There was a day when The Bambino couldn't get around on a fastball anymore, Michael Jordan looked like beach ball when he played for the Wizards, Tiger Woods started to suck randomly one day (well maybe it was not that randomly), at the end of his career Muhammad Ali was a shell of himself and now the ultimate American hero has been dethroned. Eight years after Joey Chestnut got final retribution for Pearl Harbor, he was beaten by an upstart who nobody ever heard of. Well, I guess we've heard of him but like Buster Douglas, nobody thought he could take down the champ but take down the champ he did
62 hotdogs later, Nathan's Hot Dog competition has a new champion but at least he's an American (I think). Now it's up to Chestnut to come back leaner and meaner next year
On a side note, I had three dogs today at the town 4th of July celebration in about 6 minutes and felt like I was going to puke
Kobayashi was better than Chestnut. But for Kobayashi's career-ending jaw injury, I doubt Chestnut would have won a single one of those 8 championships.
ReplyDeleteKobayashi would be undisputed as the Greatest Of All Time at competitive eating. The guy was an amazing athlete. Incredible watching him in action.
I read up on Kobayashi.
ReplyDeleteHadn't realized he had long ago recovered from his jaw injury, but he has also long had a dispute with the competitive eating ruling authorities. Thus, he and Chestnut have never been able to truly face off in almost a decade in the crown jewel of the circuit: the Nathan's hot dog eating contest.
This is like Joe Frazier becoming heavyweight champion of the world because the WBA, WBC, and IBF stripped Ali of the title due to Vietnam. Nothing to do with boxing. So Joe wasn't the real champ...until he beat Ali face to face.
Kobayashi is still the real champ in my mind.