very much at the table unless she improves with age and practice. Right now Juliet and Sonya are the only female eaters out there with natural born ability and i doubt any female can match either ones skills at this point

  19. Top What? said

    October 27, 2011 @ 11:31 am

    It’s a shame this list is missing one of the world’s top 2 female eaters (and top 10 overall).

  20. BB gets the shaft said

    October 27, 2011 @ 11:36 am

    Wow what a spit in the face to BB. Spends his hard earned cash to do 7 contests in one year in which he performed quite well considering his age . Non paying Elvis gigs only to find himself in a non progressive status in the rankings.

  21. anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 11:58 am

    would not surprise me if they fly out edible to bangcok thailand or singapore in the future as a role model for the sport of competitive eating

  22. Larell Marie Mele said

    October 27, 2011 @ 12:28 pm

    Rhonda – If I get the oppty to eat w/ya, I promise to eat as slow as a 90 year old wearing full dentures 🙂 Agree w/ur Maria comment; I luv her and think she’s a confident young lady not afraid to show her individuality.

  23. Agreed said

    October 27, 2011 @ 12:42 pm

    Torres definitely warranted a top ten. She mopped the floor with many talented eaters at Gyoza.. too bad she pulled that wiggy stunt in Arizona

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

    October 27, 2011 @ 12:47 pm

    Thanks LMM! That’s fine, tiime-wise.

    But If it happens to be during Halloween or costume event, please don’t dress up as a 90-year old wearing dentures. No food gumming at the table. 🙂

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

    October 27, 2011 @ 12:55 pm

    Stephanie Torres was/is an amazing eater who will only improve. She’s on Juliet’s level right now, and that is a major compliment.

    Whatever happened to independent (AICE) eater Elizabeth Canady? She was one of the top two or three women in the world while she competed.

    Elizabeth actually finished in front of Juliet the only time she competed with her during a Krystals qualifier a few years ago. Of course, Juliet has altered her technique since then.

  26. anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 12:57 pm

    I doubt Seiken will leave NYC to do another out of area contest again and i cant blame him. As far as Elvis let another fool get up on stage and make an ass of himself for no money

  27. MOTIF said (Registered September 3, 2011)

    October 27, 2011 @ 1:28 pm

    Finally, Megatoad is put up to where he belongs, Yasir is given credit where due, and Larell gets into the 20’s!
    The interesting thing i think is is the swap of Bob Shoudt and Sonya. Not saying it shouldn’t have happend, but aside from Gyoza where Sonya topped Bob by 5 Gyoza, I would personally consider Bob a better overall eater who would win probably 2 out of 3 contests against Sonya. I don’t know, but it’s nothing surprizing.
    I’m just glad inactives were lowered. I bet they’ll say on ranking and slowly be dropped until their contracts run out.

  28. Top O Themornin said

    October 27, 2011 @ 1:40 pm

    MOTIF: Sonya ate more hotdogs than Bob at Nathan’s and that’s usually the mark IFOCE starts with in assessing the eaters’ ranking. They also probably added that she was able to beat out Joey and Pat at wings. But, I agree it probably was a coin flip between Bob and Sonya for number four. Maybe even a tie at four. Heck next ranking it might be arguable that there should be a three way tie for the fourth spot with Sonya, Bob and Matt.

  29. Scott said

    October 27, 2011 @ 1:49 pm

    The top 10 is pretty easy.The rest is hard to rank because they are all 2nd tier.No offense

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

    October 27, 2011 @ 2:05 pm

    I agree that Bob, Sonya, and Mega are very close. However, HDBs is the single best indicator of eating prowess, and like TOT states, Bob and Mega didn’t eat 40 HDBs this past July 4th. Sonya did. Additionally, Bob and Mega have not won a contest that Joey was in in the last year. Sonya has.

    Also, You can’t go too much by head-to-head results. For example, why do you think many top eaters avoid oysters, clams, crawfish, jalapenos, and wings? Because it’s hard to score for most top eaters, with Pat the exception in Jalapenos, to finish ahead of Sonya in those foods most of the time. Hence, Sonya is not afforded better head-to-head numbers against top eaters.

  31. Top O Themornin said

    October 27, 2011 @ 2:26 pm

    Yes, Rhonda that’s true some eaters avoid some food that one eater clearly has knack for. Yet, don’t count Sonya out of that crowd either. I’m sure she too considers Bob a much better eater in heavy sandwiches and more volume related foods than her and might avoid those contests occasionally. In fact, I always admired and thought that Tim seems to be one of the best eaters out there in choosing what food suits his chances best in terms of ending up in the money. Choosing the best contest that meets your skills set is part of the game. Most companies want Sonya at their event because she is real draw being so unusually tiny and talented at eating. That being the case I’m sure she’s always asked for. But, maybe she too might want to consider being more selective and get more wins on her record than places and shows.

  32. Anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 2:34 pm

    Jealous Brian is at it again. Check out his latest rant about the updated rankings. I just love how obsessed he is with Crazy Legs and Shredder. Legs is a spokesman for MLE and will be top 20 no matter what and I doubt Shredder gives a rats ass where he’s ranked. He competes once a year cuz I guess he has a life outside of CE.

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

    October 27, 2011 @ 2:48 pm

    I could not agree more TOT. In many foods Sonya would likely admit there may be as many as five eaters who can outeat her, especially in the heavy sandwich variety, as you say.

    I’m also impressed with Tim knowing his limits, maximizing his potential to eat the most in foods he’s most talented at, and steering clear of contests that he can’t excel at.

    If there’s a smarter eater out there than Tim Janus, I’m at a loss for whom it might be.

  34. MOTIF said (Registered September 3, 2011)

    October 27, 2011 @ 3:18 pm

    Yeah, I agree with you both Rhonda and Top. Matt, Sonya, and Bob, are very close in skill level. The way I look at it is there are major skill gaps that stand between the top eaters. Joey&Pat / Tim / Sonya, Bob & Matt/ Adrian, Tim, Erik, Sean/ So forth…

    I know Nathan’s is a standard used for rankings, and rightfully so, but I think overall skill should be more accounted for. IMO, Matt’s Hot Dog number will increase vastly this coming year, but thats to be seen.

    Also, I think eaters being selective is less smart on their parts, and more cowardly. It’s easy to compete and play in games that you know you’ll better in, hard to step into rough territory. Now, I know every eater can’t go everywhere, so its respectable that you choose your favorites/better contests. Striving to make a contest “your” specialty contest make complete sense, similar to what Joey has done for Nathan’s, but avoiding certian contests because X or Y will show up and likly beat you is poor sportmanship. Other athletes such as UFC fighters or Golfers don’t avoid certian competition just because it would look bad on their record. That’s why I really respect Adrian, Erik & Booker for their willingness to do anything. Also Pat to a degree but he knows he’ll win hahah.

  35. Arrows said

    October 27, 2011 @ 3:23 pm

    Well people always know where they stand with him and according to him he is always right.

  36. Nut Cracker said

    October 27, 2011 @ 3:33 pm

    There is a big gap between Joey and Pat too but Tim is only barely above the next three.

  37. Anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 3:45 pm

    That’s just Brian’s schtick as he calls it. I really think he considers himself lucky to be in a top 100 poll.

  38. Anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 3:49 pm

    I’m not a Bob fan at all, but I think he’s a tiny bit better than Sonya and comfortably better than Stonie. If I were Stonie or Sonya, I wouldn’t want to face Bob, whereas if I were Bob, I’d like my chances against them.

  39. Anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 4:08 pm

    Bob should be ranked third.

  40. Anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 4:13 pm

    I wonder if Seiken would complain if he is ranked ahead of sonya.

  41. Anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 4:19 pm

    You sound like a Bob fan but I disagree. Bob is also not as good as he was a year ago and next year Stonie and Sonya will both eat more HDBs.

  42. Egg yoke said

    October 27, 2011 @ 5:15 pm

    They should set seiken up with a special honorable mention rank.

  43. anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 5:32 pm

    I think #11 thru #15 could all be interchangeable as well…IF you lessen the “juliet-ing”.

  44. Seiken fan said

    October 27, 2011 @ 7:28 pm

    Brian Seiken should be in the top 20’s. What an outrage! Do they not know he is the pickle eating champion of the universe??

  45. Larellmarie said (Registered May 9, 2010)

    October 27, 2011 @ 7:52 pm

    Gr8 back & forth convo guys. So nice to be reading comments of agreement & disagreements w/o insults & cursing each other!! Rhonda – its a deal haha! Motif – thx, naturally I’m thrilled 🙂 Scott, lol none taken! (by me anyhow)

  46. anonymous said

    October 27, 2011 @ 8:29 pm

    Insults and cursing is what brings fans to this site. Being nicey nicey all the time is very un exciting.

  47. No Yoke said

    October 27, 2011 @ 8:32 pm

    Seiken will pull out all the stops and qualify for the HDB finals next year.

  48. Claude Raines Brains said

    October 28, 2011 @ 5:57 am

    Brian Seiken continues to be the juggernaut of competitive eating reporting. No one is more astute in pinpointing shortcomings of anyone and everyone. associated with CE. Seiken is a life changer, and if people would listen to him they would be much better off. We are all fortunate to have such a luminary among us. My eyes are welling up with tears of pride just thinking of that beautiful person’s unselfish contributions to our sport and its people. Some day a statue will be erected to honor this great man.

  49. Hmm said (Registered November 12, 2009)

    October 28, 2011 @ 8:10 am

    Happy for those who are happy, rankings will always be somewhat subjective, especially for those below the top. It seems that eaters and fans here care more about and pay more attention to the details of the rankings than those who do them. In the big picture, what is the result of each person’s ranking except for publicity which says so and so is the number such and such ranked. It doesn’t matter much or even at all. Complaining constantly to the “bosses” usually has negative results. The rankings will continue to change, pick and choose your battles. Whiners take note.

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

    October 28, 2011 @ 8:21 am

    I second that Larellmarie! It’s about damn time!

  51. Anonymous said

    October 28, 2011 @ 9:18 am

    A statue of Seiken sculpted from Limberger cheese would be appropriate.

  52. Won tong don said

    October 28, 2011 @ 12:12 pm

    Brian is the greatest eater in the entire galaxy not just the universe. Show some respect.

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