Takeru Kobayashi ate 10 hot dogs in one minute during yesterday's RailCats game in Gary, Indiana (video). The day before, he ate a Brat-a-Boom 2 foot bratwurst in 1:55 (gallery) at the Boomers game in Schaumburg, Illinois.

May 28, 2012 at 8:52 am by ojrifkin · More posts about:Chicago, Gary, Kobayashi (小林尊) | Permalink * Comments (21)

21 Comments »

  1. Anonymous said

    May 28, 2012 @ 10:01 am

    What’s a Rail Cat? What are Boomers? More farm teams? How far his star has fallen. Soon he’ll eating at Little league Ball Parks.

  2. anonymous said

    May 28, 2012 @ 10:07 am

    This guy is getting played out. If everyone just ignores his stunts he will go bonkers. All the dopes that show up at the restaurant on July 4 are nothing but dopes

  3. Anonymous said

    May 28, 2012 @ 12:48 pm

    You’d think this guy wouls have a decent marketing agent, if any reputable person or firm would hire him. As great as he once was, or may have been, he’s becoming an embarrassment, if he’s not one already.

  4. Anonymous said

    May 28, 2012 @ 12:54 pm

    Their is only 1 person in the entire world that can really be talking smack about Kobi, that’s Joey (and only Joey) anyone else please shut up because you couldn’t even wear his shoes let alone beat him in any type of eating contest. If the Bear that beat him wants to respond, he has every right too. God bless are veterans too!

  5. hmmm said

    May 28, 2012 @ 2:19 pm

    once again, far too many haters on this site

  6. Anonymous said

    May 28, 2012 @ 2:37 pm

    “Is” you a veteran? Shut up about Kobi! You are clueless. I’m not saying he wasn’t the greatest, but he sure isn’t acting like the legend he is supposed to be. What he is doing is beneath him, because of his greatness.

    You “is” an idiot, an idiot! By the way, Memorial Day is more for recognizing veterans who gave their lives for our country. Veterans Day is different, in that it recognizes all veterans.

  7. Anonymous said

    May 28, 2012 @ 2:37 pm

    Where is hmm, hmmm?

  8. Anonymous said

    May 28, 2012 @ 6:44 pm

    Anon: 2:37 – Those of us that are Veterans, don’t separate between Veterans Day or Memorial Day, it still is a Big Thank You to out troops that fight for out freedoms everyday, even the freedom for some Anonymous douche (like yourself) to speak on the site. And in closing, if you don’t like how Kobi is running “His Life, Not Yours” then maybe you need to get a degree in business and try and run his, I’m sure hes very upset that some fool doesn’t like what hes doing, especially after he deposits that appearance fee in his bank account.

  9. Proud to Have Served said

    May 28, 2012 @ 8:53 pm

    644 I AM a veteran of 20 years and Veterans day and Memorial Day. Are different. If you don’t know that you should read up on it. Semper Fi!

  10. the great Kobayashi said

    May 28, 2012 @ 9:18 pm

    6:44 it’s the naive sponsors of society that are paying him ridiculous appearance fees . Maybe some of you should wake up and smell the coffee if you think Kobayashi is this great legend. Yes in the eyes of competitive eating he is a legend but did he ever hold a prestigious job in Japan ? I doubt it. He came from royalty only to be known as the black sheep of the family. In other words he never made it in the business world in Japan or the US. He is a disgrace to his family and the name KOBAYADSHI

  11. Anonymous said

    May 28, 2012 @ 11:30 pm

    PTHS @ 8:53, yes I know there different, you were probably the reason “don’t ask, don’t tell “started.

  12. Anonymous said

    May 29, 2012 @ 2:39 am

    You told and never made it.

  13. Anonymous said

    May 29, 2012 @ 10:04 am

    no, they said watch out for your kind cuz you will scratch my eyes out

  14. Rhonda Evans said

    May 29, 2012 @ 1:18 pm

    How do all the Anonymous posters distinguish among one another?

    Regardless of whether or not I agree with Koby’s activities, the fact remains that his legendary status in putting CE as we know it on the map cannot be denied. No name associated with competitive eating is even close in comparison with Koby’s. It’s utterly amazing that he is probably as good today as he ever has been, and only Joey Chestnut is on Koby’s level.

  15. Anonymous said

    May 29, 2012 @ 2:17 pm

    Thank you Rhonda, you rock, like I said before only Joey is on his level and thats it.

  16. Still Fallin said

    May 29, 2012 @ 3:02 pm

    Kobi’s eating abilities are without question. That’s what makes these literally minor, minor league events and that hot dog thing on the fourth so ridiculous. Kobi beating up that crew of MLE rejects and people who couldn’t even qualify for Nathan’s is almost laughable if it weren’t so sad for an ex champion. It really goes to show you how leaving the MLE was exactly very well thought out. Unless Kobi thought he could get attention by him eating alone, which either demonstrates stupidity or an over inflated ego. I mean with Nathan’s at least there is a possiblity Joey could stumble, toss his dogs, or Pat and/or Tim just kills it and Joey has a bad day. But with Kobi’s sham, the fact that he is selecting the eaters for “his table,” unless Kobi’s head inexplicably explodes during that crap dog contest, Kobi’s going to and already has beaten those eaters badly. So if it is even close, some real hanky panky has to take place. Having the event in Brooklyn on the fourth really shows an unattractive side of Kobi thinking he’s getting back at MLE, and actually MLE could really care less about him anymore. He’s doing a fine job on his own eating his way into obscurity.

  17. Fredrick Rotanya said

    May 31, 2012 @ 10:21 am

    TO “the great Kobayashi said”.. you know nothing. Kobayashi WAS legendary already in Japan before he ever came to the US.. so go do the research dummy. He was so famous, that he was on the front of countless numbers of magazines and tv shows across Japan- he was rated the #1 popular male, etc etc etc. He is still famous there, and YES he had a VERY good career making very good money without ever having come here. To make is better though, he ended up coming here and doing the same thing he did in his own country and has kept doing very well career wise, with AND without MLE. NO actually, he is probably making tons more than he did with them.. at the rate and popularity he now has. And surely he doesn’t give a damn what you stupid folks write here.
    He knows what is beneath him, without you people deciding what is “BENEATH” someone. WHO are you people anyway? You guys act as if you are saying something that makes GOOD sense and is RIGHT. You are not righteous, and you are small.. very small, for saying the sad things you say- without knowing anything. Kobi is a legend, and you stupid small minded comments don’t and won’t hold him back from just becoming even greater. In the end, no athlete keeps doing what they do.. they can only keep going in life, if they have sponsors and other ways of creating business- HE certainly has that.
    For the record, he was invited to eat at a new contest in Brooklyn- he is not getting back at them at all. Brooklyn is a big place.. don’t know where you’re from.. but you obviously know nothing.

  18. Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)

    May 31, 2012 @ 12:11 pm

    Fredrick, I applaud you for sticking up for Kobayashi as a manager, or as someone with close emotional ties—-or both. I’m one of Koby’s biggest fans, and it’s good that neither you, nor the man himself, care what others perceive. Why should he?

    That said, in the eyes of many, some of the things Koby resorts to (e.g. private quests to eat more than another IFOCE member and then “claim” it as a record—-like HDBs and turkey last year), Koby cheapens him.

    As one of Kobayashi’s biggest fans, I have lost a degree of respect for him, because of his behavior. The magnitude of his once-brightest star has diminished over the last 2 years, and he’s behaving like a semi-desperate man who craves attention he once had and earned.

  19. Still Fallin said

    May 31, 2012 @ 1:00 pm

    Frederick, where to begin? Your whole first paragraph describes the rise of Kobayashi, and you’re use of the word “was” tellingly describes the current fall we are witnessing of Kobayashi. He did skyrocket to fame in Japan and here in the US. But, I think he and some bad advisors misinterpreted that the rise, particularly in the U.S., as being all about him. When if fact his fame centered on his body of work at Nathan’s competitions and subsequent epic battles with Joey. Without Nathan’s, his fame erodes with every degrading minor league event he attends eating against himself — wistfully bringing back memories what was. He left Nathan’s, and tried to blame others for his decision. He only has himself to blame and that’s why people get so mad at him when he plays the victim and his fans for fools. “Free Kobi” — give me a break. It really is demeaning to his former fans that you think his fans buy that he didn’t leave MLE solely for more cash for Kobi. It’s proven again when you try to blame others for his decisions to storm the stage and now Crap Dog. He choose to do a contest on the Fourth of July in Brooklyn. He could of changed the date and location. He even says it’s “his table.” I was born and raised in Brooklyn so don’t play me. Kobi’s now a sham.

  20. anonymous said

    May 31, 2012 @ 1:32 pm

    Oh god are these threads boring

  21. Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)

    May 31, 2012 @ 1:44 pm

    I agree ‘Fallin. Actually, and I already mentioned this, picking July 4th for Crif Dogs is the worst possible choice of dates. The interpretation by most followers of CE will be that those who eat Crif Dogs are the Class “B” ers of competitive eating, as the top “Dog” (Joey) on the “Class A” stage at Coney—-the one televised on ESPN—-has beaten Koby the last 3 times. So Koby gave up in 2010 and now has lined up an HDB event he can still win.

    MLE and Nathan’s couldn’t have paid for a better date selection for Koby to do his thing, and I’m sure they can hardly contain their smiles..

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