- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,190,818
- Reaction score
- 59
Joey Chestnut is Secretariat at the Belmont Stakes in 1973, winning the Triple Crown race by a record-breaking 31 lengths.
Chestnut, 42, is so far ahead of the competition at the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, he must look elsewhere for motivation.
His goal is to break what might be an unbreakable record – one of his own.
In 2021, Chestnut ate 76 hot dogs and hot dog buns, the most ever consumed in the history of the contest that started in 1967.
Can he devour 77 hot dogs on Coney Island in New York, Saturday, July 4? Or is the record unbreakable as Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962?
There are reasons to bet on Chestnut. And reasons to bet against him.
At 42, Chestnut may have peaked. Since the record-setting performance, he has averaged 65 hot dogs and buns during the 10-minute contest.
In his head-to-head showdown with Kobayashi in 2024, Chestnut ate 83 hot dogs. But he said the Ball Park Franks used in that competition were smaller than the Nathan’s all-beef hot dogs grilled for the annual contest on Coney Island.
In 2015, Chestnut lost to Matt Stonie, who ate 62 hot dogs while Chestnut managed to eat only 60. The defeat proved to be a turning point Chestnut, who the following year started his most dominant run.
But since eating 76 hot dogs, Chestnut’s performance has waned.
This week, Chestnut said he winced when he saw the weather forecast for Coney Island July 4. The good news: Thunderstorms aren’t expected to hit until the afternoon. The bad news: A projected high of 92 degrees with this warning: "dangerous heat."
In December, Chestnut disclosed he was on Day 3 of a detox.
"Coming up with a plan to be more fit so that I can hit some records," he said.
That's welcome news for those who want to see Chestnut break his own record.
His training regimen is legendary (and partially confidential). Among the techniques Chestnut has revealed:
Neck raises with a 16-pound bag attached to a leather strap that hangs from a mouthguard; burping exercises; and the use of Primatene, an over-the-counter drug used for mild intermittent asthma, to help him breathe.
But that hasn't been enough to get within five hot dogs of his record since he set it.
Jeremy Schaap, the esteemed reporter with ESPN, enters his third year as the play-by-play announcer for the Nathan's contest.
"We all want to see Joey top himself, but it's going to be difficult in these conditions," Schaap said. "I mean, when it's 95 degrees and the buns start getting soggy and that 10 minutes seems like three hours …
"I wouldn't put it past him because it's Joey Chestnut, but it's going to be tough."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Joey Chestnut break his record at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?
Continue reading...
Chestnut, 42, is so far ahead of the competition at the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, he must look elsewhere for motivation.
His goal is to break what might be an unbreakable record – one of his own.
In 2021, Chestnut ate 76 hot dogs and hot dog buns, the most ever consumed in the history of the contest that started in 1967.
Can he devour 77 hot dogs on Coney Island in New York, Saturday, July 4? Or is the record unbreakable as Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962?
There are reasons to bet on Chestnut. And reasons to bet against him.
At 42, Chestnut may have peaked. Since the record-setting performance, he has averaged 65 hot dogs and buns during the 10-minute contest.
In his head-to-head showdown with Kobayashi in 2024, Chestnut ate 83 hot dogs. But he said the Ball Park Franks used in that competition were smaller than the Nathan’s all-beef hot dogs grilled for the annual contest on Coney Island.
Numbers reflect a Joey Chestnut trend
In 2015, Chestnut lost to Matt Stonie, who ate 62 hot dogs while Chestnut managed to eat only 60. The defeat proved to be a turning point Chestnut, who the following year started his most dominant run.
- 2016: 70
- 2017: 72
- 2018: 74
- 2019: 71
- 2020: 75
- 2021: 76
But since eating 76 hot dogs, Chestnut’s performance has waned.
- 2022: 63
- 2023: 62
- 2024: banned (a sponsorship dispute with Major League Eating, which runs the Nathan’s contest prevented Chestnut from competing)
- 2025: 70 ½
Weather forecast concerns Joey Chestnut
This week, Chestnut said he winced when he saw the weather forecast for Coney Island July 4. The good news: Thunderstorms aren’t expected to hit until the afternoon. The bad news: A projected high of 92 degrees with this warning: "dangerous heat."
Joey Chestnut creates a plan
In December, Chestnut disclosed he was on Day 3 of a detox.
"Coming up with a plan to be more fit so that I can hit some records," he said.
That's welcome news for those who want to see Chestnut break his own record.
His training regimen is legendary (and partially confidential). Among the techniques Chestnut has revealed:
Neck raises with a 16-pound bag attached to a leather strap that hangs from a mouthguard; burping exercises; and the use of Primatene, an over-the-counter drug used for mild intermittent asthma, to help him breathe.
But that hasn't been enough to get within five hot dogs of his record since he set it.
Jeremy Schaap's take
Jeremy Schaap, the esteemed reporter with ESPN, enters his third year as the play-by-play announcer for the Nathan's contest.
"We all want to see Joey top himself, but it's going to be difficult in these conditions," Schaap said. "I mean, when it's 95 degrees and the buns start getting soggy and that 10 minutes seems like three hours …
"I wouldn't put it past him because it's Joey Chestnut, but it's going to be tough."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can Joey Chestnut break his record at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?
Continue reading...
