wow. it is a great day to be an American.
the 6 year reign of Takeru Kobayashi is over. that’s right, for those of you who have not yet heard (but really, i’m sure everyone knows and is celebrating this glorious victory) yesterday marked the end of Kobayashi’s dominance in the I.F.O.C.E. (International Federation Of Competitive Eating) 4th Of July Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. As American, Joey Chestnut, won the gold with a record breaking performance of 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes.
leading up to the event there were signs that this would finally be the year that America would once again reign supreme in a sport that measures who can eat the most in a short period of time. Chestnut had a few weeks earlier bested Kobayashi’s world record mark in a warm-up contest leading up to the showdown. And of course there was the wisdom tooth removal and subsequent chiropractor visits that had many questioning whether Kobayashi would be able to compete at full strength if at all.
but come yesterday morning, Kobayahsi and Chestnut stood head to head and ate like no men on the planet before them ever have.
in the end, both men passed Chestnut’s world record mark (eliminating any doubt that Kobayashi wasn’t at full strength), but it was Chestnut who came out the victor.
the rest of the day was spent enjoying the holiday and reveling in the triumphant afterglow that comes from being an American on the 4th of July knowing your fellow countryman is now the world champion of hot dog eating (there was also a bbq, lots of drinking, a concert and fireworks that added to the enjoyment).
in other news, i’m going to The Decemberists show on Saturday and haven’t been this excited for a concert since last year’s Belle & Sebastian show. and although i have been known in the past to exaggerate and am prone to excessive use of hyperbole, i am pretty certain it will be one of the 5 greatest concerts ever.
