Jed Donahue in LA Times: Nathan’s to offer cash prizes
The Los Angeles Times has a column about Jed Donahue. If Jed makes the Nathan’s finals, he does not expect to repeat his one hot dog performance:
Donahue’s sampling, though limited, showed his fans that he’s going to change his strategy for the competition this July 4 at Coney Island, in which several thousand dollars in prizes will be offered. Last year, when the winning mark was 53 hot dogs, Donahue ate a total of … one.
In other Los Angeles news, sbsun.com has an article about the opening of the Dodgers all you can eat section.
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Mega Munch said
March 30, 2007 @ 1:43 pm
Jed should sit this one out. He proved last year that his heart and stomach isn’t in hot dogs. I don’t buy that whole “savoring the perfect dog” stuff…I think he just had a mental breakdown and lost his edge. Too bad it happened on national television.
Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)
March 30, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
MM,
I disagree.
At first I was flustered that he ate a single dog, because there are plenty of eaters who were willing to put themselves ‘in discomforts way’ had he given up the spot. I wanted to be there eating dogs for one.
Then as I thought about it, my mind changed. Jed won the Qualifier. He won it. He could do what the hell he wanted with the spot. If I wanted to have that spot, than I should have flown out to CA and beaten him in the Qualifier.
Then my mind swayed further in his direction (although I do not know if he was politically motivated) and that it didnt make a difference if he ate 1, 20 or 40 HDB. 2nd place and 20th place paid EXACTLY the same. NOTHING. While many eaters are motivated by pride, Nathans provided no real incentive to bother making the top 10.
Nathans should take a look at what Krystals is doing with their contest. Krystals pays down to the last place at their finals, there actually is a difference between 9th and 10th. Those guys are awesome and treat you like family. It’s the best tiered contest in the world.
Rhonda Evans said
March 30, 2007 @ 2:28 pm
I think Jed is a very, very shrewd and prideful person who doesn’t like to lose, and if he does, or at least not get slaughtered. I think back to the US Open when he didn’t take a bite for about 2 minutes when going one-on-one with Koby, in spaghetti I think, in hopes that he could rationalize away his reason for losing so decisively. His excuse at that time was to stall Kobayashi so Sonya or another American could have the spaghetti record. It didn’t work. Kobayashi was a 3-minute machine.
And at Nathan’s his goal was simply to win a qualifier, so he could be at the final table. Then when he professes to savor the one dog, no one can say that he tried his best, and his ego remains intact. Jed has these things all figured out beforehand. Jed is going to take care of Jed. Frankly my dear … I don’t blame him one bit.
Mega Munch said
March 30, 2007 @ 10:50 pm
Steak and Rhonda, we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one (which isn’t often…we’re usually on the same page).
I didn’t know about Jed also throwing the spaghetti contest. That’s weird (which is probably not the word I really mean). Why put yourself in a situation like Nathan’s or any contest against Koby and Sonya where you know you’re going to get beaten soundly if you’re not willing to lose honorably (which is to go down chewing from the first second to the last).
I agree that it was his spot at the table at Nathan’s and he had the right to do whatever he wanted with it. We can’t take that away from him. But isn’t there an unwritten code among eaters that if you come to the table, you come there to eat?
I’ve never met Jed Donahue. Maybe he’s a great guy. A fun guy. A guy you wouldn’t mind having a few beers with. He’s probably all of those things, because just about everyone else in CE is that way. But I’ll never understand his philosophies on competition.
Philly Guy said
March 30, 2007 @ 11:36 pm
If people look at the totals and don’t know anything about CE, they’ll see a that there is a guy they can beat and its not too hard to get to the table. Being as good as at least one person on the table is all you need to be able to say I can do that its not that hard. Kinda makes my failed attempts along with many other’s not look so good.
Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)
March 31, 2007 @ 12:09 am
MM
I’m gonna punch you in the nose.
SB
Gentleman Joe said
March 31, 2007 @ 12:33 am
Having been in the unenviable position of being forced (Glutton Bowl) to go up against Kobe. I love that Jed took control of the situation not once but twice.
Liz said
March 31, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
Jed told us that the spaghetti thing was strategy: that Koby always allows his competitors to take the first bite. By delaying the first bite, Jed thought he could earn an advantage. I don’t think it even lasted that long, it just seemed like a long delay when you didn’t know what was going on. Anyway, I like Jed and think he is having some fun playing with standards that are in play at these competitions. If everyone always did everything by the book what would we ever talk about in these comments?
beautifulbrian said
March 31, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
I was standing just a few feet away from Jed in the U.S open show , when he pulled the smiling staredown routine at Kobe waiting for Kobe to start his spaghetti first.. The commissioner was standing next to me and even he said what the hell is he trying to do? I could swear the look on kobe’s face was “Now i am going to give him a worse ass kicking than i originally planned” And he did!