I am pleased to inform you that Nathan’s famous Hot Dog Eating Contest has not been canceled. The show will continue as scheduled on July 4, as usual. It is one of the few live American sporting events currently scheduled to play on the nation’s birthday.
“A food contest is basically the food equivalent of a car accident,” said journalist Jason Fagone HOUR. “It is difficult for any human to look the other way.”
Fagone spent a year following the world of professional food and recounted his stories in his book, Rider of the esophagus. He called the annual July 4 Hot Dog Food Contest “the biggest crash on the biggest road, on live television.”
Now may be the right time to sit back on your couch and watch an hour of professional dining rooms, also known as athletes, shoving dozens of hot dogs down their throats.
We are in the middle of 2020. Look at the circus, you deserve a show.
But before looking, there are a few things you should know about this year’s hot dog contest, because it will be different from previous years, for obvious reasons.
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For starters, the location and format of the event have changed. The contest will not take place on the Coney Island Boardwalk, where professional canteens have been filled since the 1970s. Instead, the competition will take place in a undisclosed location, presumably in New York City.
Due to new travel restrictions imposed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, three diners will not participate in the contest. Which means that only five women and six men will eat.
The contest, which generally hosts more than 20 diners per round and thousands of fans, has been reinvented to adapt to social distancing. The fanless event will take place in a grand, open warehouse that will provide ample space for competitors.
Major League Eating will evaluate all competitors and staff before the first bite.
Also new to competition this year, he legalized sports gaming. Three states; New Jersey, Colorado and New Hampshire will allow their citizens to bet on the hot dog contest.
The odds on favorite for the women’s competition is Miki Sudo, who has won the last six hot dog food contests. And the big favorite in the men’s competition is the 12-time hot dog champion, Joey Chestnut.
On Saturday, Chestnut will seek to beat his best personal brand: 74 dogs in 10 minutes.
In an interview with TMZ, the professional food GOAT made a guarantee reminiscent of Broadway Joe: “I’m breaking the record this July 4,” he said. “I will make it memorable. My record is 74, and 75 only sounds like a good number, but we’ll see … If I’m sorry, if I’m in the perfect rhythm, 77 is doable. “
Even if Chestnut doesn’t top its personal best, I just hope the undisclosed location comes with more than one bathroom.
The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest will air on ESPN beginning at 12 noon on Saturday, July 4. Women will eat first, followed by men.
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