AICE news reports that Tom “Goose” Gilbert ate 38 meatballs at a contest in Midlothian, IL. No other information is provided.

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St. Pats Chowdown results

Finals – jalapeno peppers
1) Pat Bertoletti
2) Joey Chestnut

Semi Finals – green doughnuts
1) Pat Bertoletti
2) Joey Chestnut
?) Sonya Thomas
?) Chip Simpson

1st Round
1 tie) Joey Chetnut
1 tie) Pat Bertoletti
3) Sonya Thomas
4) Chip Simpson
5) Tim Janus (originally listed as 4th place finisher)
?) Rich LeFevre
?) Bob Shoudt
?) Eric “Badlands” Booker

Hopefully the ratings will be good enough to have other future non-Kobayashi contests televised.

updated elfarren has a livejournal entry with some pictures

teleblog is available after the jump

Read the rest of this entry »

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Don “Moses” Lerman reports that a new restaurant in Yaphank, NY (Long Island), The Black Rock Tavern, will offer a 5 pound burger and a Wall of Fame for finishers of that sandwich. They use a picture from Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub in their ad. (You can read “Denny’s” on the menu) In addition to the burger challenge, the restaurant’s menu says they will offer all you can eat wings on Thursday for $20. The tavern’s myspace page says that it will open some time in April. They are hiring next weekend.

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Please place all comments about Day 1 of the Saint Patrick’s Day Chowdown in this thread. I will refrain from posting results from the Chowdown on the main page of the blog until 8 pm eastern Saturday, so you can avoid seeing any results there if you do not want to know who won when you watch it on televison. I have turned off listing the start of a recent comment in the sidebar so no results will be listed there.

Update There is now a comment about the first round results from an anonymous poster, so do not read the comments if you do not want to know how that turned out. Kobayashi did not appear due to his mother’s illness.

update #2 wtoctv.com has an article about the contest. Neither results nor Kobayashi’s absence are mentioned. The picture above shows that Kobayashi was not near the middle of the table. The article does say that 8 eaters were present, so an alternate might have competed.

update #3 (From The Hangman) A gallery with some pictures of the contest can be viewed at http://pixels.savannahnow.com/pages/gallery.php?gallery=310735 The pictures do not give away who advanced to the next round. Badlands Booker was apparently the fill in for Kobayashi. Conti served as a commentator. It would interesting to know what was on the bottom of the sign that read “Sonya Will U …”

Update #4 savannahnow.com has an article which does list second round advancers.

Update #5 (From The Hangman) A video Conti and Eater X on a local news show performing a donut eating exhibition can be seen at http://www.wtoc.com/Global/category.asp?C=95545 (Click on “Eat Like a Pro”, Internet Explorer only)

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In his most recent blog entry, Kobayashi talks about withdrawing from the Saint Patrick’s Day Chowdown. I do not understand the automatically translated Japanese well enough to discern if he has decided to not compete or just considered cancelling and will proceed:

You made speak some days ago, concerning conference participation, it came simply.
It is urgent, but because it made to cancel the participation, you report.

…

This time, this kind of, to encourage me even in urgent cancellation, wipe insecurity, the attorney corresponding quickly, Robert and the UFFO authorized personnel, everyone thank you truly.

update The involvement of an attorney brings to mind the following song by the late Warren Zevon (presumably the only guns are on Kobayashi’s arms)

I was gambling in Havana
I took a little risk
Send lawyers, guns and money
Dad, get me out of this

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Fredricksburg.com reports that Sonya Thomas ate 22.5 hot dogs in 6 minutes at a contest at the University of Mary Washington yesterday, easily beating the runner-up, freshman Rugby player Daniel Kauffman, who ate 12 HDB. Sonya had hoped to eat more than 22.5:

Despite handily defeating the students, Thomas said she performed poorly because her jaw got tired.

When she practiced for the event a month ago, she said she ate at least 25 hot dogs in six minutes.

Even after yesterday’s marathon of sorts, she munched on a bun. “I’m tasting,” she said, while before she was just swallowing.

“You are my idol,” one student told her.

update Some pictures have been added

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MercuryNews.com has an interview with Joey Chestnut conducted at Iguanas Taqueria, where Joey began his competitive eating career. Joey says that the first place prize for the St. Pat’s Day Chowdown will be $15,000 and the corned beef contest will be 10 minutes. Joey also says he received that amount after declining the car he won for winning Wing Bowl 15.

Chestnut developed his throat and stomach muscles. They’re fast and powerful. He’s perfected his eating rhythm. He practices mind over matter, whether the matter is boiled, broiled, barbecued or deep fried.

And he’s been on the big stage before. Chestnut says he chewed through 25 contests last year and won about $60,000. When he won a chicken-wing contest in February, they offered him a car. “No thanks,” he said. “I just ate.”

Kidding. He took $15,000 cash instead.

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WPLR.com reports that “Gentleman” Joe “Eatmeiser” Menchetti won a qualifier for the Eat the Meat Wing Competition by eating 85 wings in 10 minutes. The final for that event will be held on March 17 in New Haven, CT. AICE news reports that GJoe will compete in the Meatball contest to be held in Midlothian, Illinois the same day, making for a very hectic travel schedule if he attempts both events.

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(From the Hangman) riverstreetsavannah.com has information about the Saint Patrick’s Day Chowdown, which will begin on St. Patrick’s Eve:

Spike TV will be on River Street filming eight of the world’s best eaters as Verizon Wireless presents St. Patrick’s Celebration on the River! The Competitions will take place Friday afternoon at 4 and Saturday afternoon between 2 and 2:30. The competition will air on Spike TV at 7pm on St. Pat’s night.

ConnectSavannah.com also has an article about the contest.

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Steakbellie has posted the fourth installment of his Wing Bowl 15 epic.

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Don “Moses” Lerman’s most recent blog entry has a picture of himself at the unveiling of the Nathan’s Wall of Fame. That monument, which lists Don Wolfman as the 1986 winner with 12 hot dogs, needs correction according to this New York Times article:

In a weekend of indulgence, 27-year-old Mark Heller of Manhattan -depending on one’s perspective -might rightfully lay claim to the prize for the most indulgent act.

Mr. Heller, a television commercial producer and director, was crowned the Nathan’s Famous 1986 hot dog-eating champion after consuming 15 1/2 all-beef hot dogs, 6 1/2 inches long – and buns, some with mustard – in 10 minutes.

Mark Heller was inspired by Birgit Felden’s victory in the 1984 contest.

After victory, Mr. Heller searched for bicarbonate of soda and said that the festive atmosphere of Liberty Weekend and seeing a ”German girl who had never eaten a hot dog” win the contest two years ago had prompted him to participate.

15.5 hot dogs would be the best known Nathan’s result from the 1980s. It would be interesting to learn what year the contest changed from 10 to 12 minutes.

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On March 13, 1982, Sharon Scholten (now Sharon VanDuinen), a petite 5’3″ and 110 pound 25 year old, broke the chili dog record at the Rockford Corner Bar by eating 42.5 chili dogs in four hours. That record would last for almost 24 years and only Tim Janus and Balinda Gould have been able to better that performance.

The archived article about Ms. Scholten provides some interesting background information about her feat:

Saturday looked to be a normal day until her brother-in-law Jimmy Scholten suggested that she try for the record

That was after she had eaten lunch – a Mexican pizza for two, a half order of nachos, four baskets of chips and an enchilada.

But she thought she’d give it a try. After all, she met the woman’s mark two years ago by swallowing 20 franks. And there wasn’t much else to do that night.

“We were just talking about it that afternoon,” she said, “It wasn’t something I planned. I didn’t think I could do it. But Jimmy told me he had bet $600 that I could do it so I thought I’d better try.”

It turns out Jimmy had no money riding on her meal, but his white lie was enough to get Sharon to break the record.

“I was upset,” she said. “I thought I had all this money coming. He told me I’d get 75% of the profit.”

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From myspace.com/badlandsbooker:

Mar 24 2007 9:00P Julian Maile’s Spray Paint Stars Concert At Sine New York, New York
Mar 26 2007 8:00P The Bro’In Out Show at The UCB Theatre New York, New York

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(Thanks Pat Bruss) A video of Pat Bruss competing in the semifinals of a 18 ounce burrito eating relay contest called the Boloco Burrito Brawl with his two brothers, Mike and Brett, can be viewed at:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5766977925415360194

The Brusses are on the far side of the screen and Pat’s 24 second time for the last burrito enables the brothers to overcome a half a burrito deficit. The brothers would win in the finals and claim a $500 prize.

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I am not sure if the St. Patrick’s Day Chowdown will consist of three contests in which the top half will advance or seven two person contests. If it is the latter, and brackets are based on current IFOCE rankings, the following matchups will take place:

Round 1: 1) Kobayashi vs 8 ) Rich LeFevre, 2) Joey Chestnut vs. 7) Tim Janus, 3) Pat Bertoletti vs. 6) Chip Simpson, 4) Sonya Thomas vs. 5) Bob Shoudt

Round 2: Kobayashi/LeFevre winner vs Thomas/ Shoudt winner, Chestnut/Janus winner vs. Bertoletti/Simpson winner

Final: Kobayashi/LeFevre/Thomas/ Shoudt winner vs. Chestnut/Janus/Bertoletti/Simpson winner

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Kobayashi has a post about his thoughts on the Saint Patrick’s Day Chowdown in Savannah.

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A press release for the New Jersey Festival of Balooning says the 3rd Quick Check toasted sub eating contest will be held at that event.

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The Dining Events page for Mary Washington College in Fredricksburg, VA has the following entry:

03/15/07 – We are hosting HOT DOG EATING CONTEST! 14 UMW Students are invited to compete against Sonya Thomas, the Black Widow, a world champion competetive eater. This event will be sponsored by Dining Services and OSACS. The contest is being held at Palmari Plaza and will start at 12:15.

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Sheboygan-Press.com has an article about the 2007 Brat Days Festival with a picture of a fan wearing Eater X makeup. The schedule has not been finalized, but two events from 2006 that will be continued are listed:

A couple of guarantees, however, are the brat-eating contest and the traditional parade, sponsored by Piggly Wiggly and Fresh Brands.

The main musical guests will be Soul Asylum, Dokken and Trick Pony.

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A Japanese blogger is currently on vacation in Hawaii, and s/he saw a television crew recording Natsuko “Gal” Sone competing in the “Gluttonous Queen” contest on Waikiki Beach. The contest will be televised later this month or in April. It is too bad that apparently no American women were invited to compete.

Exactly recording the gluttonous king decisive game being done at the Waikiki beach, it increased.

The gal 曽 root it was.

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The Harvard Crimson reports that Richard Tarnas was using performance enhancing drugs when he won an eating contest by consuming 17.5 pancakes in December 1969:

Trainer David R. Bishop 72 attributed Tarnas’s victory to his rigid two-week training program.

“We had Rick on a tough schedule-smoking grass every day and never going to bed before 4 a.m.,” said Bishop. “Then the stoned Munchies-brought on by two pre-contest joints-floated my man to victory,” he added.

Richard Tarnas is currently professor of philosophy and psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. His most recent book is Cosmos and Psyche. The astroknavery blog describes the content of that work:

Subtitled, Intimations of a New World View and based, Tarnas claims, upon 30 years* of research, it strives to address what he calls “the profound metaphysical disorientation and groundlessness that pervades contemporary human experience” by suggesting a “new metanarrative that transcends separate cultures and subcultures, an encompassing pattern of meaning that could give to collective human existence a nourishing coherence and intelligibility.”

That meta-narrative, as he calls it, is astrology.

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A 4 person team wing eating contest will take place in Chicago. Finals will be March 31 at Cans Bar & Canteen and qualifiers will be held throughout March. The team entrance fee is $25 and the registration deadline is March 11. First prize is $500.

A corned beef Musubi eating contest will be held in Honolulu on St. Patrick’s Day. First place is $1000. The contest page says the registration deadline has passed, but this starbulletin.com article says entries are still being accepted.

See the side bar for more contests.

updated corned beef prize fixed, thanks GJoe

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There is an article about Pat Bertoletti in the Chicago Tribune.

Bertoletti’s competitive strategy is simple: “I just try to focus and push myself. Every time I’m at a contest, I like to see how far it takes me to get to my breaking point.”

That threshold has become harder to reach since he began eating for sport in 2004 at the suggestion of his sister. He entered a local pizza-eating contest and finished fourth. Bertoletti later registered with the International Federation of Competitive Eating, which regulates the contests for safety.

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A news video of the 123 pound burger from Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub can be viewed at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17402466/

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A clip from a recent “Las Vegas” episode has been uploaded to http://eatfeats.com/videos/LasVegasHotDogContest.wmv (2 minutes 5MB) The video shows Sam (Vanessa Marcil) winning a hot dog eating contest for casino employees by eating the contents of a tray filled with of 50-80 bunless hot dogs (We only see her eat about two or three)

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