New Poll: Why Kobayashi avoids Japanese contests

January 12, 2007 at 2:21 pm by ojrifkin · More posts about:Kobayashi (小林尊)

Kobayashi has not competed in a Japanese eating contest since the demise of Food Battle Club in 2002 and says he has no intention to compete in any Japanese contest for the forseeable future. The new poll asks what you think is the main reason Kobayashi does not compete in his home country.

Comments (8)

8 Comments »

  1. Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)

    January 12, 2007 @ 2:38 pm

    maybe he doesnt like Japanese food!

  2. DALE BOONE said

    January 12, 2007 @ 3:02 pm

    THATS NOT TRUE
    HE DONE A RICE CONTEST IN OCT 2005

    IN INIDA THEY SHOW ALL THE ASIA CONTESTS
    ON TV . I WAS THERE WHEN HE WON WATCHING IT ON TV.

  3. Rhonda Evans said

    January 12, 2007 @ 3:06 pm

    My vote wouldn’t load, and it was for “Other.” Though I may be way off base in my reasoning, as it is really plain old conjecture, here goes:

    First, I feel that Kobayashi looks at the US as by far the most fertile ground for growth of competitive eating. He recognizes that outside of himself, America’s where most of the best talent is, given the remarkable, almost unbelievable, improvement in the past 2 years.

    Second, and this relates to my first point, in any sport, as great as Koby may be at the moment, he is still human. He wants to (and needs to) further improve to retain his #1 World ranking. Also, one usually adjusts to the talent level of his or her competitors. So eating against competitors of markedly lesser talent would be great for them, but bad for Koby.

    Third, I see Koby as very prideful (and smart). He doesn’t want to lower his stock value / marketability, which would likely occur by routinely eating against other countrymen that he would just blow away. While I mean no disrespect whatsoever to any other Japanese eater, let’s face it, Kenji Oguni won the Tokyo Nathan’s qualifier in 2006 with the lowest qualifying total of any eater who made it to Coney Island.

    Fourth, and last, Koby’s pride works both ways. He respects his countrymen, and would not want to disgrace them in competition. I think Koby is one of the most thoughtful competitors in any sport — a gentleman’s gentleman. What better example could any sport have, I ask you?

    So there you have it — Rhonda’a take (and probably Rhonda’s total lack of understanding of what’s REALLY going on inside of Koby’s mind). But … what the hey?

    Sorry for my long, meandering posts, by the way.

  4. beautifulbrian said

    January 12, 2007 @ 3:58 pm

    I expect to get bashed and bashed heavy for my comments but what i just said holds some truth. I think he is a great eater and a fine individual taking nothing away from that, but this voting is going abit overboard in my opinion.

  5. HUMANVACUUM said (Registered November 16, 2006)

    January 12, 2007 @ 5:11 pm

    Rhonda that was very well put. I don’t think you are off base at all and if you are it probably isn’t by much.

    I will go a step further and say that it was one of the best posts I have ever read on this site AND it was completely neutral. No bias, no underlying agenda, just well thought out and written facts.

    BRAVO!!

    vac

  6. Nancy Drew said

    January 13, 2007 @ 9:40 am

    A contract might prevent him from eating in non-ifoce contests. CE is really not as complicated as one might like to think.

  7. DALE BOONE said

    January 13, 2007 @ 11:43 am

    WHAT PART DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ?????

    NANCY DREW !!!!!!

    HE VERY WELL DOES DO CONTESTS IN JAPAN

    I HAVE SAW WITH MY VERY OWN EYES

    EATING IS BIG IN ASIA . EATING IS SHOWN ON THE NEWS AS A BIG EVENT.

    BUT WAIT MOST OF YOU NOT BEEN THERE ??

    YOU JUST GOING ON WHAT YOU BEEN TOLD ???

  8. ojrifkin said (Registered July 27, 2005)

    January 13, 2007 @ 1:36 pm

    According to his contest resume, Kobayashi has not done any Japanese contests since April of 2002:

  9. köpek e?itimi said (Comment pending approval)

    March 20, 2022 @ 1:35 am

    köpek e?itimi hemen bilgi al.

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