Nathan’s women’s purse increased

April 27, 2011 at 8:35 am by ojrifkin · More posts about:2011 Nathan's Hot Dog Contest, Prizes, Women

updated 9:58 am A New York Daily News article with quotes from Larell Marie Mele announces that the Nathan’s women’s purse (article was confusing and treated prize, purse and 1st place prize as synonyms) first place prize has been increased to $10,000. George Shea says the purse has been raised to $20,000. The women’s purse break down has been announced ($10,000 / $5,000 / $2,500 / $1,500 / $1,000), same as the men’s.

Comments (102)

102 Comments »

  1. anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 9:30 am

    Did i hear the name Helen Haggerty?

  2. Anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 10:25 am

    This is really too bad.

  3. Stallion Italian said (Registered August 27, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 10:27 am

    Equality, I am loving it! GO LADIES!!

  4. anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 10:39 am

    Whoever said its a mans world? Some woman have all the luck

  5. Just wondering said

    April 27, 2011 @ 10:44 am

    I have mixed feelings about this. I would like to know who came up with the idea of raising the purse, Nathans or the Shea’s. I’m all for changing things up and looking for new ways of making competitive eating exciting but this is a bit much. Who pays an undercard fight the same as the main event?

    The sad thing is there are is going to be a few men eaters who just missed the final table who’s totals will be around 24-28HDB’s watching from home while someone like J. Lee or S. Torres is going to not only be front and center at the women’s table but also walk away with $5k-$2,500 with the same number. I’m not mad, but just saying.

    If Nathan’s really wanted to do things right, they should have a main event, a women’s division and a men’s undercard event for those guys who just missed that table with impressive numbers. Top ten HDB’s numbers at the qualifiers for men’s get to go to the Championship, 11th-20th best HDB’s get a spot at the undercard table, while the top 10-15 women get a spot at the women’s table…

    This seems fair, Didn’t Joe LaRue have like 27.5 HDB’s last year which put him runner up to the wild card (Adrian Morgan had 25 HDB’s) while Brian Beard gets in with 18? I’m not saying that as a negative towards Brian, what I’m saying is, everybody who has a respectable number should at least get some exposure, especially if Nathan’s is going to raise the women’s purse and fly them all out for the event, women who only eat 10HDB’s while some men who eat 2.5 times that get a pat on the back and dreams of next year.

  6. Anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:00 am

    Sad. Only two of these women are pros, and only one of them is any good. The rest are just schlubs recruited to try to make this thing look legitimate. It reminds of the 1998 Winter Olmpics, when women’s ice hockey became a medal sport LONG before it was ready. Six teams competed for three medals, half the teams could barely skate, and yet at the end of the day, a bunch of undeserving, novice women took home more precious metal than dozens of professional men who had devoted their lives to their sport.

  7. anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:26 am

    Just wondering makes an excellent point. You have Torres walking away with 5k showing no appreciation at all. Handing over this free money to women while male eaters putting up impressive numbers get the shaft job? I don’t know about this. If ESPN picks up the event the potential is unlimited for all of them. After all the expsosure Stephanie Torres might just host her own talk show although someone will have to do the talking for her. Juliet Lee and Sonya Thomas will make the cover of People , Glamour & Vogue Mag. What else ???

  8. anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:30 am

    Total bullshit if you ask me . I am not an advocate of this latest publicty by any means

  9. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:32 am

    Thank you IFOCE! This is an excellent decision. The Sheas realized what a PR nightmare they had coming for treating women as second-class citizens, so they needed to do something fast, and they did!

    It’s too bad there are lots of misogynists posting here. What people don’t realize is men and women are not equal in absolute ability. That’s why they have separate divisions. Just like in tennis at Wimbledon, they have separate men’s and women’s championships, but both champions get the same amount of money. That’s the way it should be: equal pay for equal work.

    Please, someone tell me why the best women’s eater should not earn the same amount as the best men’s eater?? Remember, it’s not men vs. women, but men vs. men and women vs. women.

  10. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:32 am

    You would think it was your money ass.

  11. anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:35 am

    Just wondering , an undecard for men just missing the table will never come to be. Sheas objective all along was to bring women into competitive eating from day 1 because it attracts more fans to the sport. They were lucky enough to get 4 screwballs that embrace food where as the majority of females look at food as the enemy

  12. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:35 am

    misogynists? i like a giving massages but i do not do it for a living.

  13. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:38 am

    Sad. Only two of these women are pros, and only one of them is any good. The rest are just schlubs recruited to try to make this thing look legitimate.

    ??? First, there are currently three female eaters ranked in the IFOCE top 50, and another soon to be added. Second, you haven’t seen the final field yet to be able to make such a statement. Third, if I accepted your arguments, then what do you call all the men in the 90’s who won Nathan’s with ridiculously low totals, like 18 or so HDB? Everyone has to start somewhere. Men have had all the advantages over the decades and won all kinds of cash they did not deserve in local contests, so what what’s wrong with women doing this at Nathan’s??

    Why all the hatred towards women???

  14. Jealous much? said

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:46 am

    It’s called “envy” – look it up, loser. Just remember, “just making it to the final table is an honor in itself.” Don’t worry about other people’s money – you won’t be making any that day.

  15. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:51 am

    It would be nice if IFOCE could get a women’s commissioner one day, or someone to fill something like the “Senior Women’s Adminsitrator (SWA)” role that the NCAA requires at college athletic departments, to ensure the voices of women are heard in what is often a testosterone-dominated world of men’s sports.

    Didn’t IFOCE used to have a former retired eater as league commissioner?? Charles Hardy?? What happened to this??

  16. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:51 am

    “Men have had all the advantages over the decades and won all kinds of cash they did not deserve in local contests ”

    What does that mean?

  17. Equal Work??? said

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:56 am

    Stephanie you said “Equal pay for Equal work”. And I agree with this statement. Yet with the prizes being equal in both the mens and womans divisions the women will be getting paid more for less work. Historically women have eaten less at Nathans than the men tend to do. Yes Sonya and Juliet can hang with most but for her to receive the same pay as the mens winner while only eating say what the 3rd or 4th place finishers of the mens division ate just goes to show that things are not equal.

    In my personal opinion (for what it is worth) I say follow with what Krystals did and spread the entire payout across the field. You have to win a qualifier to get there (well the men do anyways) and I believe that alone should deserve some reward weather man or woman.

    I do not feel that the men and women should be treated any different and if they really want to go with the gender tables then pay out according to the total HDBs eaten across the board. I see no reason for someone to make more than someone else who ate more simply because of their gender.

    The biggest flaw here is that when it comes to HDBs men and women are not yet equal. Maybe if the women “trained” harder and focused more they could reach that next level and be competitive with Joey.

  18. Spin Master said

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:58 am

    Great move! And the PR side of my brain is telling me that this equal pay issue was planned all along. The Sheas turned a one day story announcement of a women’s competition into a week long controversy. And now they come off looking great for busting the glass ceiling. The budgets for the Coney event with MLE and Nathan’s were planned long ago, and I’ll bet they had planned on this purse breakdown from the start. But now they have major news outlets covering the story. Smart cookies them Sheas.

  19. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:00 pm

    Also, I love this site and OJ, but one thing I would like is for it to be easier to track posts and posters here, for comprehension’s sake.

    No, people should’t have to use their real names, but they should be at least required to sign up for a registered user name and use that to post. Right now, I see lots of anonymous posters and made up user names. I can’t tell who is posting multiple times with different names, and who is replying to what.

    Also, the order of posts here is sometimes messed up since OJ has to approve some posts, while others go through automatically, so you have a bunch of approved posts suddenly appearing in between other posts where there used to be no gap.

    This entire thread is an example of this. If there is a way to make this possible on WordPress, OJ, then I would recommend this. It’s rare nowadays to find a blog that allows anonymous posting without using a registered user name.

  20. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:04 pm

    “Men have had all the advantages over the decades and won all kinds of cash they did not deserve in local contests ”

    What does that mean?

    It means men have dominated the sport for a long time, at the expense of women. Women have felt left out and denied winnings since there often is no women’s division. Some posters here are assuming women will only eat 25 HDB at Nathan’s and win cash and men who eat the same amount won’t win cash. that may be true, but that’s the way it works. When the shoe is on the other foot, men start to bitch and moan, even though they’ve had it easy all these years, winning local contests with low amounts.

  21. Equal Work??? said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:09 pm

    What really burns me is all the talk about equality but that’s not what women are really looking for – according to Stephanie Wu. They seem to want the cash and glory without putting in the effort to go out and get it. They want it handed to them because they are women.

    So if I have this right Stephanie – You feel women should get special treatment because they are not as good as their male counterparts? You feel the top woman should make what the top man makes even though he did more work to get to the top? Basically you are saying that men are just plain out better than women at CE and women should compensated for their “natural” shortcomings…

  22. A. Nonymous Fan said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:12 pm

    stephanie_wu: why are you so opinionated on this issue? you are not an IFOCE member, you most likely will not even make it to NYC for the 4th, and even if you do it is already predetermined based on previous numbers who will place 1st – 4th. 5th place is up for grabs.

    Personally I think the IFOCE/MLE should of bagged this whole women’s division from the beginning and used this prize money to try and revive the Krystal’s Square Off.

  23. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:13 pm

    Listen up: I find it completely unfathomable that some people here are bitching about women having the same prize purse as the men at Nathan’s. What on earth is wrong with this? Do you not believe in equality? Do you want women to remain a side show, an undercard to the main event???? Do you think this is Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia? Women will not be relegated to a secondary role. We are in every way equal to men, within the constraints of our gender.

    If men can’t eat enough HDB to place in the money, that’s too bad. Either focus on getting better or accept the fact that you are not the best of the best. So what if a woman eats 20 HDB and places in the money and you ate 25 and didn’t. You’re not a woman. Why would you want to compete against women in the first place? Right now you sound like a bunch of whining wimps who can’t compete with the big boys.

  24. anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:13 pm

    Stephanie why dont you email the IFOCE and and suggest a senior womans administrator or some of the other brainstorm ideas you have come up with in recent months. Why suggest it on here? Or are you hoping that someone with some pull or maybe the sheas will read your suggestions and follow through? Do you want to compete or do you want to bitch about the lack of womens representation in the sport? Men have had all the advantages and won all kinds of prizes? What kind of idiotic logic is that? Offering 20 grand in prize money to women that only need to eat 10 hot dogs and buns while raising the bar to 30 or more for the men is kind of unfair dont you think? And to make matters even more unfair is the fact that only four or maybe five female eaters will be competing which guarantees each and every female competit a piece of the action.

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

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:14 pm

    ‘s’cuse me while I KISS the SKY!”

    This certainly sounds like the right thing to do, even if I am taken aback in amazement.

    Men have regarded women as second class citizens for so long that they become upset when women finally garner equitable attention.

    The guys cannot relate because they’ve always been in the catbird seat, and couldn’t care less about the predicament of the opposite sex. Well, the kitty is finally coughing up a feather.

    I applaud MLE, Nathan’s, Pepto, Heinz, French’s, or whatever combination thereof who is responsible for doing the right thing!

  26. Spin Master said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:16 pm

    Equal Work … I’d put Sonya’s work ethic up against any males. Just go look at the number of contests she has participated in OJ’s database. That women is a machine and if she wins, she has earned this purse.

  27. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:18 pm

    These men you refer to are being little bitches. Could be they do not like any girls in the club house or because they can not eat the 25HDB in the first place. Screw them. The sport has been male dominated because in general women find it disgusting. It has not been at the expense of women. It is not like they were not allowed to compete. There just were not more than one or two good enough or willing to step up to the table. That was then and this is now where there are a dozen women that come out and throw up some damn fine numbers and Sonya is a monster and threat at almost any event. But you come off in some of your post, at least to me, like your pissed you do not have a penis though. Like men have just held women down in CE which is bullshit. Just saying, I could be an asshole though and I own that and that is just me. That being said the female division is a great idea for Nathan’s. There are enough talented women out there that can make it entertaining and competitive. The numbers are going to be 25+ for the ladies in the money for sure.

  28. Equal Work??? said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:19 pm

    Stephanie you did not answer a single question I asked. I am just trying to wrap my mind around how you see it.

  29. Just wondering said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:20 pm

    Who gets better ratings, the WNBA or the NBA?

    and Wu,

    Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia…. are you for real? How can you completely miss the point?

  30. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:21 pm

    What really burns me is all the talk about equality but that’s not what women are really looking for – according to Stephanie Wu. They seem to want the cash and glory without putting in the effort to go out and get it. They want it handed to them because they are women.

    So if I have this right Stephanie – You feel women should get special treatment because they are not as good as their male counterparts? You feel the top woman should make what the top man makes even though he did more work to get to the top? Basically you are saying that men are just plain out better than women at CE and women should compensated for their “natural” shortcomings…

    First, these women have all put in a ton of work. Second, everyone has to start somewhere. When they first started Nathan’s, the winning totals of the mostly male fields were ridiculously low, and 15 HBD was enough to get you third place. Yet these men still won money. Right now, the same is happening for women. A women’s total in the 20’s or maybe even in the teens, might very well put you in the money. but no one complained when the men were eating low totals and winning, so why all the hate now? Men and women are different and have been socialized differently, and deserve separate divisions without interference from men, the outstanding performances of eaters like Sonya and Juliet against men notwithstanding. Third, we have no idea how many HDB’s the women in the finals will eat. We might be surprised.

  31. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:21 pm

    repeat of my above post with proper italics for quoted material:

    What really burns me is all the talk about equality but that’s not what women are really looking for – according to Stephanie Wu. They seem to want the cash and glory without putting in the effort to go out and get it. They want it handed to them because they are women.

    So if I have this right Stephanie – You feel women should get special treatment because they are not as good as their male counterparts? You feel the top woman should make what the top man makes even though he did more work to get to the top? Basically you are saying that men are just plain out better than women at CE and women should compensated for their “natural” shortcomings…

    First, these women have all put in a ton of work. Second, everyone has to start somewhere. When they first started Nathan’s, the winning totals of the mostly male fields were ridiculously low, and 15 HBD was enough to get you third place. Yet these men still won money. Right now, the same is happening for women. A women’s total in the 20’s or maybe even in the teens, might very well put you in the money. but no one complained when the men were eating low totals and winning, so why all the hate now? Men and women are different and have been socialized differently, and deserve separate divisions without interference from men, the outstanding performances of eaters like Sonya and Juliet against men notwithstanding. Third, we have no idea how many HDB’s the women in the finals will eat. We might be surprised.

  32. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:22 pm

    what is a carbird sear?

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

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:23 pm

    CATbird seat … it refers to being in a position of power.

  34. anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:24 pm

    Stephanie maybe you should refrain from posting or quit while you are ahead because you are about to get trounced by the male viewers of this blog. Where do you come off making a statement that the Shea brothers have treated women like second rate citizens? On the contrary they have always given females the benefit of the doubt. I believe their dream all along was to give the edge to the females when they started the IFOCE but realized it was wishful thinking on their part . You know nothing about the IFOCE because your involvement with the sport is a year or so at best I personaly believe that the female division was in the works years ago and the only stipulation to that effect was filling up the table . The cash was always on the table it was just a matter of getting more bodies involved

  35. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:24 pm

    Thank you Rhonda. Never hear that expression.

  36. Equal Work??? said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:25 pm

    Hey Spin, I know Sonyas background and I agree with you she is a machine and is still getting better. She has destroyed me at the table on more than one occasion. What I am referring to is the fact that if she trained (which she says she doesn’t at all) maybe she could give Joey a run for his money in the near future. But I do not believe she should get paid more JUST because she is a woman.

  37. Equal Work??? said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:27 pm

    Stephanie people never complained about the past numbers when they were really low compared to today BECAUSE they were the best AND they got paid for being the best.

  38. Spin Master said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:30 pm

    With Sonya bouncing from the men’s to the women’s division, now a male eater who wasn’t in the money will now be able to take home a check. So there may be some men who don’t like this purse arrangement, but there’s at least one male eater who is going to be happy they won’t have to face Sonya or Juliet at the table and move up in their placement at the finals.

  39. A. Nonymous Fan said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:32 pm

    Prediction for womens finals:

    1st Sonya – 39
    2nd Juliette – 33
    3rd Torres – 27
    4th Larrell – 20
    5th Someone not Stephanie Wu – 12

  40. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:36 pm

    Stephanie people never complained about the past numbers when they were really low compared to today BECAUSE they were the best AND they got paid for being the best.

    And the same with the women eaters today. They are the best women out there and will get paid for being the best women. Women are not men. Women are women and will be competing against women.

  41. Equal Work??? said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:40 pm

    Stephanie all you are doing is using gender to justify special treatment. Saying that people should get paid not by their level of skill overall but how they stack up against like people. You are taking women back 200 years by saying that in fact they are not equal to men and thus deserve special treatment. When women have been fighting to be equals for hundreds of years. How can you not see this?

  42. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:44 pm

    Hey is the sponsors wants to pony up the extra money, rock the house ladies. But in the future, if the prize money for a female division is not the same that would be normal. I mean women do not make as much as men in other sports normally. It is not like that woman from the WNBA you know the best one what ever her name is gets paid the same as the lets say anyone on the Lakers like Tom Brady or Kobi Bryant.

  43. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:45 pm

    how many dogs you think your going to throw down Steph?

  44. Spin Master said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:49 pm

    I love this post. Great discussion about the battle of the sexes. And as long as someone who’s name is so “beautiful” that I will not mention it doesn’t chime in about reporting it first, we should be okay. I just wanted to throw this out there and would love to hear the opinon of eaters. Do you think having Sonya and Juliet compete in the women’s catagory will hurt or improve their totals? I mean we’ve all seen how a slower field often slows down everyone’s totals. Or, maybe the fact that it’s a separate catagory is going to put the both of them in a pissed off mood and they will have something to prove? Something like, okay boys you think I can’t compete well take a look at these totals. I mean both Juliet and Sonya come off as cutie pies, but as anyone knows who’ve gone up against them, they are mean killers at the table.

  45. On that point said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:49 pm

    I think all the guys who weigh less then 200lbs should have their own division as well then. If we are gonna seperate gender might as well seperate a weight class as well.

  46. Dirty Misogynist said

    April 27, 2011 @ 12:59 pm

    It’s easy to write off anyone who disagrees as a misogynist, but the reality is this is tantamount to affirmative action. But I guess anyone who disagrees with that is a racist.

    I think people that think women or other races need extra help are more bigoted as they assume they can’t compete in a fair way because they were born with less ability.

    It is easy to agree with something if you fit the category of those getting the unfair help. Tax the rich! Gimme gimme gimme!

  47. NReda said

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:01 pm

    I’m curious why weight classes would be considered significant!?

  48. Big Sexy said (Registered May 8, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:16 pm

    It’s not. I’m glad the Women’s division gets the same as the mens… It’s not taking anything away from July 4th, it’s giving other people the opportunity to go and experience Coney (while leaving with a nice chunk of change in their pocket). It’s an absolute blast and I’d love to SNEAK in again this year if I can (glad nobody has let go of that fact from last year).

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

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:18 pm

    EW, I never did believe it was fair that women should have to compete against men in CE. Men are expected to be better–and are–than women in all physical endeavors/sports I can think of—-running, weight-lifting, softball, baseball, bowling, basketball, golf, etc, etc.; that’s why there are separate divisions in those sports.

    Women like Sonya, Juliet and Larell Marie are anomalies because they are better than most of their male counterparts. They shouldn’t have to beat the guys to earn some coin.

  50. KevinRoss said

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:18 pm

    I have warmed up to the idea of a women contest/league. After all, the idea of competitive eating is mainly to create spectacle and promote sponsors, so having women more prominent would probably help that. But I have to agree largely with what “just wondering” says. Making the prize money equal is a bit of a stretch considering there is only like 5 women who are known competitive eaters – yet there is hundreds of guys who all dedicate a lot of time/effort into this. And the women who are known beat most of these dudes anyway, so hardly need the extra boost. It’s cool for women to get their due, but it certainly isn’t “fair” in a literal sense to have the same prize money, because there is quite a few men with more eating ability who will get nothing just because they lack lady parts. That’s right, I said “lady parts”. True equality is equal pay for equal work. Anyway, rambling aside, my stance is still that if you’re going to pay all this extra money for woman’s league, it seems that it would be fair to somehow give more due to those that kill themselves to eat a lot of hot dogs, but seldom get any recognition (i.e. those that eat 20-30 hot dogs but might still get shaft in getting to Nathans).

  51. Matt "Mega Toad" Stonie said (Registered June 22, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:22 pm

    It’s Nathan’s choice, i understand the aspect that many males who can eat more then the females will be gett alot less money.
    I personally think and equal cash prize is a big much, given the results, but a 1/4 is kinda little, i think $20000/$10000 looks good,
    The truth is that the Female CE’er cant put out the results males can, that doesnt mean they should be blocked from recognizion, and thats why theres a female leauge, but you can’t but both groups on same planes….

    But, it is Nathan’s choice.

  52. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:25 pm

    Stephanie all you are doing is using gender to justify special treatment. Saying that people should get paid not by their level of skill overall but how they stack up against like people. You are taking women back 200 years by saying that in fact they are not equal to men and thus deserve special treatment. When women have been fighting to be equals for hundreds of years. How can you not see this?

    Well in sports it is common to have separate divisions for men and women, whether the sport is really physical (like basketball, swimming) or not (think pocket billiards, bowling, chess, and even the card game bridge). Reasons can be physical (men have more muscle mass, lung capacity, and testosterone, and are generally bigger/taller/bigger boned) or social (women’s opportunities in that sport have long been suppressed). With CE, I guess you could say it is a little of both: though I am not a biologist, I would assume most men have larger stomachs than most women, just like they have larger lungs, hearts, brains, etc., as well as stronger jaws. And men have been more encouraged through the years to eat a lot, do wild contests, go all out, etc. without the shame that a lot of women feel if they get fat or eat too much or draw too much attention to themselves. So yes, men and women are equal in rights and privileges, but that doesn’t mean they are identical and have to compete in the same divisions in sports, where there are known differences between the sexes.

    Note: in sports, it is not always better to be male. Females are more flexible than males, and hence have an advantage in sports like synchronized swimming, women’s gymnastics, cheerleading, etc.

  53. Jamminjoe said

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:26 pm

    they should have the womens event in a kitchen where they belong and why not have “brackets” like drag racing, forget the weight class thing or have age classes. It would be fun to watch some old geeser in the 60+ class have a heart attack from all the fat and salt in those dogs.

  54. KevinRoss said

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:29 pm

    By the way, I’m starting an all 5′ 10″ white guy basketball league. I am going to picket Nike for equal sponsorship money. Who’s with me! LOL, sorry I’m being an ass. . .

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

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:31 pm

    Stephanie I’ve even heard some men make the statement that women SHOULD be able to eat more than men, since their abdomen allows for greater stretching of the stomach during childbirth.

    That reflects the extent of desperation that some resort to in searching for an excuse.

  56. A. Nonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:33 pm

    And what has all this accomplished? Free media attention, and a huge amount of buzz about a contest that is still over two months away. The Sheas, as a PR firm, have accomplished exactly what the sponsor wants.

  57. stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:35 pm

    there is only like 5 women who are known competitive eaters

    For every Stephanie Torres or Sonya Thomas out there, there are 20-30 more women just like them in hiding. They just do not know about the contests or haven’t been encouraged to look into them. Just in California alone I have met three to four unknown amateur females who I feel could do 15-25 HDB at Nathan’s if they only entered. I’m sure the taco girl from Pennsylvania Lisel Parillon could kick some major butt at Nathan’s too.

    how many dogs you think your going to throw down Steph?

    Well I am not sure of the size of a Nathan’s dog, but I did 13.5 HDB in 10 minutes once in another contest a long time ago. I am assuming I would do 12-16 at Nathan’s, which is not enough to place in the money. There are lots of girls out there who would crush me.

  58. KevinRoss said

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:37 pm

    Good point A. Nonymous 1:33. . .this has definitely been great PR/publicity, so it proves that women’s league is a good idea in general. It probably will breathe some new life into the contest now that Kobayashi isn’t in it (and I guess all this buzz will likely make people forget about the whole Kobayashi arrest buzz conveniently). So it’s all good. But Nathan’s. . .got a little money to fly out a few extra wild cards, eh?

  59. Spin Master said

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:51 pm

    Using the basketball analogy it can be argued that the women’s league doesn’t draw enough ticket sales and other promotional monetary benefits that the NBA pulls in and the salaries reflect that. Yet, when it comes to competitive eating, besides Joey Chestnut and Kobi, I can’t think of a bigger draw than The Black Widow. She’s made a lot for the sponsors, and I think that it’s great they are finally starting to recognize that from a monetary standpoint. And yes, I feel the $10 grand if she or any other women who wins is equitable to the amount of interest they would bring to the event. I know they don’t sell tickets to Nathan’s or any other ce event, but if a sponsor wants to attract attention, TBW, Juliet and any other women eaters will bring in the desired results of media attention and they should be compensated for it. In fact, I think I could argue that a talented female (it doesn’t hurt if their cute too — sorry to be sexist) eater might bring more attention to any event than just the sterotypical large male person brings to an eating contest.

  60. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 2:02 pm

    Good luck steph.

  61. Stallion Italian said (Registered August 27, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 2:05 pm

    Lots of good points made here, yes, MLE has done a terrific job in creating interest in a contest which would have been largely ignored or have many fewer people interested. Even with Kobayashi in, the same old was being re-played too often. There probably are many talented women eaters out there, that is yet to be determined. Title 9 for women in sports created a much larger pool of talent, this women’s division will do something similar for competitive eating. Every woman who participates will be bringing in fans precisely because she is a woman, a new face, a new team, a new look to Nathans. Men complaining about this and wanting another tier of almost did it are crying silly. You just as well might be crying that it isn’t fair that the totals are so high now whereas years ago you only needed to eat (fill in any number) to win. The whole system is based upon on any given day. You either win a qualifier or you do not, now women and men. It is all part of trying to figure out where to go and the luck of the draw. Actually, one could argue that even the wild cards based upon numbers are a bit skewed except that at least there is a standard size for Nathan’s hotdogs. Obviously sizes of other things in contests vary along with conditions. Extra money to fly out a few extra wild cards to make up for the disappointment of the men who do not make it? I think not. You would be having three contests. Why not do the same for a second tier of women who do not eat 10 but come closest. There have to be lines drawn. Whatever happens, look at all of the interest generated here and in the press. It’s for sure all good, even the parts that may seem not so.

  62. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 2:12 pm

    Well we know any woman will do better interviews than Joey.

  63. anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 2:14 pm

    Why do some of you wish Stephanie good luck? Has she ever thanked anyone or even shown enthusiasm about being on stage in Coney Island? Maybe praise should be saved for Larell Marie or Stephanie Wu who are appreciative of the big opportunity that awaits them

  64. Just wondering said

    April 27, 2011 @ 2:15 pm

    NReda said
    April 27, 2011 @ 1:01 pm

    I’m curious why weight classes would be considered significant!?

    —————-

    The same way a women’s and Men’s division is significant… it isn’t. Kobi, Sonya, Tim Janus, J. Lee, S. Torress and Matt Stonie have all proven this.

    I don’t think anybody is against a womens division, I believe they are all in favor of it, it’s the format that people have an issue with…

    Brian, I wasn’t saying you “snuck” in, I was just using what happened last year as an example to a format that has flaws. While you did win your qualifier, is it fair to say that Adrian had to stay home last year when he ate 7 more hot dogs then you? I don’t. but it is what it is…

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

    April 27, 2011 @ 2:23 pm

    Stephanie I’d like to see 20+ Sonyas come out of hiding.

  66. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 2:26 pm

    Also a few more men will make it to the finals for Nathans due to the womens division.

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

    April 27, 2011 @ 2:36 pm

    That’s right Bun, and one or two of those will creep up into the top five placings.

  68. A. Nonymous Fan said

    April 27, 2011 @ 2:59 pm

    only two additional males, plus the one wild card will make it to the finals

  69. Jamminjoe said

    April 27, 2011 @ 3:07 pm

    I can”t wait for 7/5 to see how all this will play out

  70. NReda said

    April 27, 2011 @ 3:25 pm

    There’s plenty of fair complaints about the current qualifying system, where a winner might be created simply because the competition wasn’t totally fierce. What about some sort of longer knockout tournament, played out over several rounds?

    In the preliminary event, for example, you must eat 18 (or any other number) hdbs or more to advance, which would ensure that qualifying contests would only be held featuring legitimately talented eaters who have a shot of winning the contest. I think it’s cool that Nathan’s will let anyone in, but the guys/girls who put down 8 hdbs in 10 mins (where I was when I started) probably have no place on the stage. A multiple-round prelim would weed them out and ensure actual battles for qualifier spots.

    There was no one threatening S. Torre’s qualifier in Las Vegas. She could have eaten 11 and called it a day. Back in 2008 (if memory holds) at Tempe, AZ Erik Denmark cruised to an easy win in similar fashion – he won by a margin of several hot dogs.

    I know it would cost a lot more, you’d need to have far more qualifying rounds, but the longer process and greater exposure would encourage more people to participate. Who knows how many potentially great unknown performers languish on the IFOCE’s waiting lists.

  71. Just wondering said

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:04 pm

    stephanie_wu said (Registered August 17, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 1:35 pm

    Just in California alone I have met three to four unknown amateur females who I feel could do 15-25 HDB at Nathan’s if they only entered.

    ——————

    you realize only 17 men (i think that is the correct number) and only 2 women hit the 25+ Nathan’s HDB mark last year, and these are IFOCE’s finnest. You’re saying you know at least 3 or 4 amateur women in Cali alone that can do that???

    Get real Stephanie, seriously!

  72. Matt "Mega Toad" Stonie said (Registered June 22, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:04 pm

    I think the one thing everyone is failing to realize is that….. WHO’S LOSING OUT HERE?????
    It’s not like they went from 20k/5k to like…. 15k/15k
    The men arn’t looseing out on any opportunites here, the only thing that is happening is the women are getting a larger opportunity.
    Deserved? That’s a different arguement, but i think most of the people complaining here have to realize, the only reason why they are complaining is because they are jelious the women get it easy? am i right?

  73. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:10 pm

    Oh there are just some folks that will be hating no matter what the IFOCE does or does not do. The ladies will get a spotlight like never before and that is a good thing Also it seems like as long as Nathan’s is happy then the whole thing is a great idea.

  74. Anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:11 pm

    Rhonda: “Stephanie I’ve even heard some men make the statement that women SHOULD be able to eat more than men, since their abdomen allows for greater stretching of the stomach during childbirth.

    That reflects the extent of desperation that some resort to in searching for an excuse.”

    Rhonda, are you a doctor? Or maybe you’re a creationist. How is this theory any less plausible than the notion that men should be better because they’re slightly bigger?

  75. Anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:25 pm

    NReda, what is in your idea for MLE and the sponsors, more qualifiers etc. Nothing as far as I can tell and tons of downsides. I agree with nunonabun2. Some people will always be hating both the organization and individual eaters. This place becomes a complaint board. There are always more eaters no matter the organization to take the place of those who leave, always more people who want to sign up. This is entertainment. This place is for discussion thanks to the unknown person who puts together this forum. Lest anyone forget, if suddenly eatfeats disappeared, a lot of people would know nothing except what gets printed in media, and we all know how reliable that is.

  76. Jamminjoe said

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:29 pm

    nun,,,,2 your last sentence says it all Nathan’s and ratings. Granted I’m not in favor of much of what mle does, but I applaud this move and lets hope they can sell it to more sponsors

  77. KevinRoss said

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:39 pm

    True Matt, it isn’t really changing various inequities that didn’t already exist. Except for that it just proves that there was a lot more dough in the coffer to get more men out to Coney, if they so chose. But anyway, I don’t want people to get wrong impression. I have nothing against women contest as a concept – the implementation just seems like a little too much too fast. But heck, I’d rather watch women competitive eat then big burly dudes, come to think of it.

  78. Wyatt Earp said

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:52 pm

    You guys dont get it? Koby is reason MLE developed a women’s contest. Now koby wont have to worry about getting on stage and taking his beating like a real man.

    That’s funny, I don’t care who you are.

  79. Anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:54 pm

    That is quite amusing Anonymous 4-11. Rhonda must have had you specifically in mind when she stated that. Also, I recall her saying she was either a doctor or worked in the medical field, but I’m not 100 percent.

  80. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:54 pm

    Joe i like MLE but i can not be on board with everything they do just like you. But I might be misinformed but you know how hard it is first hand to start a organizaion and get sponsers and make money doing it. This is a good idea to ahve a womens division and if it turns out to not be the media event they want then it will disappear.

  81. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    April 27, 2011 @ 4:56 pm

    Kevin what is those big burly dudes were shirtless?

  82. Jamminjoe said

    April 27, 2011 @ 5:18 pm

    N,,,,,2 I agree fully, can go either way

  83. KevinRoss said

    April 27, 2011 @ 5:50 pm

    Well, if they were shirtless, then that’s another story! Perhaps some sort of leather with spikes on it. I think they call this type of big hairy leather wearing dude “a bear”.

  84. Anonymous said

    April 27, 2011 @ 7:32 pm

    you think?, Kevin you know that’s what their called, your a lil cub, haha – jk that was a joke ppl

  85. Larell Marie Mele said

    April 27, 2011 @ 10:08 pm

    Anon 11:35 – lollll, if screwball is the worse I’m called during this, I’m doing okay!
    Jamminjoe – WOW! Really? 🙁
    Rhonda – thx, as always!!!
    A.Nonymous Fan – gr8 confidence; I’m gonna try my best 🙂
    Anon 2:14 – thank u!!!

    Of course I’m biased when it comes to this whole thing since I have gr8er opportunity now. To me this is an impossible dream come true. When I 1st found out about the female division, I was so incredibly thrilled, not even thinkn about $. Being able to actually have a chance of eating at Coney Island become a reality was more than I could ever hope for. THAT is what this is all about to me. Now add $ to the deal….life doesn’t get better 🙂 If I actually make it to CI, I may be too freakn excited to even eat lolllll 🙂 I feel that this change will get more ladies interested in competitive eating and realizing that it’s not just a man’s sport….that’s gotta be good 🙂 I just know that I’m going to have an amazing season having fun at each contest regardless of my results.

  86. Reality strikes said

    April 27, 2011 @ 10:16 pm

    So much discussion, so much theory, so much opinion. Not much fact or reality. This whole thing is not a new idea or even a recent concept. It’s been discussed for a very long time. What most of you don’t seem to understand is the reality of how things really work.

    I love RNeda’s complicated theorem of “how it should work,” and the rest of the “why is it?” and “ain’t it a shame” opinions. Without calling anyone out, any man who so desperately needs to get their 2 seconds of fame/and or camera time should personally thanking Sonya and Juliet for that opportunity. They just freed up two spots for some marginal eaters who wouldn’t otherwise be in Coney Island on the 4th

    This has nothing to do with equality or anything else like it. It’s marketing plain and simple. Sonya has the big name recognition and Juliet has the qualifications plus the fact that she brought the concept of sexiness to a sport dominated by mostly fat, weird dudes (other than X, Kobay and Pat). The rest of the female table is just along for the ride. Thank you, Kobay!

    The women, especially Carlene LaFevre (who should come out of retirement by the way, just for this event) have paid a damn high price to get to where they are. The lucky little ladies who get to take the stage along with Sonya and Juliet will never have a clue about what a steep hill all three of them have had to climb.

    Hate all you want, but at least two guys and a bunch of women should be freaking wild grateful for what Sonya, Juliet, and Carlene have done for them.

  87. Cutter said (Registered November 9, 2010)

    April 27, 2011 @ 11:08 pm

    “There was no one threatening S. Torre’s qualifier in Las Vegas. She could have eaten 11 and called it a day.” -NReda

    yup, with one other women in the contest she could have easily stopped or significantly layed up at 11 hdbs. heck maybe she did and still did 23. makes you wonder what she might be capable of with sonya/juliet/mele/grace lee (or whoever else pops out of the woodwork with this new format) breathing down their neck.

    as far as the equal purses, the only problem is that there are hundreds of men chasing the rabbit while there is less than a couple dozen women chasing it. so obviously the odds are much better here if you are female. if the sponser is willing to have 2 contests and pay the same in both despite the disproportionality of the number of persons chasing the grail, more power to everybody. it is great to have such a generous sponsor.

    I have the utmost respect for the female eaters, i never viewed sex or size as a handicap as we have all seen that eaters come in all shapes and sizes. which is why i would thought i would never see the day where there were two divisions to the mustard belt. This is probably a good thing for competitive eating and what a great year to be a female eater.

    I don’t know what is like to eat for the money since i rarely win, i won a few steaks and some free dinners at sponsoring restaurants in a few amatuer contests. deep down i think most of us would be happy just to have your winnings pay for your efforts. basically i think recognition for winning an event means far more than the monetary prize. that is my two cents for what it is worth, good job girls, i am happy for you.

  88. Matt "Mega Toad" Stonie said (Registered June 22, 2010)

    April 28, 2011 @ 12:24 am

    I think there are two types of complainers on the topic
    1. those happy for the women to get the opportinuity, but jelious as hell (me lol)
    2. those who just feel its unfair and want speak out of spite

    I speak for myself, but i would have to only believe every guy out there is at least alittle jelious, from the guys fighting for an end table spot, to the center table people who’s 40+ have no chance at a first, and low 30’s no chance $$.

  89. anonymous said

    April 28, 2011 @ 1:59 am

    Tim Janus has a chance to make 15 grand in one day by competing as Helen Haggerty in the womans contest defeating Sonya , then sneak off to the bathroom throw up the hotdogs and change into Eater X in the mens division , place second behind chestnut for 5g

  90. Anonymous said

    April 28, 2011 @ 3:15 am

    It has always been a unisex contest. The MLE is not sexiest. Woman could have entered any contest anytime. Stop Complaining and take you money this fourth. Sometimes woman just need a mute button. Good grief

  91. Gastroboy said

    April 28, 2011 @ 7:54 am

    It’s a good decision. Of course it’s marketing but it’s also fair. It’s not like we know excatly how physiology or anatomy affect perfomance in competitive eating, but for the most part it’s taken for granted being a women is a handicap. It might be hard to understand seeing what Sonya Thomas has archieved so far, beating guys including Pat and Joey along the way in a number of contests/foods. She has nothing to prove anyone, she is a beast at the table. I see her the same way i see the women record holder in other sports, even if you are a guy if you want to beat her you better be really good. That said, while the gap might be shorter than in other sports, i feel it’s still there.

    Moreover the contest will appeal to more girl this way, so more girls will participate. Their talent might be underrepresented right now. It’s not going to work if it’s done only one year but it should be eassy to fill the women’s final table with quite a lot of talent in 2-3 years.

    As far as money goes, equal money for both competitions it’s the way to go.

    I intended to be polite and not hurt anyone’s feelings, English is not my mother language so if something sounds just plain wrong please understand :P.

  92. SPBBBBMBBB said

    April 28, 2011 @ 8:04 am

    Switching name to SuperPaul Susie Buns Boobbreaker BigBreasts Barlow

  93. Stallion Italian said (Registered August 27, 2010)

    April 28, 2011 @ 8:26 am

    Reality Strikes hits a lot bullseyes.

  94. Anonymous said

    April 28, 2011 @ 8:31 am

    Super Paul that just may work, except you’re very tall and have large (larger than women’s) feet. 🙂

    Gastro: I agree with everythng you say. I think that if the new Nathan’s prize structure is maintained after this year, we’ll see more and more women trying to qualify, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see eight or 10 women do the deuce within 2 years.

  95. Everything Equal said (Registered April 28, 2011)

    April 28, 2011 @ 8:42 am

    As one who eats at or near the end of the tabl I am glad that htere is a different contest. It will now be easier for almost all ment to qualify. I dont get why people are upset about this. No one took anything any from any men, they just made it easier for you.

    As for the womens prize amount, good for them. I am all for equality. I just hope they take this a step further. Lets make everthing equal.

    At Buffalo this year, how about Sonya gets to eat the same cold wings that everyone else does. Those of us that were on stage last year know what I mean. We stood around with our wings on the table for at least 12 too 15 minutes while Sonya and Joeys wings were in a heated unit. They brought out their special trays right before we started. This is the same way every year for Sonya.

    I only speak for myself, but I can eat hot wings a lot quiker than cold ones.

    Hopefully Sonya will insist that the wings are the same for all this year. That would be nice, everything equal.

  96. anonymous said

    April 28, 2011 @ 8:55 am

    Everything equal is correct but forgot to mention that the trays should be equal in size as well. I think its a known fact that the trays in the wing contest have been marked for years. The better eaters get the lesser amt of wings and better tasting wings in their trays while the table enders get the stale fried tree branch tasting wings in their trays.

  97. Anonymous said

    April 28, 2011 @ 9:13 am

    Let’s suppose that the aforementioned town criers are correct in that everyone’s wings are cold except the top eater(s). I doubt it was that way at the top eaters’ first contest in Buffalo.

    I suspect that once you make a statement by eating more of those icy wings you will get noticed and graduate to experience the hotter wing, lesser-weighted tray.

    If you think the judging is that bad, why show? I mean it’s all predetermined anyway. Save yourself some bucks and let others have a spot at the table to experience the pain and agony as you two.

    That’ll fix ’em!

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

    April 28, 2011 @ 9:20 am

    I agree with Reality Strikes. It would be remiss to forget Carlene. She was the first woman of the new millenium to really put Nathan’s on the map for American females.

    In baseball vernacular, Carlene got on base, Sonya homered her in to score, and Juliet doubled to keep the inning going.

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

    April 28, 2011 @ 9:21 am

    Oh … that 9:13 remark was me.

  100. Everything Equal said (Registered April 28, 2011)

    April 28, 2011 @ 9:44 am

    I agree with you Ronda. There is something fishy going on there just like when Badlandz beat Sonya and you said that it wasnt on the up and up.

    Cant find footage of that year but there was footage and pics from last year clearly showing wings on the table and not on the table. You can see me in some of the pics.

    I am glad you agree with me Ronda that everyting should be equal. You and I can work together to get these things fixed.

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

    April 28, 2011 @ 11:36 am

    WTF are you even talking about? If you want to get something fixed look in a damned mirror!

  102. Cutter said (Registered November 9, 2010)

    April 28, 2011 @ 8:33 pm

    Not sure how this over 100 comment subject got onto the topic of tree branch chicken wings… but i have had my share of those wings. and i don’t think it was meant on purpose, but there is not much overcoming the batch. even if just your first batch of wings is cold/hard sometimes the jaw fatigue is not overcomable by the time you finish that batch and get a batch with a more pleasant easy off the bone kind of texture. this is why i prefer heavily spiced wings, if they have heat they will come off the bone easily as the meat is basically marinated in the heat.

    didn’t mean to get off topic but it was already there, it just gave me major flashbacks to a tray of wings i ate a local wing bowl, i just assumed all the wings were like that. and i am sure the batch was just oversight. these organizers don’t necessarily realize that keeping the wings out too long make them harder to eat and put some eaters at a disadvantage. I didn’t really even think that the reason for my slow performance was the wings themselves but in hindsight, my second batch was warmer and seemed ladden with more sauce.

    some people think that in MLE and wingbowl that this stuff happens on purpose? i can see wingbowl being rigged but what help does sonya or pat really need against other human beings. table enders like myself will have no problem burying themselves with their own lack of merit compared to joey, pat, sonya…

RSS feed for comments on this post · TrackBack URI

Leave a Comment

Log in | Register | Comments by users who have not logged in will be held for approval