CalorieLab interviewed Mark Conrad, associate professor of business law at Fordham University School of Business and author of The Business of Sports: A Primer for Journalists about the IFOCE contract. Conrad says thinks the contract might be an antitrust violation, but is unable to decide without seeing the entire document.

July 9, 2010 at 9:43 am by ojrifkin · More posts about:Contracts | Permalink * Comments (22)

22 Comments »

  1. Anonymous said

    July 9, 2010 @ 11:40 am

    This thing is gonna blow up bigger then the Shea’s ever would have imagined! Greed is a deadly sin, and I have a feeling a class action lawsuit is on the horizon. Anybody still think this is a stunt?

    Hopefully somebody can forward this guy an IFOCE contract.

    The Hitler rant was great, whoever made it kudos (as it most likely an eater)

  2. Bellylicious said

    July 9, 2010 @ 12:50 pm

    Kobi hasn’t signed the contract. He may be eligible from years ago, but I think his contracts before were event specific. That being said, it would be interesting if any others eaters pursue something. When I first saw this contract, the IFOCE cut was the worst part, and I believe it has hurt the sport more. How beautiful would it be to see eaters wearing the sponsor shirt, with hats and headbands, or in CLC case, gloves that have outside sponsor logos. At least the eaters could pay for their own travel, just like golf.

  3. Let's stand up! said

    July 9, 2010 @ 5:38 pm

    Here is my problem, eaters aren’t allowed to get their own endorsements but Pepto Bismol is now a sponsor of the IFOCE and is endorsing Joey Chestnut, how come the other eaters can’t get a piece of that action? Why can’t I go get a endorsment from Joe’s Pizza shop down the block? Why, Because IFOCE will want a cut of the pie too.

    as anon 11:40 said, I hope somebody forwards the contract to this guy or a sports lawer like him. If the eaters are good enough to be backed into a corner to sign a contract they should be good enough to get a peice of the endorsement (Pepto, Old Navy) action.

  4. Anonymous said

    July 9, 2010 @ 8:48 pm

    For ojrifkin, who is CalorieLab?

  5. Anonymous said

    July 9, 2010 @ 9:43 pm

    Probably its a group that adds and subtracts calories.

  6. Anonymous said

    July 9, 2010 @ 10:50 pm

    Who is behind CalorieLab that they seem to have the best access to the Kobayashi contract issues and arrest.

  7. anonymous said

    July 9, 2010 @ 10:54 pm

    I think at this point the sheas are afraid to post another MLE contest. I hardly believe this will blow over and all we be forgotten. They had no idea who they were playing with. This is way bigger than Pat from Moonachie getting tossed for drinking egg nog

  8. ojrifkin said (Registered July 27, 2005)

    July 10, 2010 @ 12:31 am

    Here is the about page for calorielab

    http://calorielab.com/about/company/

    One of the writers for the blog has an interest in competitive eating. Here is a Calorie Lab post from 2005 about “Gluttonous King”. He or she also knows Japanese.

    http://eatfeats.com/triannual-japanese-oogui-festival.html

  9. Bubba said

    July 10, 2010 @ 7:51 am

    I’m sueing! Already have my crap mailed off to my new attorney.

  10. Anonymous said

    July 10, 2010 @ 8:27 am

    Thank you oj as always.

  11. nunonabun2 said (Registered November 10, 2009)

    July 10, 2010 @ 10:05 am

    If this is so cut and dry then why havent more people sued for contract issues of this type and won? Look out there at lets say UFC or NFL or MLB or NBA. I mean you are not allowed to just wear what you want or play where you want with any of those organizations. Koby is on a different level in the eating world where it is a job not just for fun. I understand why he does not want to sign but at the same time boo hoo.

  12. A-Bomb said (Registered May 7, 2009)

    July 10, 2010 @ 10:06 am

    Can we all remember it’s EATING.

  13. anonymous said

    July 10, 2010 @ 10:58 am

    I think Brian Seiken should get more exposure for all he has done for the sport . Many of you make crude remarks about him because he told it like it is about all your asses especially the anonymous one that tries to turn it around by making him out to be some sort of headcase. You are the headcase you low life piece of shit. Brian is your entire life. Whenever he has a beef with OJ Rifkin you feel it is necessary to chime in and belittle him. but but but you still refuse to reveal your name which places you at the top of the list as nothing but a COWARD. Now what do you have to say about that PUNK!

  14. Goo Goo Ga Ga said

    July 10, 2010 @ 1:18 pm

    If Brian cries and rants this much now, as he gets older it will just get worse.

  15. Anonymous said

    July 10, 2010 @ 1:35 pm

    Lawsuits and running a competitive eating organization take money, often lots of money. They also take commitment and organization. Forget the lawsuits. That is just plain silly. There will be no action taken on that. Kobayashi’s “protest” might cause some changes in the contracts. They might even be for the worse for most eaters. If eaters want to have any say in what happens, organize and go to the Sheas who make the contracts. Otherwise, it will be the same old thing. It might be anyway, but if you do not try, you have no one to blame but yourselves.

  16. Anonymous said

    July 10, 2010 @ 1:52 pm

    That post at 10:58 is either by Brian Seiken or is a result of someone in collaboration with Brian Seiken. Nobody else uses such bad language.

  17. anonymous said

    July 10, 2010 @ 2:17 pm

    about now rich shea must be totally out of control telling his brother the hell with this i could care less anymore who eats where. He is quite high strung when the heat is on. George on the other hand just ignores everyone and goes about his merry way. What started out as fun has turned into cut throat demonstrative anger. All they had to do was cut back on contract restrictions and this problen would never of happened

  18. anonymous said

    July 10, 2010 @ 2:30 pm

    1:52 that is a strong possibility but you must admit that Crazy legs is getting way too much attention . It causes foaming at the mouth dont you think? And as far as that f******** media sh@@@@@ that he gets , it is driving us to drink. OJ butiful brian should be getting media coverage from you and the world . DO YOU HEAR ME YOU F****** ASSSSHLE dO YOU HEAR ME . hmmmmm oj hmmmmm oj hmmmmm oj

  19. anonymous said

    July 10, 2010 @ 2:32 pm

    anony 11:40 class action lawsuits take years to settle. When the smoke clears and the money is dispersed, everyone involved nets a profit of $5 give or take a few dollars . Not worth it

  20. beautifulbrian said

    July 10, 2010 @ 4:15 pm

    Yes i am foaming at the mouth to answer anony question from the other day. Yes Conti gets more exposure than i. Yes OJ RIfkin does not link my editorial. Yes I enjoy being laughed at better than not being laughed at at all. Yes i enjoy your reaction to my explosive comments even though you are laughing at me and not with me. BTW why should you laugh with me? My site is not about that. By constantly responding back to me you will always get a reaction so maybe best thing is to just ignore me . That will not happen because you have to get in the last word correct?

  21. Bellylicious said

    July 10, 2010 @ 5:13 pm

    I believe anon 10:58 has a st st stutter

  22. Anonymous said

    July 10, 2010 @ 8:17 pm

    S- … S- … S- … say it isn’t so.

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