(From Steakbellie) a one minute news clip about Saturday’s Philadelphia qualifier from Reuters video can be viewed at http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=54562&videoChannel=4

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An article about the Philadelphia Nathan’s qualifier video on MLE appears CompetitveEatingNews.com. Apparently IFOCE is standing by its original results:

Nonetheless, several viewers have reported watched the video and claimed that it shows that Shoudt’s hot dogs were closely counted and that, to support claims of a mis-count, Shoudt would have had to eat five additional hot dogs during one of the 10-second periods when the camera pans away. These viewers claim that it is possible to follow Bob’s consumption throughout the contest, if one allows for the missed moments when the camera pans away.

They also claim that the video reveals the MLE host repeatedly alerting the Nathan’s judge to the multiple plate issue and conscientiously following the count.

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A listing of several competitive eating websites has been added to SonyaTheBlackWidow.com (thanks for the compliment)

There is also an interesting quote from an Alice Cooper song that I originally wondered who it was addressed to, but on second reading, it is apparently directed to men in general.

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(From Beautiful Brian & Philly Guy & Steakbellie & Wild Bill & anonymous commenter )

Nathan’s Philadelphia qualifier results, Independence Center

1.) Sonya Thomas 36
2.) “Humble” Bob Shoudt 33 or 34
3.) “Big” Brian Subich 27
4.) “Wing Kong” Collins 23 1/2
5.) Steakbellie 17.25
6.) Wild Bill 16.5
7.) Pete “Philly Guy” Miernicki, 13.75
8.) Paul “Buffet Buster” Sakelarides, 12
9.) Mike Isco, 10 (tie)
9.) Sean Verma, 10 (tie)
11.) Adam Dewalt, 9

update NBC10.com has a brief article about the contest

update #2 MegaMunch has a post about his thoughts on the judging controversy

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Sonya Thomas has added her thoughts on Juliet Lee and Natsuko “Gal” Sone to her home page.

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Brian Seiken has a report about Juliet Lee at the Broadway at the Beach contest which says that Juliet will attempt to qualify for the Nathan’s finals in Charlotte, NC. He also has a page about his thoughts on the Juliet Lee-Sonya Thomas relationship.

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(From Rhonda Evans) The episode of Animal Planet’s “Most Extreme” titled “Battle of the Sexes” featuring a cheesecake eating contest between Sonya Thomas and Eric “Badlands” Booker will be rerun tonight at 7pm and 2am this morning (Both times eastern)

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An extended version (about 2 and a half minutes) of a one minute news clip of Sonya Thomas at a contest in Hong Kong has been uploaded to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7StSPWwlJtc

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The documentary about Sonya Thomas at Wing Bowl 13 produced by Jenny Drumgoole will be screened at the New York Underground Film Festival as part of the “Fierce Creatures” program on Thursday and Monday.

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A letter to the editor critical of the hot dog eating contest at the University of Mary Washington won by Sonya Thomas appears in today’s edition of the Fredricksburg Free Lance Star.

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Brian Seiken has uploaded a scan of an article about Sonya Thomas winning the 2003 Molly Pitcher qualifier.

The oldest online article about Sonya is probably this Washington Times article from June 30, 2003 about Sonya’s preparations for the Coney Island finals:

Miss Thomas’ seemingly bottomless pit has earned her an all-expenses-paid trip to Coney Island to square off against gluttonous giants from around the globe. Despite her inexperience in competitive eating, Miss Thomas said butterflies in the stomach will not be a problem. Her biggest concern, she said, will be pacing herself.

“My stomach doesn’t hurt, and I don’t get sick, but eating so much so fast takes getting used to,” said Miss Thomas, an employee at Bolling Air Force Base. “Twelve minutes is not a lot of time. But I think I’ll do OK because after the first contest, I wasn’t full.”

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The Saint Patrick’s Day Chowdown will rerun at 2pm eastern tomorrow on Spike. A 15 second commercial for that showing with Sonya Thomas and Tim “Eater X” Janus can be seen at sonyajanusstpatspromo.wmv (.7 MB)

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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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The new poll asks if you think if Sonya Thomas will retire without having ever lost to another female competitive eater.

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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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Skinnyboy and Steakbellie have both uploaded the Mastercard commercial with Takeru Kobyashi & Sonya Thomas to youtube.

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(From R Suzuki) A Mastercard commercial in which Kobayashi and Sonya Thomas have a hot dog showdown facilitated by Mastercard PayPass can be viewed at http://www.priceless.com/cards/paypass/takerukobayashi.html The video can be downloaded at http://www.priceless.com/cards/paypass/downloadvideos.html

updated mediapost.com reports that the Kobayashi & Sonya Thomas ad will only be available online and not televised. A commercial for paypass will be broadcast during the Academy Awards Sunday, but it will star an elephant.

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(from sonyatheblackwidow.com) AroundPhilly.com has an interview with Sonya Thomas in which she says she will not eat “exotic” foods in competition. The Spike TV Saint Patrick’s Day contest will have a beef tongue round, so that might prevent Sonya from participating in that event.

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A column in the University of Wisconsin student newspaper has a list of possible new jobs for fired San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer (this column was mentioned by Rhonda Evans in a previous comment) One potential new employer for Marty is listed:

Thomas certainly is no slouch when it comes to scarfing down Nathan’s hot dogs, Moon Pies or creamed spinach casserole.

But, she can’t beat Kobayashi, the Roger Federer of digestion. Ol’ Tabasco Schott knows a little bit about eating, as legend has it he once out ate the entire Charger offensive line at a team lunch meeting. He might not get her to the top, but the practice throw-downs should be more fun than watching sumos high dive.

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With the penalty in the Saturday’s pretzel contest, Sonya Thomas has received three deductions in the past six months which have cost her finishing positions & prize money.

Sept. Buffalo Wing Festival. Debris drops Sonya from being in 2nd place alone to a 2nd place tie with Bob Shoudt
Dec. Atlantic City meatball contest – Dropped from first place to 2nd place
Jan. Miami Pretzels – Dropped from second place tie w Tim Janus to 3rd place

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I have extracted the cheesecake contest between Sonya Thomas and Eric “Badlands” Booker held during the 2004 title rally from last night’s rerun on Animal Planet and uploaded it.

AnimalPlanetSonyaVsBadlands.wmv (3:16 9 MB)

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(From “Luther”) Sonya Thomas and Eric “Badlands” Booker will appear on Animal Planet’s Most Extreme – Battle of the Sexes at 7pm eastern and also at 2am eastern this morning. The program was originally televised in 2004. Sonya Thomas’ presence page describes the appearance:

Tuesday, October 19, 2004: Appeared with Eric “Badlands” Booker on Animal Planet’s “Most Extreme: Battle of the Sexes.” Our cheesecake performance was inserted to facilitate the #2 animal entry in the top 10.

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From AICE News:

Mark Lyle does Wet Taco demonstration (dunking the Tacos) and shows the world why Picnic Style rules is hard. In doing so, Vacuum breaks Sonya Thomas’s WR of 2:14. It makes you wonder how many of the so-called IFOCE records are a sham?

Sonya Thomas lists her taco record as 48 in 11 minutes, and she still managed a pace (about 2:20 per 10 tacos) near Mark Lyle’s.

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(Thanks Laura Flynn) The Readers Digest website has a slideshow of extraordinary accomplishments containing a picture of Sonya Thomas. In the caption, Sonya describes her first contest at the Molly Pitcher travel plaza Nathan’s qualifier.

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The Andrews Air Force base website has an article about Sonya Thomas, who manages the Burger King at that location. The article says that Sonya was filmed for a documentary to be televised on the National Geographic Channel in 2007 called “The Science of Speed Eaters” Tim Janus and Loren Yarbrough are also expected to appear in that program.

Updated Big Fish DC, the production company, has a program description:

In this thrilling hour, we’ll take viewers inside the bellies of competitive eaters and see how the human body can be pushed to its gastronomical limit. We will follow an up and coming southern eater, Bubba, a father of two, as he tries to reach the big time in speed eating. We’ll meet famed 105 lb. Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas – a woman who out eats men four times her size. We’ll follow a champion eater as for the first time, the medical community studies the physiological changes that allow a person to consume over 50 hotdogs in ten minutes, with no apparent ill effects. NCG goes inside the world of competitive eating and brings viewers what until now, has never been seen.

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