• Kevin Carr says that he turned down an opportunity to appear on Wife Swap, which went to Badlands Booker and he hopes to become a competitor on Dancing with the Stars
• Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis appears on last night’s episode of Man vs. Food
• Pictures from 2006 and 2007 have been added to Major League Eating’s flickr gallery
• Skinnyboy’s second Denver Wing Bowl qualifier report
• Denver Wing Bowl spectator information
• 21 ounce burger with “bailout” in honor of Obama’s inauguration
• Video of “El Gigante” burrito challenge attempt in Carrboro, NC
• Video of “Big Ass Burger” attempt in Houston, TX

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The Los Angeles Times has an article about the Food Network which mentions its competitors:

But these forays into food entertainment are a sign that that the network that introduced the country to round-the-clock food programming is now just one of many channels competing for the same audience.

The Travel Channel, for example, just scored its highest-ever ratings for a new debut with “Man v. Food,” in which host Adam Richman travels the country in search of food challenges, such as trying to consume a 13-pound pizza.

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Mike Westinghouse commented that the Wing Bowl documentary Swallow Your Pride is available on itunes. The cost is $3.99 to rent, $14.99 to purchase.

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RockyMountainNews reports that Man vs. Food will be recording at Jack n Grill in Denver on January 22. The restaurant will also host a film crew from the Travel Channel’s new Extreme Places to Pig-Out show on January 19.

The challenge food will be the 7 pound Grande Breakfast Burrito. Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane has a blog entry about his attempt. The restaurant offers free food for life to women who complete the challenge without assistance. Metromix has a gallery of three attempts to claim that prize.

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The movie Gluttonous (known in Japan as Gourmet Fighter, is not just available for rental on Netflix. It can also be ordered from several locations:

Family Video $11.99
Buy.com $13.49
Overstock.com $13.57
Amazon.com $17.99

The DVD contains volume 1 and volume 2. Volume 1 and 2 cost ï¿¥ 4,935 ($55.35) each on amazon.co.jp, so Japanese fans with access to a DVD player which plays North American DVDs might want to try to import the American DVDs.

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videos from the episode: commercial, 2 minute youtube segment

• Challenge Restaurant Eagle’s Deli
  • Home Page
  • #2 Listing on the Travel Channel’s 10 best places to pig out
  • Reviews: yelp, citysearch, review expressing disapproval for removing Wall of Fame pictures
  • Videos: Phantom Gourment, attempt by Greg Maloomian, rising star of New England eating challenges
• The East Coast Grill
  • Home Page
  • Reviews: yelp, citysearch
  • Hell night fiery food challenge which Adam Richman participated in – phantom gourmet video
• The Barking Crab
  • Home Page
  • Reviews: citysearch, yelp

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Click on the thumbnails below to see some screen captures from tonight’s episode of My Life in Food on the Food Network.

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• (from Pierre Abry) Food Network page about tonight’s episode (at 6:30 pm) of My Life in Food starring “Crazy Legs Conti , a dreadlocked veteran, Lovely Juliette [sic] Lee, a petite 100lb female rookie, and Patrick Deep Dish Bertoletti, a talented up-and-comer”. The episode will not be rerun in the near future and the series is not available online, so watch it when it is televised if you want to see it.
• Segments from the new tracks on the Best of Hungry & Focused are available on Badlands Booker’s myspace page
• Wing eating contest at the Den Again in Racine, Wisconsin January 25 $500 first prize
• Facebook page about the Seaside, Oregon mayoral campaign of “Consumption”
• Blog entry about Frank Pastore, former Big Texan record holder, from a resident of Pastore’s hometown
• Video of Joel Podelsky’s cheeseburger eating contest at a Newark Beaks game
• Wing eating contest in Beijing
• Don Lerman’s baked bean record (but not Lerman by name) was mentioned on Who Wants to be a Millionaire recently according to a Ray Meduna email

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The first episode of the competitive eating mockumentary, The Quest for the Golden Hot Dog can be viewed on youtube. The video contains short profiles of three competitive eaters: Jen “The Natural” Chang, “The Hungry Hipster” and “The Black Bomber”, a rapping matzoh ball champion. (The role of Jen Chang will probably not receive any awards from Asian-American advocacy groups)

Screen captures can be viewed after the jump:
Read the rest of this entry »

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Josh Camerote, director of the 2005 Wing Bowl documentary, Swallow Your Pride, reports that his film will be officially released by Cinetic Media. The release date was supposed to take place last month, but the film has yet to come out. The movie’s official website just says “Check back soon”

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• Philly.com reports that Wing Kong is training a Wing Bowl 17 hopeful. Wing Kong thinks this year’s winner will not eat more than 50% of the wings Joey Chestnut ate in Wing Bowl 16.
• Angelo Cataldi says this could be his final year at 610 WIP. If that is the case, will the Wing Bowl outlast his tenure?
• Pete Davekos’ Garlicky Greens victory makes ESPN.com’s list of the lesser-known champs of 2008, which will probably appear in the ESPN magazine
• Pete Davekos to appear on NPR’s The Splendid Table this weekend (from email) – radio stations
• 24 ounce steak eating battle of the sexes
• Man vs. Food Facebook page
• Adam Richman of Man vs. Food interviewed by Andrew Zimmern
• Kobayashi has yet to mention his fruitcake record attempt on his blog

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Commercial

Challenge restaurant – Big Pie in the Sky web page and page about Carnivore Challenge

Atlanta Cuisine forum thread about Carnivore Challenge

update 2 minute clip – slideshow – location list

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Hacking Netflix reports that a movie called Gluttonous will be available tomorrow. The Netflix website has the following description for the movie:

Based on a popular Japanese manga, this pair of sidesplitting live action comedies follows the screwball exploits of a host of unconventional participants in the ferociously intense world of competitive eating. While most people try to temper their food intake, these competitors pride themselves on swallowing as much food as they can in the shortest possible time — and keeping it down long enough to win!

Gluttonous is known in Japan as Gourmet Fighter Both Natsuko “Gal” Sone and Nobuyuki “the Giant” Shirota appeared as competitive eaters in Gourmet Fighter. Volume 1 and Volume 2 are included in the Netflix rental.

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The TV Funhouse clip in which Takeru Kobayashi dunked his hot dog buns to avert a flood was not shown on last night’s compilation of sports themed segments from Saturday Night Live, but a fake commercial in which John Belushi plays a champion decathlete who attributes his success to his diet was broadcast and the captured clip is attached below

belushidecathlon.mp4 (2.4 MB)

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Badlands Booker’s new CD, Entrees & Leftovers, the Best of Hungry & Focused is now available for purchase via paypal (click on the B above iTunes digital downloads) on Booker’s myspace page.

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The new poll asks what you think was the top competitive eating themed television program of the previous year.

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No new episode of Man V. Food will be televised tonight, but all six episodes will be rerun beginning at 5 pm eastern:

Columbus TRAV Wed 12/31 5:00 PM
Memphis TRAV Wed 12/31 5:30 PM
Chicago TRAV Wed 12/31 6:00 PM
Austin TRAV Wed 12/31 6:30 PM
Pittsburgh TRAV Wed 12/31 7:00 PM
Amarillo TRAV Wed 12/31 7:30 PM

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• Consumption has a rap video directed to Badlands Booker
• Wikipedia page about Man v. Food, has a short Adam Richman biography and episode details
• The Princeton Oyster Bowl has a new website at http://oysterbowlnj.com/
• Mike Fitzgerald attempts the 12 pound pizza challenge at Polito’s
• IFOCE review of Santa’s Slay by Tim “Gravy” Brown
• Georgia Tech beats LSU in a beef eating contest held at a Brazilian steakhouse before the Chick Fil A Bowl.
• Dale Boone is in India according to his myspace status

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The episode of My Life in Food about three competitive eaters preparations for the 2008 Nathan’s is now on the schedule. The 30 minute program will be televised at 6:30 pm eastern on January 10.

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Beautiful Brian has uploaded a holiday message video to youtube in which he announces and plays samples from Tim “Gravy” Brown’s new CD titled Santa’s Slay Beautiful Brian compares Tim “Gravy” Brown to Elvis Costello. Songs include “Go Tell it on the Mountain”, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christman”, “Deck the Halls”, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, “Take My Breath Away” and “My Heart Will Go On”.

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Jon Basso of the Heart Attack Grill has emailed the following information

I’d like to let you know that the Travel Channel has a new series called “Extreme”. This SATURDAY THE 27th they are shooting there only restaurant segment called Extreme Restaurants. They’ve chosen just three restaurant in the world and we’re lucky enough to be one of them. They’d asked me if any competitive eaters will be present and I’ve told them that I’ll try to put the word out to get some folks to come in on Saturday.

I wonder if this is the same program that recorded at Denny’s Beer Barrel earlier this month.

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A link to Adam Richman’s appearance on Good Morning America yesterday is below.

Adam Richman on GMA Dec 23, 2008 (6 MB)

Links about tonight’s episode: commerical, clip about the appropriate stance for eating an Italian beef sandwich, slideshow (which must have been taken in early October or before note the sign)

The website for tonight’s challenge restaurant, Lucky’s Sandwich Company, is under contruction – yelp page

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The Food Network’s website has a broadcast date of Februrary 9, 2009 for the episode of “Will Work for Food” where host Adam Gertler competes in the Famous Famiglia pizza eating contest after receiving advice from Crazy Legs Conti, Pat Bertoletti, and Tim “Eater X” Janus. Gertler came in last place, but he was only four slices behind Crazy Legs Conti.

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A greatest hits CD containing high points from the first four “Hungry & Focused” albums along with three new songs from the upcoming album “Extended Play” will be released on New Years day. A promo clip is available on youtube. The album can be purchased on Booker’s myspace page and the store at majorleagueeating.com

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• Beautiful Brian’s Christmas CD is ready and a copy will be mailed to any IFOCE member who requests it
• Another article about Chip Simpson’s win in the Bonita Springs, FL wing eating contest which continues to include the claim that he defeated Kobayashi in a wing eating contest
• “Furious” Pete Czerwinksi halves the 15 scoop challenge record at Ricky’s Candy, Cones & Chaos
• Christmas Day latke eating contest in Red Bank, NJ
• Cameron McKirdy challenges Badlands Booker to a rap battle on July 4, 2009 (from email)
• Toby Keith’s 100 ounce challenge reportedly finishes with 2 burgers, making it a 132 ounce challenge (from email)

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