A rather interesting sporting event that is happening soon is the hot dog eating competition. The official title is Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. What's notable about this year's edition is the absence of it's current champion, Joey Chesnut.
The current champion is barred from participating due to him striking a deal with plant-based food company, Impossible Foods. Chestnut has won the Mustard Yellow Belt 16 times. In 2021, he ate a world record 76 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
Coney Island has been the home of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest just about every year since 1972 at the original Nathan's. It's popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, notably because of the dominance of two of the best eaters ever.
Takeru Kobayashi broke the world record for most hot dogs eaten in 12 minutes, nearly doubling the previous record of 25.5. It was Kobayashi's first of six straight titles but Joey Chestnut dethroned him in 2007. Chestnut broke the record by eating 66 dogs and buns, which kick-started a dominant run. He'd wind up winning each contest until getting upset in 2015 by Matt Stonie.
Chestnut reclaimed the crown the following year and has won every year since. He took on four soldiers at the Fort Bliss base in El Paso, Texas, in an “all-beef” hot dog eating event. The contest, which hopes to raise money for military families, will last five minutes and Chestnut will have one eye on his rivals competing in Coney Island.
Chestnut has reportedly said he hopes to eat more hot dogs in five minutes than the winner of Nathan’s competition does in 10 minutes.
"I wish them luck on that,"' said George Shea of Major League Eating (MLE), which runs the Nathan's contest. "And I guess it’s possible that Joey’s such an amazing eater that he could do that (eat more hot dogs than the Nathan's winner in half the time) and that may be a way to snub us on Coney Island.
Nothing seems quite the same with the Nathan's contest, especially Chestnut’s relationship with Shea, the event's longtime emcee and MLE. It was MLE that announced on 11 June that Chestnut couldn't compete at Nathan's because he'd signed an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, a brand that sells meat substitutes. Competitive eaters at the Nathan's contest cannot endorse hot dogs other than Nathan's, which sponsors the contest on the Fourth.
On Tuesday, Shea said MLE had offered to "set aside the exclusivity issue'' and let Chestnut compete this year. However, he would be allowed to do so with the plan of signing a multi year deal with Nathan's before the 2025 contest and end his partnership with Impossible Foods. Chestnut's representatives declined.
Three weeks after he learned he’d been banned by Nathan’s, Chestnut said that he’s still coping. It’ll be the first time in 20 years he will not compete on the Fourth on Coney Island. He said, "There’s definitely a lot of pain. There’s a bit of grief."
In 2022, it became evident how important the contest is to Chestnut. He competed less than three weeks after his mother died. He arrived at the contest on crutches because he had a broken leg.
On the matter, he said, "I was like, all right, I don’t really want to tell people it’s a broken leg because then they’ll realise how crazy I am and how much I love this contest. And I really didn’t want to tell people that my mom passed away because they’d be like, what, you should be grieving."
"This situation is really bad but it’s not nearly as bad as that one. I was able to get through that one and I was able to get through the year I lost (in 2015 to Matt Stonie) and come back stronger. I’m going to get through this and we’re going to see where it takes me."
Of Chestnut, Shea said, "He’s a great person and I consider him a friend. I would never want him to feel emotional distress ever. But I do believe in this cse, the emotional stress was prompted by his choices.''
One welcome distraction, Chestnut said, is his scheduled showdown with Takeru Kobayashi on Labour Day to be broadcast by Netflix. They last competed in 2006, a year before Kobayashi left Nathan's because of contractual issues with MLE. Chestnut expects intense competition from his former rival.
Chestnut said he’s holding out hope of a return to the Nathan’s contest. He said he had no regrets about his signing with Impossible Foods and how it transpired. His representatives and Impossible Foods would not disclose details of the deal.
"Maybe time and public opinion will make them more reasonable," he said of MLE, which runs the Nathan's competition.
On X, New York mayor, Eric Adams, wrote, "Stop being such weenies! It would be 'impossible' to have this year's Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest without Joey Chestnut. Let's find a way to squash this beef and bring back the champ for another 4th of July at Coney Island!’’
Shea said, "He’s right. The issue here is we got into a contract dispute. You can get into who’s right and who’s wrong. Ultimately the fans just want to see Joey.''
MLE has emphasised that Chestnut is not banned for life from competing, citing his 20-year relationship with the league. The organisation said that, to come back, Chestnut must renounce deals with brands that rival Nathan’s.
In a statement, MLE said, "Joey Chestnut is an American hero. We would love nothing more than to have him at Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which he has dominated for years. We hope that he returns when he is not representing a rival brand."
It's hard to argue against the decision. Rules are rules. No one is exempt from them even if they are well known. You can't go rogue and do whatever you want. There will be consequences if you go down that route.