610WIP.com has updated its Wing Bowl 17 page with the full list of competitors along with their odds. Damaging Doug is the favorite at 2-1 and Doug “Obi Wing” Petock is the long shot at ∞-1 odds. Damaging Doug is also the heaviest competitor with a listed weight of 504 pounds. Larry “Blow Me” Norris is the lightest at 160 lbs.

Dan Gross’ Wing Bowl column mentions the odds and catches up with Joey Chestnut’s former wingette, Tiffany Heller, who will sit out Wing Bowl 17. She says that she was secretly rooting for the underdog while she was assisting Joey Chestnut.

Gross also reports that Gentleman Jerry (listed odds: 3-1) says that this will be his final eating contest. The column says that Coughlan’s margin of defeat to Joey Chestnut in Wing Bowl 16 was 15 wings, which was the difference in Wing Bowl 15. The margin of defeat in last year’s Wing Bowl was over 100 wings

Tailgating information is provided at the end of the column:

The Wachovia Center has announced that parking lots open at 4 a.m. Friday and that tickets will be checked at the parking gates. Those without Wing Bowl tix will be turned away. FDR Park, across Broad Street from the sports complex, will be closed to tailgating, as will surrounding lots.

All patrons will be searched for contraband, and no outside food or beverages are permitted inside the Wachovia Center. Comcast-Spectacor has also asked that no fires be set in the parking lot.

The DelcoTimes has an article about “Gentleman Jerry” Coughlan and the PhillyBurbs blog has an entry about Nick “Chicken Caesar” Ventresca

Nittanydelphia has a preview of the Wing Bowl

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• Article about the absence of Steakbellie and other professional eaters from Wing Bowl 17
• Philly.com on Gluteus Waximus’ float construction
• Wing Bowl 17 Pep Rally at Paddy Whack’s Thursday

The new poll asks what you how many wings the winner of Wing Bowl 17 will eat. I think that Gentleman Jerry has the top personal best in the field at 167 wings in 2007.

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• Acme Oyster House Challenge (15 Dozen Club) restaurant: Home page (the website has an online wall of fame – click on Contest, then Leader Board – which has not been updated since 2005. Pat Bertoletti set the record in early 2007. A screen capture of the Wall of Fame is available after the jump
  • 15+ Dozen Club in the eatfeats database
  • #5 entry on the Travel Channel’s list of best places to pig out – video clip from that program
  • Reviews: yelp | citysearch
• Mother’s Restaurant home page | yelp | citysearch
• Deanie’s Seafood home page | yelp | citysearch

update: commercial | gallery
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BeautifulBrian.com has some pictures from the 8 pound “Beast” pizza El Toro and an unnamed partner completed from Graziano’s Pizza in Las Vegas, which is the only Nevada pizza challenge offering an award I am aware of.

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DowntownRaleigh.com reports that Man vs. Food will be filming at The Pit in Raleigh Wednesday evening from 6 to 9 pm. The restaurant will be serving customers during that time and will offer discounts on two BBQ meals in honor of the event. Adam Richman will not just be dining at the restaurant; he will also learn pork BBQ cooking techniques.

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• Drew Cerza, founder of the Buffalo Wing Festival, to be emcee at Wing Bowl 17
• Report on Tuesday’s Wing Off
• L & L Corned Beef Musubi eating contest February 15. First prize includes a trip to Hawaii
• Skinnyboy’s report from the KBPI Wing Bowl semifinals
• Moses News has a lot of new material, including a review of Katz’ Deli, featured in last week’s Man vs. Food
• Picture of the Big Texan 72 ounce steak finishers list from 2007. Kevin Carr is one of the finishers.

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A blog entry on the Calgary Herald’s website says that the San Jose Stealth of the National Lacrosse League will have Joey Chestnut compete in a macaroni & cheese eating contest. The Stealth’s schedule page has details about that event which will take place on February 21:

Major League Eating Contest. Joey “Jaws” Chestnut to compete against fans to see who eats the most Mac & Cheese.

Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, the top competitive eater in the world, and local hero to compete against fans to see who eats the most Mac & Cheese.

The first 3000 fans will receive a Joey Chestnut bobblehead. No registration information is listed.

The Stealth’s opponent on February 21 will be the Colorado Mammoth, which hosted the KBPI Wing Bowl yesterday. If anyone has results from that contest, please list them in the comments.

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Kobayashi announces in his latest blog entry that he had difficulty with his jaw during his attempt to break the IFOCE fruitcake record in New York City on December 26. A section of the blog translated by Google follows:

In deciding to eat is not prepared to break the jaw

And there was a conflict while eating.

I do believe that can be! And so it is

The embarrassing truth is conflict.

Food was like clay.

To assert that the food is bad for the jaw before.

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La Sanbe has a blog entry commenting on an article from elmanana.com.mx about the Jalapeño Festival that will take place in Laredo, Texas on February 20 & 21 which mentions the eating contest where Pat Bertoletti holds the record of 266 peppers in 15 minutes:

One issue of concern, though, is that participants for the jalapeño eating contest are not being solicited via the Food Network website as was done last year. Organizers want the contest represented more by locals. Great. So now we’re lowering the standards of our recreational activities too. Way to go Laredo.

The Spanish paragraph about the contest and its translation by Google follows:

Para la competencia de Jalapeño de esta edición, ya no se anunciará en internet, como se hizo el año pasado en la página de la Food Network, pues se quiere que los participantes sean locales, ya que es un festival de Laredo.

Jalapeño competition for this edition is no longer advertised on the internet, as it did last year at the site of the Food Network, as it is to the participants are local, as it is a festival of Laredo.

If the Laredo jalapeño contest is not affiliated with IFOCE in 2009, there could be a 4+ month gap between contests since the last IFOCE contest was the Battle at the Big Apple World Pizza Eating Championship in Fort Pierce, Florida on November 8.

The Stockton Asparagus Festival’s website announces that the contest on April 25 will have IFOCE eaters, so that will break the drought at 5.5 months if no other contests take place before it.

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The San Jose Mercury reports that Bear Silber purchased Pizza Party (formerly Pizza and Pipes) restaurant. Silber finished the restaurant’s Belly Buster Pizza challenge in December 2006 with a time of 38 minutes. (Joey Chestnut completed the pizza four days later with a time of 15 minutes.

In other San Jose news, one of the Man vs. Food sites was SmokeEaters (former University Chicken) and Adam Richman tried the Hellfire Challenge there.

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NewRaleigh.com has information about the three Raleigh-Durham restaurants where Man vs. Food will film on January 27: Mama Dips (Chapel Hill), The Pit (Raleigh) and The Roast Grill (Raleigh). Adam Richman will attempt to eat 15 hot dogs, 15 buns, a half pint of mustard, one pint of chili sauce, and three drinks at The Roast Grill, which does not appear to have an official eating challenge.

In other Raleigh televised competitive eating news, a twitter update says that the Krispy Kreme Challenge on February 7 will be covered by ESPN.

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• This week’s Philly.com Wing Bowl column profiles John “Stormin Norman” Tiska and Rick “The Manager” Russo
• Delco Times wants to hear from Wing Bowl fans & contestants
• Video of Joey Chestnut vs. Pack 340 leader
• Video of Boston crepe eating contest
• Billy the Fridge to have a donut eating contest at his Fantasy Freak Show CD release party February 26
• Buffet ejection contest in Louisana (make sure to read the last line)

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A livejournal blog entry reports that a woman (not named) currently holds the top mark of 17 hot dogs in 90 minutes on the Wall of Fame at Spike’s Junkyard Dogs in Somerville (Boston). A eyewitness to the record attempt comments the new record holder was the previous record holder whose mark of 14 was broken when her husband ate 16. If that is the case, the LeFevres might have company in the ranks of competitive eating couples.

Another commenter says he encountered the record holder at Spike’s while another diner was attempting to exceed her total and she said “I hope you know that if you break the record I’ll just come in and rebreak it tomorrow.”

It is possible that the record reclamation was a response to the recent record attempt video posted on igreggor.com, but 15 hot dogs were consumed in that attempt and the previous record was 16 (each Spike’s location maintains its own record.)

An eatfeats post from November 2007 has a picture of a previous female record holder at Spike’s (who might be the current “top dog” as well)

update A 2+2 forum thread documents a 2007 trip to Spike’s. While the diners attempted to eat 6 or more hot dogs to get on the “Kennel Club”, the holder of the record (which was then 13 hot dogs) entered the restaurant and was photographed (picture on right).

Someone who has met the record holder describes her as “pretty cool, but amazingly tiny, like a white female version of Kobayashi.”

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• Asparagus contest at the Stockton, CA Asparagus festival returns April 25
• Video of Pat Bertoletti completing a 29 inch pizza in 34 minutes without assistance. The pizza is probably from Barlo’s Pizza in Indianapolis
• Man vs. Food Merchandise page with 3 t-shirts and a food journal (The graphic on the right is one of the t-shirt designs)
• The LA Times reports that the Los Angeles challenge on Man vs. Food will be the spicy ramen called Special #2 at Orochon Ramen and the other foods will be the French Dip sandwich at Phillipe the Original and the Manuel Special burrito at El Tepeyac
• The Cherry Cricket will be another Denver Man vs. Food location
• ESPN.com clip of Kobayashi’s fruitcake record clip
• Chicago chili contest January 31
• Pie eating contest on UK Big Brother in honor of Obama’s inauguration

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Commercial co-starring Adam Richman’s mother, facebook gallery

Facebook photo gallery

Restaurants

• Brick Lane Curry House Challenge Restaurant
  Home Page – Reviews: Citysearch, Yelp
  Serious Eats blog entry about Phall of Fame curry challenge attempt
• Katz’ Deli
  Home Page – Reviews: Citysearch, Yelp
• Sylvia’s
  Home Page – Reviews: Citysearch, Yelp

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The Brooklyn Papers has an article about about the possible effects of the Coney Island rezoning plans on the original Nathan’s location:

The beloved frankfurter franchise — which has stood on the corner Surf and Stillwell avenues since 1916 — is a possible casualty of the controversial plan because it sits on land whose value could soar after a rezoning opens it up to development.

“[Nathan’s is] assumed to be replaced under the proposed actions with a new building, containing hotel, amusement, retail and enhancing uses,” according to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which was posted online by the city on Friday afternoon, but not announced until the Department of City Planning distributed a press release that is embargoed until Tuesday morning.

ConeyIsland.com has a forum thread about the article.

Building a tower on top of the original Nathan’s building was mentioned as another post-rezoning possibility last February.

update The NY Post has an article and curbed.com has a blog entry containing a statement from Nathan’s CEO Eric Gatoff:

Nathan’s Famous supports all efforts to revitalize Coney Island. We remain committed to Coney Island in the long-term and we fully intend to maintain our historic flagship restaurant at 1310 Surf Avenue, which has been the heart of the company since it was established in 1916.

As to the latest report issued by the City, we believe the information relating to Nathan’s Famous is being misinterpreted and that there is no intention to replace or demolish our flagship location. In fact, the Coney Island Development Corporation’s own drawings of its intended redevelopment continue to show Nathan’s Famous in the same location on which it has stood for 93 years, on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues, at the front door to the ‘People’s Playground.

update #2 The Brooklyn Paper has another article which points out that Nathan’s did not rule out replacing the existing Nathan’s restaurant on Surf & Stillwell with a completely new building.

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Westword has information about the two Travel Channel programs recording at Jack n Grill in Denver this week:

Today at lunchtime, a film crew from the Travel Channel’s new show, Extreme Places to Pig-Out, will be at the restaurant filming fans’ attempts to down the big burrito. And on Thursday, January 22, Adam Richman, host of the channel’s Man v. Food, will be back at Jack-n-Grill at noon, taking on the seven-pounder himself.

In other Denver news, Skinnyboy has a blog entry about the final KBPI Wing Bowl qualifier.

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• Beautiful Brian wants to know who will stop the Shea Stadium rain
• Rice and Bean Pot burrito eating contest at Boston area colleges starts January 27
• Nacho eating contest in Paul Blart: Mall Cop
• Questions about performance enhancing substances in competitive eating
• Picture of 29 inch pizza at American Pie Pizza in Florida
• Oyster Bowl X to award 4 Night All Inclusive Trip to Cancun or Punta Cana for two Adults
• Hot dog eating contest in Hong Kong
• A youtube page by “Kobayashi”
• Don Lerman has resumed competitive eating posts on mosesnews.com
• Olivia Wilde of House MD once ate 33 pancakes in 20 minutes to win an eating contest – interview video (from Sebastian Walters)

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Andrew Zimmern’s blog for MSP Magazine reports that Man vs. Food will be filming in Minneapolis / St. Paul from February 5 to 8. Restaurant locations are not listed, but one of the foods will be a juicy Lucy burger.

A UNC scout.com forum thread has the following information about Raleigh / Durham locations:

I have a friend that is a producer on the show and they are coming to Chapel Hill/Durham for a show. Thus far they have chosen the Roast Grill (hot dogs) and The Pit for barbeque and they are thinking about Mama Dip’s but are worried that the portions are not big enough.

They looked at Sutton’s and Time Out but they were too small and didn’t have large enough portions. THe sad thing about the area is that the food that is true to North Carolina doesn’t usually come in a challenge type of serving.

A twitter update from December says that Man vs. Food will record at the Roast Grill sometime in January.

The Krispy Kreme Challenge appeared to be a possibility for the North Carolina challenge, but Man vs. Food will be in Minnesota on the February 7 race date.

update BeautifulBrian.com has a review and a clip from Man vs. Food

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• Kobayashi has a blog entry about Cookie Jarvis and his jacket
• AICE Blue Baker World Cookie Eating Championship in College Station, TX on April 4, $1500 purse
• Bacon Eating contest at second Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival (Des Moines) February 28
• Pizza Eating contest at Carolina (Raleigh) Rollergirls roller derby match on January 24
• Youtube page for Joel “The Cannon” Podelsky’s contests

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Pat Bertoletti commented that he ate the 5 pound Burritozilla at Iguana’s Taqueria in San Jose in 1 minute and 41 seconds, breaking Joey Chestnut’s record. (Joey Chestnut may have since regained the record). Pat’s Burritozilla mark is included on the list of eating challenge results on deepdisheats.com which includes feats such as the 40 inch pizza (with a partner) at the Pizza Machine and the Tex-ass doughnut from Voodoo doughnuts in Portland, OR in 23 seconds which have not received much media attention.

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The list of entrants in the Wing Bowl finals have been updated to report that Frank de Fraud won last night’s Wing Off qualifier by eating 28 wings in 10 minutes. The Courier-Post has an article (without results) and gallery from that contest.

“Gentleman” Jerry Coughlan, who performed a jelly doughnut stunt, and Wing Bowl 8 winner “Tollman” Joe Paul (no Wing Off or stunt listed) are other new qualifiers.

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• 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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(From Sadie Carpenter & Carlos) The Hungry Sisters blog has an article about Rick “The Manager” Russo’s qualification for Wing Bowl 17. Russo served as Dave “The Dumpster” Moyer’s manager in previous Wing Bowls.

Badlands Booker wrote the theme song for Rick the Manager, which can be listened to on RickTheManager.com A myspace page is also available.

A video of Rick’s qualification stunt of eating 4 feet of sushi served on the bodies of two lingerie wearing females can be viewed on youtube. (This is not the first time sushi consumption off of a female body has been recorded; in The Surreal Life, MC Hammer, Emmanuel Lewis and Corey Feldman refuse to eat sushi served on a naked woman.)

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Dan Gross has a column about several Wing Bowl 17 competitors. “Damaging” Doug Canavin says that he thinks that 150 wings will win the contest, but his goal is 175 wings. Canavin qualified for Wing Bowl 17 by eating 5 sliders in 5 minutes. The column hints that Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick, whose previous brush with competitive eating involved being in a prank trade for ‘Kobayashi”, could be part of Damaging Doug’s entourage.

A list of all 150+ wing results in the eatfeats database is available after the jump
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