Wackbag.com – meatball results Bob 1, Sonya 2, Joey 3
A Pat from Moonachie fan attended the meatball contest at the Tropicana and posted the following results to the Opie & Anthony message board:
3rd Place… Joey Chestnut
2nd Place… Sonya Thomas
1st Place… Bob ShoutSonya wouldn’t shake hands and walked off the stage, and looked like she was crying.
Bandlands Booker was the Judge who made the final decision.
If this report is accurate, Joey’s 7-8 month non Kobayashi winning streak has finished
updatedSome pictures of Pat & a few of Brian Seiken have been appended to the forum thread It is surprising that it has been over 5 hours since the contest ended and no one has any contest reports.
updated #2 iirraa has posted a flickr gallery of today’s contest (pictures above from that gallery)
updated #3 beautifulbrian.com has a video of the awards presentation. Bob was awarded the victory over Sonya due to excessive detritus. I could not hear any totals announced.
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Liz said
December 2, 2006 @ 4:26 pm
Whoa! I can’t believe I missed this.
the boy king said
December 2, 2006 @ 5:20 pm
If this holds up, it’s one of the Biggest Victories Ever!
UEPA!
Original Hater said
December 2, 2006 @ 6:06 pm
I can only hope it’s true. It’s about time someone knocked off Joey. Congrats to Bob!
Philly Guy said
December 2, 2006 @ 8:13 pm
It was:
1st Bob
2nd Sonya
3rd Joey
4th Chip
5th Locust
There was controversy with Sonya’s sportsmanship, but I’ll leave that story for BB to tell.
ANONYMOUS said
December 2, 2006 @ 9:31 pm
Why can’t the IFOCE have someone phone in the results and get them up on the website in a resonable amount of time?
beautifulbrian said
December 2, 2006 @ 10:05 pm
If you people just relax and leave the story and video up to me instead of trying to outdo me all the time ill get you the facts straight from the horse’s mouth in a few hours
Gentleman Joe said
December 3, 2006 @ 12:55 am
WOW! I take back most of whatever i’ve said about bb.com just for the shock of seeing Sonya snub Humble Bob.
Congrats & Kudos to Humble Bob. It was nice to see the sportsmanship of the other competitors.
Sonya’s tantrum should be on a not top 10 list along w/anything re:T.O.
Bubba said (Registered January 8, 2006)
December 3, 2006 @ 6:09 am
I just saw the “snub video” on Beautifulbrian.com and all I can say is Sonya needs to apologize. Hey girl, ARE YOU IN KINDERGARTEN!? Just because you lose doesn’t mean you throw a fit on stage. Even if you don’t like the decision you still shake everyones hand thats what a true champion/sportsman does. I’m completely embarassed for you. By the way good reporting by Beautiful Brian.
Luther said
December 3, 2006 @ 7:12 am
All I can say is that it’s nice to see that sonya has spirit and sticks up for herself. Based on her demeanor I always thought that ahe was just a wimp. Damn she’s feisty. I hope to see more of that from her and the other competitors as well. I have ranted against Sonya more than most in the past, mainly because I thought she was a wimp. But even I don’t think its fair to label her as a poor sport over a single emotion charged episode. I know of no competition, whether its a game or a sport that doesn’t have a lot of emotion in it. I also think that in Sonya’s mind she thought that shaking HBs hand would have been an admission that she agreed with the results. I feel sorry that Bob was caught in the middle.I also think that Humble Bob is probably big enough to know not to take the situation personally. I cant say for sure but I don’t think Sonya makes it a habit to routinely complain and snub others.
Anotyher thing I have is wouldn’t it have been fairer to rule it a tie and have Bob and sonya in a 1 or 2 minute eat-off? Then for sure the winner of that tiebreaker would absolutely be deserving of the victory. If the totals are that close, how is it fair to make a judgement call that a specific amount of food should be deducted from an eater’s total because one eater ate “cleaner.” I guess vanity and neatness is very important.
The_Hangman said (Registered August 30, 2006)
December 3, 2006 @ 7:18 am
At the Waffle House Championships I was standing next to Sonya. I had to take a step back from the stage to eat because her product and liquid was running down her arm and landing on my waffles, in my drinks and on the table and floor.
In Perry I was standing next to Justin Mih and his excessive waste on the table, floor and everyplace else cost him one hamburger.
To me it looks like what happened to Sonya here is that IFOCE is just trying to be fair and enforce some rules.
CE is a dog eat dog sport. Sonya was good in her day and needs to understand you cannot win everytime. Joey Chestnut found this out when he took third this time.
Good sportmanship and sportswomanship is key to these CE events. We eaters are friends going in, fighters on stage and hopefully friends afterwards.
In my opinion, if you cannot take losing, then CE is not the event for you.
I’m a proud table ender and I high five going on stage and shake hands after I lose. That is my way of showing respect.
beautifulbrian said
December 3, 2006 @ 7:56 am
I feel its better for me to air out most of my commentary on my website but eatfeats is an exception because of the high volume of traffic that drives through this site throughout the course of a day. Im not condoning her behavior towards Humble Bob because it was uncalled for but i saw the writing on the wall before the contest because she did not appear to be in a very happy mood and i warned Chestnut that she looked like she had every intention of taking out her frustrations on the meatballs and anyone who got in her way. What you saw was obviously the culmination of anger that was building up inside of her and the judge’s decision just made it worse. . Not my biz as to why she was so upest prior to the event as others noticed she was walking frantically at times up and down the corridors of the mall but still managing to smile or say hello. I know from my personal experiences that when you leave Atlantic City you are either in seventh heaven or you feel like you want to kill someone! Deduce on your own. I rest my case1
donmoseslerman said
December 3, 2006 @ 8:36 am
congradulations bob I hope that they (I.F.O.C.E.) don’t change the outcome of this contest in any way a pressedent was set at the ice cream contest once its official its done ……
SuperPaul said
December 3, 2006 @ 9:36 am
Questions:
Did Larry eat everyone else’s meatballs and forget to eat his own?
Did Bob wash his hands and remove all sauce and germs? My made-up sources tell me Sonya was afraid that Bob’s kids were sick, and Sonya was afraid of catching whatever they had, so a handshake was out of the question
How much weight has Badlands lost? Just looking at the pictures, I gained weight.
Did only a few people get chairs? Maybe Sonya was mad that Chip took her seat
And most important….Was there a post-party, and how was it?
kid said
December 3, 2006 @ 11:04 am
But even I don’t think its fair to label her as a poor sport over a single emotion charged episode. I know of no competition, whether its a game or a sport that doesn’t have a lot of emotion in it. I also think that in Sonya’s mind she thought that shaking HBs hand would have been an admission that she agreed with the results. I feel sorry that Bob was caught in the middle.I also think that Humble Bob is probably big enough to know not to take the situation personally. I cant say for sure but I don’t think Sonya makes it a habit to routinely complain and snub others.
^I really agree with what Luther wrote here. Although it was a poor decision to exemplify bad sportmanship, it’s not fair to make it seem like that one episode defines her character. I’m not saying that it’s right for her to behave like that, but her actions were the results of her ongoing emotional turmoil, not just a sudden tantrum (based on my assumptions about the last few events). Anyway, hope everything mends up and that no hard feelings remain thereafter.
kid said
December 3, 2006 @ 11:08 am
Oh and of course.. congratulations to Bob for first place and all of the other eaters who put forth their best.
Anonymous said
December 3, 2006 @ 4:04 pm
This has not been Sonyas year. She lost in the Grilled Cheese,Brats,Nathens,Waffles,Chicken Wings,Jalepenos,Krystals,Turkey and now in Meatballs! Finally all the rest of the eaters in the top ten can receive some of the glory Sonya is always used to getting. To bad for her the contest aren’t 15 or 20 minutes long. Everyone knows if this were the case she would win every time with the exception of Takeru or maybe even the Locust on occasion. I believe if the rankings were based on capacity they would go something like this #1Takeru #2 Sonya #3 Rich #4 Joey #5 Pat its to hard to tell with the rest of them.
Wild Bill said (Registered September 19, 2006)
December 3, 2006 @ 4:37 pm
SuperPaul – there was a roaming after-party, with most of the eaters in attendance at various times throughout the night. Started out with mojitos, then on to karaoke and then off to the Borgata for drinks and dancing… you would have loved it!
ANONYMOUS said
December 3, 2006 @ 5:09 pm
Thx for the vid BB, but the pics are from 2004 and 2005?
beautifulbrian said
December 3, 2006 @ 6:04 pm
I couldnt get any decent pics of this years contest because i was competing not picture taking . When my camera is in the hands of someone else its a chance i have to take. Melissa Savoy was nice enough to videotape the event for me and if it wasnt for her i would have nothing to show for meatballs 3. If you are referring to the pics in my gallery yes they are from the past two years and not from the other day.
Erik the Red said (Registered January 9, 2006)
December 3, 2006 @ 7:23 pm
Although I haven’t seen any totals or video of the actual contest, Humble Bob what an amazing and well deserved victory for you. Congratulations Bob, my friend, your hard work and positive attitude pays off.
As far as Sonya’s reaction – it is uncalled for in my opinion. I can sympathize with her displeasure and even disgust for losing such a close contest but sometimes you have to accept things and move on even in the moment. Shirking Humble Bob was just wrong, I am positive if the decision were reversed, Humble Bob would have shook Sonya’s hand. In the wake of Humble Bob’s biggest career victory, he should not have to feel guilty for getting the decision because of Sonya’s behavior. Hopefully Sonya will calm down and apologize and then we can focus on the victory for Humble Bob.
LadyLenore said (Registered August 14, 2006)
December 3, 2006 @ 11:01 pm
Congratulations again, Bob on a fantastic victory! And to Joey and Sonya. Bob, thanks for getting Wild Bill up on the stage for karaoke!! We owe you SO much more than the song fee for that one!
Brian, thanks for trusting me to take the video for you – I hope it turned out OK! I did take photos as well – I just haven’t had a chance to download the camera yet. I’ll send you what I have. I have a job interview tomorrow night after work, but I’ll try and get to the camera tomorrow night.
I also want to thank all the eaters with whom we celebrated this weekend…Al “Shredder” Goldstein, Eric “Badlands” Booker, Beautiful Brian Seiken, and the fabulously funny Crazy Legs Conti and Tim Janus. Thanks to this group, I now know what Yaegermeister tastes like, exactly how much alcohol it takes to get a grown man on stage singing “Big Balls” in front of a room full of strangers, and how much bass vibration it takes to make a toilet bounce to the beat. Thanks for a great weekend, and congratulations to EVERYONE who competed!
Rhonda Evans said
December 4, 2006 @ 8:34 am
I agree with most of what Luther and Kid said. I feel sorry for both Humble Bob AND Sonya, as well as Booker. Bob was totally innocent throughout and did a fantastic job. Sonya is a fierce competitor. I don’t see her as a habitual complainer, or someone who has no feelings for others.
On the contrary, It’s my take as one of her most devoted followers that she voiced her dissatisfaction because she believed she won the contest outright. The scales said she did too. She is not the proverbial town crier and she seems very quick to recognize others when they actually defeat her. Sonya believes in earning victories and she wants nobody to give her anything for free in this world.
Booker simply tried to do his best with a judgment call. I really believe the IFOCE needs to step back and re-look at the rules when there is a close call involving leftover detritous, especially when determining the amount to be deducted. If the contest is not close, based on the food weigh-ins. that’s one thing. But Sonya was essentially DQd from first place and placed second; she won the contest objectively, but subjectivity cost her the title.
A tie-breaker would probably have been in order. There have been many, many tie breakers in the last few years, so the IFOCE has used that option. That did not happen this time, I believe, because poor Bob was about to heave, and he’s a nice guy and no one wanted to see that, especially with lots of fans there.
Also, BB brought up a good point. The IFOCE seems to embrace controversy, likely for its power to draw attention to the sport and its eaters. They certainly favor Dale Boone’s antics, and when George interviewed Sonya (thanks to my viewing of BB’s video clip), it was obvious to me that George both anticipated and very much appreciated Sonya’s outburst. Had George, whom I have MUCH respect for, by the way, not pushed that button, the incident would not be as amplified as it was.
It’s a good bit more dangerous for Sonya now, if she goes to Wing Bowl, but it’s just the opposite, ratings-wise, for Wing Bowl and the IFOCE. What better backdrop to pit a fan favorite Philadelphia eater (like Humble Bob) against the “classic unappreciative invading bitch of an eater,” the only outsider to dethrone their Rocky-like 4-time champion, El Wingador? I’m getting off the subject, however.
Like Kid, I sincerely hope that no hard feelings linger from anyone or towards anyone about this issue. Fewer judgment calls and more objectivity will definitely be a step in the right direction.
beautifulbrian said
December 4, 2006 @ 10:32 am
On my december commentary i put everything into perspective regarding Sonya and my thoughts as to why she was upset. Rhonda you never cease to amaze me on how knowledgable you are and people on this site don’t give you half the credit you deserve for the insight you provide on contradicting or agreeing with the comments that others post. I was punished for being a bad boy on bits and pieces last month claiiming that George would seek revenge after i claimed he walked right by me without a hello at the turkey contest. I was subjected to a corner spot and then told i was a hasbeen during the intro’s not to mention being sandwiched in between Pat from Moonachie and some other new eater which made it almost impossible for me to put my hand in the bowl and take a meatball out without feeling major discomfort. Very annoying when you have to hear the words “slide down”. After 5 fuckin years will this organization ever learn to measure or get a bigger table.? Getting back to Sonya she has had tantrums in the past. In grilled cheese in Venice a few yrs back she demanded the contest go a certain amt of minutes or she refused to compete and she got her wish. In buffalo she refused to pick up debris from the floor and tied shoudt for second place with no eatoff . She was bitching big time about this to George Shea. Not sure if its a coincidence or not but it appears that most of her gripes or controversy occurs when he is MC’ the event.I have known Sonya since her inception in comp eating and like everyone else she started out shy and reserved like Juliet Lee just happy to be competing. As she got better and became well known she got a bit more vocal when she felt an injustice was served on her in a controversial call. Then she got a bit more vocal with every close loss .. Yesterday was the iceing on the cake. She had enough! It might get worse in the future who knows. Remember this. We are not drawing a salary from the SHea’s or the IFOCE we can walk away from this whenever we choose. or live with the bullshit that goes on from time to time.Regarding Sonya’s situation i believe she has an agent that gets her appearance fees from time to time as well as sponsorship that pays for all expense trips etc. I dont believe that she has taken a dime out of her pocket to travel to a contest since early or mid 2004. I think the Shea’s have given into most of her demands in the past but something tells me the line was drawn when they asked her to do eats of strength and i assume there was a dollar conflict which they refused or the sponsor refused to give into. This is not a knock on Sonya or am in any way trying to show her up but i have to say money is not easy to come by these days and the sponsors involved with the IFOCE put up large amounts of cash for these events . so its either that or compete for peanuts in that joke of an organization that was concieved out of revenge and jealousy .Pulling the plug on her website temporarily or who knows for how long, is her message that she is basically disgusted with everything.
Wild Bill said (Registered September 19, 2006)
December 4, 2006 @ 11:21 am
The official results are up at ifoce.com. Thanks, BB, for getting the preliminary results up on your web site as quickly as you did, and thank you, Kate Westfall, for listing the results for all the eaters involved! It is a welcome change that I think all the eaters and fans will appreciate if it continues in the future.
Rhonda Evans said
December 4, 2006 @ 12:30 pm
BB I very much respect you and OJ, in different ways, for all you both do for one of my favorite sports of all time. Though you are different, your posts and sites complement one another. The only reason I at least seem to know a thing or two about what I say is because I actually study it as a sport, much like a baseball fan follows baseball. I’m like a kid (no, not The Kid) on Chriistmas morning when I follow CE.
As you know I am very pro-Sonya, but I have much love in my heart for most all eaters. You / they are all such a good bunch. It hurts when I see any signs of disrespect or controversy … but I do understand it. I hope that all of you stay in this sport for a long, long time, because it’s one of the more pleasant, heart-warming things I find in my life. You all bring me much, much joy.
kid said
December 4, 2006 @ 1:55 pm
I just realised that one of the competitive eater’s nickname is Kid and wanted to point out that I did not mean to use this name to cause confusion, just in case anyone might have mistaken my posts for his. I think I’ll switch a username from now on..
But I do agree with BB, Rhonda Evans’ posts reveal a lot of insight and always tackle various perspectives on CE events. Keep them up!
Todd Yeates said (Registered December 5, 2006)
December 4, 2006 @ 11:55 pm
Amazing Job Bob! Congrats!!