Kobayashi Does It Again

Once again Takeru Kobayashi won the hot dog eating contest. For a second I thought newcomer, Joey Chestnut (and his 50 hot dog qualifying total) would dethrone the champ, but I was wrong. Kobayashi not only beat Chestnut, but he also set a world record in the process at 53 3/4 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes. I think Chestnut wins the title next year because he only finished 1 3/4 dogs behind. In fact, Chestnut was leading midway through until Kobayashi showed he has the heart of a champion.

So if I eat over 24,000 mg of sodium in 12 minutes, I can also get a 6-pack?

I think Kobayashi has hit his hot dog eating limit as he has neared, but never broken 54 the last few years. Meanwhile, Chestnut's ability continues to rise. It was also good for future competitions to see so many other competitors easily break 30 hot dogs. While Kobayashi set the bar high a few years ago, everyone is catching up to him as his (still very high) totals remain stationary. I also find it comforting that competitors who don't have outrageous gimmicks (yes, I'm talking about you, Eater X. The Ultimate Warrior would like his facepaint back) always do well. Kobayashi, Chestnut, and Sonya Thomas don't do anything other than get up there, stuff their faces, avoid a reversal of fortune, and win.