New Poll: Wing Bowl judging

February 7, 2008 at 1:24 pm by ojrifkin · More posts about:Wing Bowl 16

The new poll asks how you would describe the judging of the Wing Bowl.

Comments (28)

28 Comments »

  1. joey B said

    February 7, 2008 @ 2:23 pm

    piss poor, wrote an email to Cataldi.

  2. Rhonda Evans said

    February 7, 2008 @ 2:40 pm

    It is poor, but I am not sure they go out with an agenda to be inept. They just need training and direction. Having said that, there’s also some “wiggle room” for improvement in judging MLE contests–lots of it in many cases.

  3. Mega Munch said

    February 7, 2008 @ 3:13 pm

    I think the only people who can accurately determine how good or bad the Wing Bowl judging is are the eaters themselves. It’s hard for me to tell when I’m half drunk and sitting in section 223 (and watching Wingettes on the jumbotron).

    However, if it is lacking, it would be a shame considering how much is on the line in terms of prizes.

  4. Erik the Red said (Registered January 9, 2006)

    February 7, 2008 @ 4:22 pm

    Rhonda I think you are way off on this one. I don’t think training and direction are what the judges need. Actually, the judges who are counting the wings are not inept and I really don’t think they are the ones who screw people over. The judges were calling out legit numbers and a guy standing right next to them was writing them down. I think the real scandel is what happens once the numbers are turned in and I don’t know who it is who “adds” them up. Croce? Al?

    Some eaters’ totals get ignored completely, i.e. Humble Bob and myself this year. Some people get credited for a wing total that is totally arbitrary, usually would be in the lower 5 of the top 10 in the first round. Some people get something relatively close to their actual score. I would say 90% of the fixed judging occurs in the first round however, after that it is fairly legit.

  5. WingKong said (Registered December 19, 2006)

    February 7, 2008 @ 4:40 pm

    I’m appalled…I could have sworn the judging was legit…I was basing my entire eating career on my results from Wing Bowl and now I’m hearing accusations of judge tampering.

    I think I need a moment…

  6. Dr. Bigtime said

    February 7, 2008 @ 5:26 pm

    Erik, you were sitting next to me. I saw what you had, you saw what I had, I saw what Dave the Dumpster had…

  7. US MALE said

    February 7, 2008 @ 5:48 pm

    The judging was totally fucked up! Pat Croce made sure there was extra judges this year to help avoid any problems and in my eyes, this year was worse then last. I ate 110 wings & Gentleman Jerry was just a few ahead of me but you all heard what happened during the top 10 annoucement after round one. After I was raising hell & throwing f-bombs all over the place, the judge from my table realized he screwed up and told Croce & Angelo about it. Then he gives us a number of 81 & 83. I ask him how he got that and he shrugs his shoulders and says “got me.” This totally pissed me off the remaining of the event and threw me off my eating game.

    I sort of agree with Erik. I think numbers are being written down but changes are made once the round is over to set the top 10.

    Why bother dealing with this crap anymore.

  8. Pat From Moonachie said (Registered December 10, 2005)

    February 7, 2008 @ 6:07 pm

    Results, who cares about results?? ..I heard it was a helleva show and THAT’S what it’s all about ..right??

  9. Pat From Moonachie said (Registered December 10, 2005)

    February 7, 2008 @ 6:10 pm

    Oops! ..I forgot these! 😉 —>[sarcasm] [sarcasm]

  10. Philly Guy said

    February 7, 2008 @ 6:14 pm

    I think I had 7 Yuenglings and 15 PBR’s…

  11. Anonymous said

    February 7, 2008 @ 6:58 pm

    Humble Bob was cheated last year and this year. Nobody can eat food like Humble Bob.

  12. Rhonda Evans said

    February 8, 2008 @ 7:58 am

    Thanks for the comment Erik. That is a great point, and it shines a brighter light on the “problem,” which is likely not construed as a problem to the WB promoters, because their object is to produce a “show” on a grandiose scale, and what they do serves their purpose. But it is not competitive eating as we (or at least I) know it.

    If you want to be most fair, then weigh the wings, and correctly score and communicate the results. Weighing will never happen, because part of the attraction of WB is subjectivity, whereby anything is possible. It’s just like watching the WWE, whereby even tiny Ray Mysterio can beat the Great Khali.

  13. Erik the Red said (Registered January 9, 2006)

    February 8, 2008 @ 1:45 pm

    I actually kind of like the format of counting wings instead of weighing them because it brings in an added element of skill to clean the wings as fast and as thorough as possible. Some of the wing contests I have been in seemed very illegitimate because most people take one big bite and move on and eventually the wings run out because everyone is leaving so much meat on the bone – that to me does not exhibit as much skill. But, yeah the WB people do abuse their system.

    I honestly think they choose people in the first round to move on that they think have a chance to puke in the second round. Because that is one of the big attractions they advertise and what makes the crowd go crazy. I think Brad was the victim this year since none of the other new local guys even pushed themselves in the second round including Dr. Digestion who just quite which was totally lame. They had to call someone out for puking and Brad had the closest call though I never saw anything of significance leave his mouth or nose.

  14. Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)

    February 8, 2008 @ 2:16 pm

    My experience with the judging was improved this year over WB 14 & 15. I bet less errors were made by accident. Those other years the tables had even less room to walk in front of, and the Ref’s would use hand signals to a person at the end of the row who would record it. That sometime led to whole plates being assigned to the wrong eater.

    This year the recorder walked with the judge as he inspect each finished plate. Also, it was the judges responsibility to throw out the plate this year. In the past a Wingette might clear it off before it had been properly counted.

    My judge was pretty strict and pointed out anything he thought needed to be worked on more. He warned me at least four times for what he thought was me tearing the meat off the bone with my hands. I do a double twist on the blades before I put them in my mouth. Croce seemed pleased with my work.

    Like Erik, I really like the idea of Wing Count, as it gives Technique Eaters a chance against Volume Eaters. I wish there was a way to have a better standard between the refs and OBVIOUSLY I would want more transparency on the ADDING. Most of the funny business and new math happens at the end of the first round.

    A running count in front of the eaters would be exciting, and perhaps better.

  15. WingKong said (Registered December 19, 2006)

    February 8, 2008 @ 2:43 pm

    Erik
    Two things first I wouldn’t say “none of the other new local guys even pushed themselves in the second round”…I gave everything I had and pushed until I knew I was at my limit, I didn’t want embarrass myself by puking on stage…Second I was only a few feet from Brad and he definitely had an issue that came out of his nose and mouth, unfortunately he is not at the point yet in his career where he might get the benefit of the doubt in a situation like that…

  16. Rhonda Evans said

    February 8, 2008 @ 2:54 pm

    I think one of the biggest WB travesties occurred a few years ago when El Wingador “won” in overtime. In that WB Badlands Booker got DQed for a reversal. I wasn’t there, but I don’t believe Eric has ever reversed in his competitive eating life, and he didn’t then. I think he was DQed, because of the gigantic (and unexpected) threat he would have posed to Wingador.

  17. whatever dude said

    February 8, 2008 @ 2:56 pm

    ” I didn’t want embarrass myself” — ummm… you’re a competitive eater

  18. Erik the Red said (Registered January 9, 2006)

    February 8, 2008 @ 3:09 pm

    WK – you have to know I wasn’t including you as a new local eater -this is your third or fourth Wing Bowl, right? Sorry, if that is what it sounded like, I think you deserved to be where you were and I know you pushed yourself in the 2nd round. I was more referring to some of the others new guys like Gabe Cocktail, Caveman, Dr Digestion who basically stopped eating at some point in the second round. As far as Brad goes, maybe you are right, it was hard to see from my vantage point and what they showed on the big screen didn’t show what you described.

    I really am not aiming to criticise any of the eaters for their participation in WB either – it is not honorable to puke all over the place if you can’t eat any more.

  19. Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)

    February 8, 2008 @ 3:14 pm

    WingKing,
    I dont think he was talking about you when he said ‘new local’. It did seem that a few of the locals stopped eating in the second round. I dont blame them for not wanting to be forever memorialized like ‘The Sloth’

    Sucks about Brad. That was an impressive performance he put on.

  20. WingKong said (Registered December 19, 2006)

    February 8, 2008 @ 4:05 pm

    Erik,

    My bad I just assumed you threw me in there…

    JellyBelly
    You WingKing me one more time or talk about my cheeks again…I’m going to whoop your a$$ next time I see you…

  21. WingKong said (Registered December 19, 2006)

    February 8, 2008 @ 4:26 pm

    Whatever dude,

    I’d ask what you meant by that statement…But I figure if you need to hide behind an alias on a website, any explanation I gave you would be a lesson in futility on my part…

    But hey, keep up the great work and keep posting your insightful comments.

  22. Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)

    February 8, 2008 @ 4:29 pm

    🙂

  23. US MALE said

    February 8, 2008 @ 5:33 pm

    I was right next to Brad and yes, there was long stringy snot-like protrusion from his nose. It was a nasty but I continued to eat. Brad was doing awesome and it really sucked for him, but at least the judging is consistant with that. Now if they could just learn how to count and communicate with the guy next to them with the clipboard.

    Next year, Wing Kong makes the final table.

  24. Anonymous said

    February 8, 2008 @ 6:21 pm

    Assuming Joey doesn’t show up next year I see Pat, Brad, and Male, in that order.

  25. Caveman said

    February 8, 2008 @ 7:42 pm

    Erik dont talk trash cause you didnt make it into second round. Get a real job already and dont spend the rest of your life chasing a dream you will never catch. Never mention my name again or i’ll kick your ass back to the stone age…

    caveman out

  26. Erik the Red said (Registered January 9, 2006)

    February 8, 2008 @ 8:12 pm

    Caveman, all I said is you stopped eating in the second round before you may have thrown up. Is that not the truth? I have nothing personal against you. And I have a real job, thanks.

  27. Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)

    February 16, 2008 @ 11:27 pm

    and FINALLY a response I can be at peace with.

  28. Stoney Rockhead said

    February 17, 2008 @ 10:16 am

    Me no like no one who pick on any caveman….even one with mouth like swamp water…Caveman, me no want cave kids to read such language….after all, we got wheels and stuff….act civilized. Erik, keep dreaming…you get in finals soon!!

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