The University of Wisconsin student paper has an article about Eric "Silo" Dahl, which calls him undefeated for his career even though he was the runner up in a paczki contest for two-person teams in February.

April 10, 2012 at 12:27 pm by ojrifkin · More posts about:Eric Dahl | Permalink * Comments (26)

26 Comments »

  1. Eric "Silo" Dahl said (Registered February 28, 2011)

    April 10, 2012 @ 2:30 pm

    Just to clear things up I did tell him that I lost the Packzi Contest 24 to 26. He must have misconstrued being individually undefeated. Credibility is of utmost importance to me! Thank youOJ for posting the link!

  2. Eric "Silo" Dahl said (Registered February 28, 2011)

    April 10, 2012 @ 2:50 pm

    Just to clear things up I did tell him that I lost the Packzi Contest 24 to 26. He must have misconstrued being individually undefeated. Credibility is of utmost importance to me! I never claim to be what I am not. Thank you OJ for posting the link!

  3. Eric "Silo" Dahl said (Registered February 28, 2011)

    April 10, 2012 @ 2:55 pm

    Oops double posted! My phone didn’t let me know it posted the first time!

  4. Humble Pie said

    April 10, 2012 @ 3:35 pm

    for the record this isn’t trash talk, just an observation.

    Outside of Santel (who’s more known for his capacity longer runs then he is for speed) and Menchetti (Who is sub par at best these days)Dahl hasn’t really faced anybody to note. It’s gonna be interesting to see how well Dahl does against Torress who’s actually really good.

  5. Humble Pie said

    April 10, 2012 @ 3:47 pm

    i stand corrected, Dahl put up good numbers with pumpkin pie, LaRue seems to be a better eater then 21 though and Mad Greek is a respectable eater.

    again, should be interesting.

  6. Huh? said

    April 10, 2012 @ 4:34 pm

    maybe @ Wakefield Chicken Salad Sandwich Contest?? or will we have to wait till Tamales?

  7. BigWillTheChamp said (Registered February 1, 2009)

    April 10, 2012 @ 6:30 pm

    I’ll be at Wakefeild. Take that for what it’s worth, lol

  8. jammin- said

    April 11, 2012 @ 5:29 am

    Yes I am a better eater than 21 but as much as I love the sport I had to give up competing for health reasons. ,,, maybe some time in the future I my get to the table again but who knows . as far as Eric’s ability I think the sky is the limit, great guy I think if pushed he may reach top five and I speak of that collectively not this league vs. that league

  9. Hello? said

    April 11, 2012 @ 12:09 pm

    Joe, I respect your experience and knowlege of competitive eating, however I don’t see any evidence that Dahl would come anywhere near the top five at this time (Joey, Pat, Tim, Sonya or Bob). In fact, I’m pretty confident top 10 would be pushing it with Stonie and others moving in. I mean, this guy’s going to have some real problems with Stephanie and she was not top 10, as evidenced by her Nathan’s performance.

  10. Anonymous said

    April 11, 2012 @ 12:38 pm

    He didn’t say Eric’s there now. He said he has the ability to reach that status and I agree with him.

  11. Humble Pie said

    April 11, 2012 @ 12:50 pm

    Eh,

    I would put Stephanie around the 11-15 range hard to say if she’s peaked yet. Anybody who can put down roughly 17-20 HDBS in there first year has the “POTENTIAL” to be top 5.

    Joey’s rookie year he did 20.5 in his qualifier then went onto do 32 just a month later (in 12 minutes)….

    Pat did 17.5 (in 12mins) in 05′ then did 32-35 range in 06′

    Some progress and some simply don’t so it’s hard to say where Dahl could actually land. But to say he’s top 5 in all leagues could be a reach, especially when you have the likes of Koby, Jaws, X, Sonya, bob and Stonie…

  12. Humble Pie said

    April 11, 2012 @ 12:58 pm

    not to mention if hot dogs rule the world of CE, Dahl only has one HDB contest where he did 10

    http://eatfeats.com/query.php?_table=contests&id=7681

    now a Diamond dog

    http://depottavern.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/diamonddogleslieplesser_web.jpg?w=640

    isn’t a traditional Hot dog and I don’t kow if he was allowed to dunk, so take that number for what it’s worth.

  13. Hello? said

    April 11, 2012 @ 1:28 pm

    Still don’t see Dahl’s a top tier talent. I know for a fact Sonya’s first contest ever was a Nathan’s qualifier. A few competitions later, Sonya was eating at her first Nathan’s final. Pat, Joey, Bob, and X also had very little experience. Stephanie was eating for a year at tons of competitions and challenges before she signed with MLE. Stephanie’s experience was vastly different than any of the current top five rookie years when she went rookie MLE. Yet, she got a pretty strong dose that her real talent would never take her into the top tier MLE. That’s why she went back indie. Come on, let’s see air fare and first class hotel in Singapore all expenses paid by MLE, or bus ride to Notell Motel at Fumbuck, NY, for a $600 indie prize? What to do? The same with Dahl. It’s also very telling that Dahl chooses not to eat against MLE. There’s Nathan’s qualifiers right in Dahl’s backyard. Yet, he chooses to go to Niagra Falls for $600? And, don’t tell me Dahl wouldn’t like the exposure of being a top MLE eater. As in this article, he boasts that he beats professionals for reader cred. Dahl knows that no way the professionals he’s eaten against are MLE, but he would love to have people believe that. Also, Dahl tacitly allowing this reporter to claim he’s the number one eater says a lot.

  14. Anonymous said

    April 11, 2012 @ 2:10 pm

    Stephanie was ranked 21 and she has proven to be the top eater not associated with mle. Any others would be ranked around 30. Its pretty obvious why all these other guys dont want to do nathans. Sit at home and pretend they would be top 10 and maybe top 5. Yea right. They know its a lie. The ego they all have is way too big for any of them too lose at the real contests

  15. Humble Pie said

    April 11, 2012 @ 3:16 pm

    I agree with you “Hello?”… I wasn’t saying he is a top 5 talent, nor am I saying he will ever become a top 5 talent. I was merely saying that in the early stages of his career he “may have potential”. The chances of becoming top five are defiantly NOT in his favor though, we can both agree on that right?

    I think people like Dahl, Torres, Excel, Goose and Pete should stay the Indy route, as it’s more profitable to them. No, they may not get to be featured on ESPN on the 4th, but then again if you do make Nathan’s and your name isn’t Joey Chestnut or eating directly to his left or right, then you’d be lucky to see more then 10 seconds screen time. Sure, being Indy might mean picking up $500 in lightyourfart AK or $300 in kissyoursisteronthemouth OK… Competitive eating is what you as an individual want to get out of it. People like Pete have tapped into a way to market himself as a recognizable face of competitive eating to the general public with his YouTube clips, so the MLE’ers and Indies can co-exist.

    As for the free travel, there have been some really talented, hardworking, deserving eaters in MLE who have never gotten free trips to [insert country here] while lesser talented guys (Conti) get them all the time… With life, the world of CE isn’t always fair, so I don’t fault Dahl for choosing to stay Indy, or guys like Ross leaving MLE to do their own thing…. If you aren’t looking out for your best interest, no matter what they may be, fame, money, health, etc. then you’re simply not living life the right way or the way one should. JMO of course.

  16. Anonymous said

    April 11, 2012 @ 3:29 pm

    Lightyourfart, AK? I like that.

  17. Hello? said

    April 11, 2012 @ 4:19 pm

    Humble Pie: Good points. But to claim that this is Dahl’s first year. Dahl himself says he’s eaten in 25 contests (undefeated). If you look at any of the top 5 first 25 contests, they make what Dahl did seem pretty small considering who the top five were eating against and the incredible amounts of food they had eaten. I understand the different routes for competitive eating. Hey, a top guy in minor leagues is still a pretty good place to be. In addition, I do understand the desire to market yourself for a little attention. But, to leave readers, fans, the general public with notion that what Roberto Clemente did with the Pirates is the same as Jimmy Jamoke from the Onarga Orioles is wrong. Insiders of competitive eating know it’s bogus, but it really is somewhat demeaning to emerging fans and the real top eaters and old timers, for without whom no one would care about how much or how fast you ate. And, placing these less than comparable eaters on the same level will only eventually bring on credibility problems with competitive eating as whole. So, if it ain’t a truly amazing “world record” don’t play it off as one. I have a feeling one of those fake fake world records will be made up in Niagra Falls in tamales. Just celebrate the victory, skip the fake “world record” stuff.

  18. Larellmarie said (Registered May 9, 2010)

    April 11, 2012 @ 4:25 pm

    Torres did nearly 30HDBs, finishing 1/2 behind Juliette.

  19. MOTIF said (Registered September 3, 2011)

    April 11, 2012 @ 4:45 pm

    I agree with Anon 3:29, I like that reference.

    My opinion summed up…
    -Dahl is 8-12 MLE, impossible to gauge potential.
    -Those who remain INDY or withdraw from leauge do it for reasons of ego/personal lifestyle preferences. (not a bad thing)
    -Financial benefit for those of topic (except Pete & possibily Koby) is greater in the leauge then not. Proof of ^^^^^
    -Torres is in the same boat as Dahl in my opinion, 8-12.

  20. Anonymous said

    April 11, 2012 @ 5:00 pm

    I think it’s just Juliet, without the “te” on the end.

  21. Anonymous said

    April 11, 2012 @ 5:23 pm

    Gravy Brown (#8) made $2,850.00 in winnings last year. I would argue that he would have made more at Indy contests. Erik The Red (#9) made $1,800 .00 in winnings last year. Again, I would argue that he would have made more at Indy contests. Sean Flash (#10) made $1,750.00 in winnings last year. Same arguement. I don’t necessarily agree with the comment from @4:45 about financial benefit for those of topic. Silo Dahl made $2,900.00 in winnings last year from Indy contests.

  22. Anonymous said

    April 11, 2012 @ 5:57 pm

    @5:23 – I agree that they could make more money, but the numbers are actually a little low. Also, the number of contests to win that money is different. Eric Dahl went to 10 contests to make his $2900. Gravy went to eight; also, what isn’t shown is the all-expense paid trip to NYC for the Nathan’s finals, which all three of the MLE eaters listed went to. Denmark needed 12 contests, but he also had an all-expense trip to Hong Kong as well. Flash earned his money in just six contests, and probably would have been involved in more contests and possibly even the trips for CP, had he not experienced a horrific personal loss.

    IMO, I think everyone is probably where they need / want to be.

  23. Hello? said

    April 11, 2012 @ 6:18 pm

    Anony 5:23 p.m. I can guarantee all those eaters you picked and choose made more in bennies in just that one free trip to New York that Nathan’s picked up the bill than any bennies Dahl will ever make. Let alone the other hotels and casinos that paid their boarding fees that MLE arranged. Checked the rates of top hotels in New York City lately? Let me put this from an indie perspective, do you really think Kobi only made about $13 grand? But since no indies are as good as Kobi, an average indie couldn’t even hope for those type of benefits and fees. You must have always been an independent eater, or you would know of such things that don’t get listed here. How much is a flight and hotel from Wisconsin to Niagra Falls? I’d guess more than $600 and I can’t guarantee that Dahl will make that if he loses to Stephanie. Speaking of Stephanie, the trip to New York and the money she won from Nathan’s is more than she could ever hope for as an independent. If you’re not Kobi, you can’t argue that odds on your not making as much as a 10 MLE eater, and that’s not even including a MLE eater with other special talents (Booker/Contie) or qualities (Juliet) beyond just eating. MOTIFF’s right, there other reasons to be indie, better money isn’t one of them.

  24. BigWillTheChamp said (Registered February 1, 2009)

    April 11, 2012 @ 7:12 pm

    I understand why people would join for the Nathan’s contest. But others don’t need it. And it’s not just for “ego/personal preferences” reasons. Believe it or not, some people don’t really care.
    I went there and got me and my stupid belt on TV and I bet it was seen just as much as any of the table enders.
    I also couldn’t get out of Nathans’ food court without people asking for pictures, even though I announced I wasn’t part of their organization. That’s good enough for me. Not everyone thinks that this Nathan’s bullshit is the holy grail. As a competitor, sure you wouldn’t mind getting on the “big stage” at least once in your life. But it’s also not that big of a deal.

  25. MOTIF said (Registered September 3, 2011)

    April 11, 2012 @ 7:15 pm

    You have to consider the senerios. Look at denmarks location, up in Seattle WA. No contests worth the time are hosted in the area, and he would have to pay a $500 ticket to win $500. In the case of Dahl, fortunatly he’s in the area where tons of paying contests are within driving distance.

    Also 5:57 brings up a good point regaurding “earning” without $$ value, such as the Nathan’s experience, or being part of a leauge who seems to be very interconnected, less so in the Indy world.

    This is not a black and white answer, there will always be exceptions to the rules, but as i said, i believe for the people brought up in the topic the benefits of MLE would be greater. IMO

  26. Humble Pie said

    April 12, 2012 @ 10:30 am

    It’s true a select few get the benefits that others don’t… Going back to a previous point, if you’re one of those eaters then MLE is for you, if you’re not then you should weigh your options and do what’s best for you… Guys like Lefevre (a MLE legendLegend), Jed Donahu, Mechetti etc. seemed to have moved on fine post MLE life…

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