In addition to backyard grillers everywhere, a more famous barbecue will be taking place this holiday weekend on Coney Island, N.Y.
Every year since 1916, 20 iron-stomached competitors line up to partake in a 12-minute feeding frenzy, forcing as many hot dogs down as possible in Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
From 2001 to 2006, Japanese eating phenom Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi dominated the contest, shattering the previous record set (25 hot dogs in the 12-minute span) when he scarfed down 50 weiners in his first year. He broke that record three times over in the next five years of competition on Coney Island and held the world record with 53 3/4 hot dogs eaten in 12 minutes by 2006.
For the past three years, Kobayashi has lost the Independence Day smorgasbord to California native Joey “Jaws” Chestnut. Kobayashi will not be competing in the 2010 challenge. So for this week’s Top 10 countdown, we ponder this question: What living athlete could take Kobayashi’s place and win this year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest?
Mark Sanchez
If this was a contest about sneakily eating hot dogs on the sidelines while in the middle of a football game, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez would be a shoo-in. We had to include him just because of the hot dog incident that occurred last season against the Raiders, for which he later apologized. Sanchez claimed he didn’t feel well and hadn’t eaten anything before the game. So you reach for a hot dog? Come on, Sanchez. If you’re not feeling well, you reach for some antacids or some Saltines, not a hot dog. Let’s face it, you wanted a hot dog, and you got one. I smell a Nathan’s endorsement coming your way.
John Isner
It’s hard enough keeping guys fully fed, but put them in exhausting physical activity for 11 hours, and you better start buying out the grocery store. John Isner, who won the longest tennis match in history on June 24, claimed that after Day 2 of competition, with no end in sight, he sought out the delivery services of fellow tennis star Andy Roddick to bring him a refueling feast. “There was three boxes of pizza, all sorts of chicken and mashed potatoes, everything. I would have eaten 12 Big Macs,” the 25-year-old Isner said. Once the match was over, Isner took to his Twitter, claiming he was going to refuel Man vs. Food style. So how do we prepare this kid for the hot dog competition? Easy. Another 11-hour match beforehand.
Dustin Pedroia
For us Boston fans, it’s a no-brainer when it comes to determining who is the hungriest player on the Red Sox roster. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia lives, breathes, sweats, sleeps and eats for the love of the game. That determination and desire at the plate can definitely translate to the eating contest on Coney Island. He may not be able to keep up with the big boys, but there’s more drive and hunger in that 5-foot-9, 180-pound frame than 90 percent of his competition. The guy won’t even let a broken foot keep him off the diamond. Do you think he’d let a few 300-pound competitors keep him from competing in Nathan’s challenge?
Wade Boggs
As long as he ate chicken before the challenge, I’d say Wade Boggs has a pretty good chance of being a contender in this competition. The superstitious MLB Hall of Famer would eat fried chicken before every single baseball game he ever played in — mind you, he played in over 2,400 of them — so I’d say he’s built up a fairly strong stomach lining. He also could drink beer — a lot of beer. Former teammate, Jeff Nelson, claimed that on a normal cross-country road trip, Boggs would down between 50 and 60 beers on the plane ride. That’s a lot of Miller Lite. Anyone who can consume that many beers consecutively would have no trouble doing the same with hot dogs.
Charles Barkley
This one’s a given — the guy is a spokesperson for Taco Bell, for crying out loud! A man who finds a two-dollar taco/Doritos/Pepsi meal deal “not turrrrrble” would definitely not turn his nose up at a hot dog eating contest. The “Round Mound of Rebound” was in some variety of playing shape during his NBA career, but has definitely filled out a bit in retirement. With his easygoing attitude, we feel as though Barkley would be up for this challenge, and be a formidable substitute for Kobayashi. In our minds, anyone who can rhyme in prose about food (“the five-dollar box, it rocks, it rocks”) belongs on this list.
Shaquille O’Neal
How can we leave out Big Diesel? The enormous NBA All-Star has pretty much come into every single season overweight and claiming he was going to get in shape. He literally fills out every inch of that 7-foot-1, 325-pound figure of his, and have you seen that Krispy Kreme video? The man obviously has a love affair going with food. He also doesn’t lack in competitive drive, willing to take on the best of the best athletes in their sport of expertise in his ABC television series Shaq vs. Shaq definitely is up for the challenge against Chestnut. If Shaq can take on Michael Phelps in the pool, he can take on “The Jaw” at the table.
John Kruk
The former MLB All-Star has never hidden the fact that he loves to eat. Even as a rookie in 1986, he was a portly guy, but it didn’t take away from his athletic ability. However, after nine years in the big leagues, the big leaguer took himself out of the game, stating he’d rather spend the rest of the 1995 season “eating at the Sizzler’s buffet.” To this day, Kruk is one of few major league players to retire midseason. He has continued displaying his love for food, as he writes an ESPN.com column called “Chewing the Fat,” and has also appeared on an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Let’s face it, this guy loves to eat. Though Kruk has hawked the NutriSystem Diet recently, we doubt he’d turn down the opportunity to slap on his game face for the hot dog challenge.
Michael Phelps
During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps showed the world something amazing. No, it was not the fact that he blew his competition out of the water. It was that he put down 12,000 calories per day to keep up with his workouts, a caloric intake that would feed five full-grown men in one day. He introduced us to the “Michael Phelps Diet” that consisted of egg sandwiches, omelettes, grits, pancakes, french toast, fried onions, two ham sandwiches, two pounds of pasta and a large pizza. All washed down with energy drinks, of course. Now, how do we apply that to hot dog consumption? Well, the average Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog contains 309 calories, with the average hot dog bun containing 79 calories. That takes us to 388 calories per dog. If Phelps was on track with his diet, he could eat 30 hot dogs to equal 12,000 calories. Guess he’ll have to take a few more laps in the pool after this year’s contest to keep up with Chestnut, who won last year’s contest by eating 68 hot dogs.
John Daly
Though he recently lost 115 pounds on an improved diet with the help of lap band surgery, John Daly is no stranger to junk food binges. The former 300-pound golfer was infamous for his eating, drinking, smoking and gambling habits. He prided himself on being out of shape. Though he was more inclined to reach for a cheeseburger back in the old days, he probably was no stranger to hot dogs, either. Critics say he lost some of his momentum and swing power after he lost the weight. Looking for a grand slam, Daly? Ship up to Coney Island and gain back some of those lbs. Come on, you know you want to.
Tony Siragusa
Seriously, have you seen this guy?
