Takeru Kobayashi has updated his blog for the first time since his release from jail: (automatically translated)

It may sound sacrilegious, has experience in jail was an interesting feeling.

After his release, for press, lawyers and other meetings, I was followed by a busy day, has been finally settled down a bit.

I want to tell you there is a lot, and this is very fine, thank you.
But it just wanted to tell.

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update July 5 #2 CNN has a video of Kobayashi after his release. Kobayashi’s next appearance in court will be on August 5.
CalorieLab has a human translation of Kobayashi’s July 3 blog entry.

update July 5 The Associated Press reports that Kobayashi has been freed from jail and will have a court appearance today.

update 10:55 pm Some more links
An updated New York Daily News article
Yahoo News has an AP article with over 1000 comments
Deadspin has a blog entry with a video
Youtube has another video
New York Metromix has a gallery
“Kobayashi arrested” is #6 in Google Trends, over 8 hours after the incident
Gastroboy noted that someone claiming to be Kobayashi has started a twitter at http://twitter.com/FreeKobayashi

update 2:39 The New York Post has a more detailed article about Kobayashi’s arrest. (via gastroboy)

Two beefy men, wearing polo shirts with NYPD logos, stopped Kobayashi as he attempted to hop a barricade and reach Joey Chestnut after the San Jose, Calif., eating machine won his fourth consecutive Nathan’s title.

The muscle men put Kobayashi in a headlock and dragged him backstage. Witnesses said that it appeared Kobayashi had no ill intent and wanted to congratulate Chestnut.

update 1:42 The Associated Press reports that Takeru Kobayashi was taken into custody by police after he went on stage after the contest.

The results: Results #4 – #16 from the eating contest twitter
1) Joey Chestnut 54, fourth victory in a row
2) Tim Janus 45
3) Pat Bertoletti 37
4) Sonya Thomas 36
5) Bob Shoudt 34
6) Erik Denmark 32
7) Tim “Gravy” Brown 31
8) Allen “Shredder” Goldstein 28
9) Juliet Lee 27
9) Ben Monson 27
11) Sean Gordon 26.5
12) Eric “Badlands” Booker 24
12) Pete Davekos 24
14) Crazy Legs Conti 20
15) Bryan Beard 15.5
16) Krystopher Adams 11

12:53 Joey Chestnut wins comfortably

12:48 At the halfway point. Joey Chestnut has a comfortable lead. Rich Shea alludes to the controversial escondido qualifier.

12:43 The contest starts. “Joey Chestnut” and “dog eating contest” are twitter trending topics. Kobayashi is shown in the crowd.

12:28 The eaters’ entrances start

The Nathan’s commercial showed Kobayashi, Dale Boone & Cookie Jarvis.

Paul Page called Joey Chestnut “Joey Chitwood”.

It is official that Takeru Kobayashi will not compete. This will be the first finals without a Japanese competitor since 1996.

SillyAmerica, HungrySisters, Will Millender and Gothamist are live blogging

BadlandsBooker and the eating contest twitter have posted a lot of pictures.

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CalorieLab has been in contact with Takeru Kobayashi’s publicists and has produced several posts about his contractual issues. In one post, explains Kobayashi’s grievances and contradicts the claim that the new contract is similar to previously signed documents:

He says that previous contracts only prohibited him from appearing in eating contests that weren’t sponsored by the MFE or its sister organization the International Federation of Competitive Eating without IFOCE permission. They did not prohibit Mr. Kobayashi from appearing in television or radio commercials or from appearing on television and radio shows.

Kobayashi also claims that the contract prohibits him from appearing on Japanese competitive eating television programs, which would explain his absence from “Gluttonous King” and similar shows. (There is no restriction on Japanese appearances. This was translated incorrectly.)

In another post, Kobayashi says he would be willing to compete tomorrow with no appearance fee if the exclusitivity requirement is also dropped.

update In the most recent post, Kobayashi describes his new immigration status after moving to New York City earlier this year.

He decided to try to obtain a visa on his own, and he took it upon himself to apply for and ultimately receive an O-1 visa. The IFOCE, in the form of George and Richard Shea, the publicists behind MLE and the IFOCE, didn’t take kindly to this development, since being Mr. Kobayashi’s visa sponsor had given them a considerable degree of control over Mr. Kobayashi’s U.S. activities. A free agent Kobayashi roaming around the United States, was worrisome. Thus the MLE’s more restrictive and hardline contract proposal to Mr. Kobayashi.

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Takeru Kobayashi recently posted a blog entry about declining to extend his IFOCE contract which has the English title “My freedom”. (automatically translated)

As long as the body, I thought I want to continue playing, in order to obtain a license in this league, you have to sign the contract situation is more severe than ever have.

You can not eat hot dogs in front of the media, they appeared on television without permission, you can not eat that early performances.

Kobayashi mentions visa issues play a role in his rejection of the contract.

(The blog is on Japanese time so the date is July 3)

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Kobayashi did an interview with the New York Daily News, where he says restriction from competing in in non-IFOCE contests is the reason why he is not extending his contract.

“They want complete control over me,” he told the Daily News. “I just want to compete and do what I love. They are trying to take away my freedom.”

Kobayashi says that he is training as if he will compete Sunday

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update The new poll asks what you think Kobayashi’s future in competitive eating will be.

ESPN Sportcenter recently announced that Takeru Kobayashi has failed to reach a contract agreement with Major League Eating and is not scheduled to appear in the July 4 contest. This will end his streak at 9 contests (6 victories) if he does not compete.

An official article has not been released. Use twitter search for “Kobayashi” if you need verification.

update Fanhouse has a blog entry raising the possibility that the contract dispute is a publicity stunt.

Deadspin has a blog entry with Richard Shea’s statement.

update #2 IFOCE.com has a post consisting solely of Richard Shea’s statement

update #3 The Wall Street Journal’s Metropolis blog has an entry noting that the MLE contract does not offer a guaranteed payout.

update #4 Kobayashi’s blog makes no mention of a contract dispute. The most recent entry (June 24) talks about received the book Tacky the Penguin from Crazy Legs Conti.

update #5 CSNBayArea has an interview with Joey Chestnut (link fixed, thanks gastroboy)

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Apparently pro wrestler Ric Flair’s adage, “to be the man, you gotta beat the man”, does not apply to IFOCE rankings. “Notorious” Bob Shoudt was moved ahead of Takeru Kobayashi in the latest top 50 despite never having defeated him in nine previous contests, which are listed after the jump.

update Takeru Kobayashi vs. Joey Chestnut head to head results have also been added.
Read the rest of this entry »

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CPBiggestEater.com announces that Takeru Kobayashi, Joey Chestnut and Juliet Lee will compete in a shrimp wonton contest in Singapore on May 9. Qualifiers for the contest will take place on April 25 and May 2.

This will be the second Singaporean event for Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut; they also competed in a contest in July 2008.

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