Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest
It's hard to believe that the names Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi are known throughout the world for one thing. Their ability to eat.They are the top two recognized hot dog eaters in the world and the two will likely face off once again in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island on July 3.
While many people believe it's a one-time event, there is actually a circuit of hot dog eating contests, with events held in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Calgary, Bejing and in other cities between April and June. What takes place on Coney Island each year are the Finals.
As of May 26, there are two wagers that can made on the contest, which draws close to 40,000 spectators and roughly 1.7 million viewers on television.
The first is who will eat more hot dogs between the two. You can wager that Chestnut will eat more and lay -227 or you can wager that Kobayashi will out-eat Chestnut and take odds of +160.
Odds are in money line form, so if you're not familiar with how it works, read Understanding Money Lines and you'll be up to speed in no time.
There is no word if he will be allowed to compete in this year's event. His photo was taken down from New York "Wall of Fame" in April.
The second wager is how many hot dogs Joey Chestnut will eat and you can wager over 60.5 and lay -120 or you can wager under 60.5 and lay -120.
The under looks to be the way to go in this spot. Last year Chestnut easily won the title with 54 hot dogs downed in the 10-minute event. Second-place finisher Tim "Eater X" Janus ate a total of 45 hot dogs.
Prior to 2008, the event lasted 12 minutes and it was that length when Chestnut won his first title in 2007 with 66 hot dogs eaten. The first year it was reduced to 10 minutes, Chestnut and Kobayashi went to overtime after both ate 59 hot dogs and Chestnut retained his title.
2009 looks to be an aberration as Chestnut set a world record with 68 hot dogs eaten and Kobayashi had 64.5. Even third-place finisher, Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, had 55, which was 14 more than he ate in 2008 and 18 more than he scarfed down in 2010 when he finished third with 37. While nobody is admitting it, it could very well be a case of slightly smaller hot dogs or buns, which would explain why everybody was able to exceed their past efforts so easily.
If Kobayashi is allowed to compete, the under losses a bit of value, as the rivalry between he and Chestnut will ensure a solid effort, as opposed to Chestnut being able to cruise to victory, as he did in 2010. Kobayashi's return will also generate a bit more interest, especially in wake of his now-famous arrest at the contest in 2010, but what will happen remains to be seen.
