Joey Chestnut will attempt to pull off the extraordinary on the Fourth of July greater than 2,000 miles from the Nathan’s Sizzling Canine Consuming Contest from which he was been banned.
He can be competing towards troopers on the Fort Bliss Military base in El Paso, Texas. However when he’s devouring sizzling canines and buns, the 16-time Nathan’s champ additionally could have the opponents of Coney Island on his thoughts.
The competition in El Paso is ready to final 5 minutes. The Nathan’s contest in Brooklyn, New York, will final 10 minutes. Chestnut stated his hope is to devour extra sizzling canines and buns in 5 minutes than the winner at Nathan’s contest manages this yr in 10.
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“I believe 56 is doable,’’ stated Chestnut, who in 2021 set the Nathan’s document with 76 sizzling canines and buns. “I’d be very comfortable to try this.’’
There can be no reside ESPN telecast like on the Nathan’s contest, however there can be a livestream, with the masticating set to begin at 5 p.m. ET. There additionally can be constitution airplanes pulling banners in Los Angeles and Miami encouraging individuals to “Watch Joey Eat.”
“I want them luck on that,” stated George Shea of Main League Consuming (MLE), which runs the Nathan’s contest. “And I assume it’s attainable that Joey’s such an incredible eater that he might do this (eat extra sizzling canines than the Nathan’s winner in half the time) and which may be a technique to snub us on Coney Island. Nevertheless it’s simply not going to the Nathan’s Fourth of July Sizzling Canine Consuming Contest.”
Nothing appears fairly the identical with the Nathan’s contest, particularly Chestnut’s relationship with Shea, the occasion’s longtime emcee, and MLE. It was MLE that introduced June 11 Chestnut couldn’t compete at Nathan’s as a result of he’d signed an endorsement take care of Inconceivable Meals, a model that sells meat substitutes. Aggressive eaters on the Nathan’s contest can not endorse sizzling canines aside from Nathan’s, which sponsors the competition on the Fourth.
On Tuesday, Shea stated MLE had supplied to “put aside the exclusivity difficulty” and let Chestnut compete this yr. However he could be allowed to take action with the plan of signing a multiyear take care of Nathan’s earlier than the 2025 contest and finish his partnership with Inconceivable Meals.
Chestnut’s representatives declined, Shea stated. Chestnut’s representatives didn’t present a remark in response to USA TODAY Sports activities’ request submitted by e-mail.
“I believe it’s honest to say that Inconceivable or every other model that chooses Joey is doing so due to his recognition as a sizzling canine eater,” Shea stated. “Actually, what they’re selling and promoting is a sizzling canine. So I don’t thnk it’s honest to recommend it’s not a battle.”
Regardless, Chestnut can be enveloped in patriotism Thursday at Fort Bliss, the place he must eat extra sizzling canines than the mixed whole of 4 troopers to win.
“I’m pondering, may as nicely make it 5 (troopers) so I received’t get lazy,’’ Chestnut instructed USA TODAY Sports activities. “Typically if it appears to be like like I’m within the lead, I decelerate. I actually need to push onerous for all 5 minutes.
“If I’m going to eat on the Fourth of July, I’m going to eat onerous.’’
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Joey Chestnut copes with ban
Three weeks after he realized he’d been banned by Nathan’s, Chestnut stated he’s nonetheless coping. It’ll be the primary time in 20 years he is not going to compete on the Fourth on Coney Island.
“There’s undoubtedly quite a lot of ache,’’ he stated. “There’s a little bit of grief.’’
In 2022, it grew to become evident how essential the competition is to Chestnut. He competed lower than three weeks after his mom died. And he arrived on the contest on crutches as a result of he had a damaged leg.
“I used to be like, all proper, I don’t actually need to inform individuals it’s a damaged leg as a result of then they’ll understand how loopy I’m and the way a lot I really like this contest,’’ he stated. “And I actually didn’t need to inform those who my mother handed away as a result of they’d be like, what, you have to be grieving.
“This example is de facto dangerous, however it’s not almost as dangerous as that one. I used to be capable of get by that one and I used to be capable of get by the yr I misplaced (in 2015 to Matt Stonie) and are available again stronger. I’m going to get by this and we’re going to see the place it takes me.’’
Of Chestnut, Shea stated, “He’s an excellent particular person and I take into account him a good friend. I might by no means need him to really feel emotional misery ever. However I do imagine on this cse, the emotional stress was prompted by his selections.”
One welcome distraction, Chestnut stated, is his scheduled showdown with Takeru Kobayashi on Labor Day to be broadcast by Netflix. They final competed in 2006, a yr earlier than Kobayashi left Nathan’s due to contractual points with MLE. Chestnut expects intense competitors from his former rival.
“He’s not pleasant towards me, which motivates me even more durable,’’ Chestnut stated. “We all know we’re making an attempt to push one another to uncomfortable limits.’’
Joey Chestnut open to Nathan’s return
Chestnut stated he’s holding out hope of a return to the Nathan’s contest. However he stated he had no regrets about his signing with Inconceivable Meals and the way it transpired. His representatives and Inconceivable Meals wouldn’t disclose particulars of the deal.
“Perhaps time and public opinion will make them extra cheap,’’ he stated of MLE, which runs the Nathan’s competitors.
On X, New York mayor Eric Adams wrote, “Cease being such weenies! It might be ‘not possible’ to have this yr’s Nathan’s Well-known Worldwide Sizzling Canine Consuming Contest with out Joey Chestnut. Let’s discover a technique to squash this beef and convey again the champ for one more 4th of July at Coney Island!’’
Mentioned Shea, “He’s proper. The problem right here is we received right into a contract dispute. You may get into who’s proper and who’s incorrect. Finally the followers simply need to see Joey.”
However MLE’s provide to let Chestnut compete if he agrees to signal with Nathan’s and leaves Inconceivable Meals has gone over in addition to a plant-based sizzling canine on the annual Fourth of July contest. However the deadlock remained civil.
“I’m not burning bridges,’’ Chestnut stated. “They’ve made this mattress and now we’ve received to sleep in it and work out a means if there’s a means (to reconcile).
“However I believe publicly I’ve been fairly respectful.’’
Joey Chestnut, meat lover
Chestnut balks on the notion he’ll be consuming plant-based sizzling canines in Fort Bliss or throughout his competitors towards Kobayashi. All beef, he assured, in dispelling the misnomer he is gone from carnivore to vegan due to his contract with Inconceivable Meals.
Casual talks between Chestnut and the corporate have been underway by early this yr, stated Peter McGuinness, the corporate’s CEO. Chestnut’s representatives declined to offer the phrases of the contract. The corporate declined, too, however it did announce it is going to be chartering the planes in Los Angeles and Miami pulling these “Watch Joey Eat” banners.
“He actually represents our target market,’’ McGuinness stated. “We’re a plant-based meat firm. We’re not a vegan firm. We make meals designed to attraction to meat eaters and Flexitarians, individuals who eat animal meat and who additionally eat plant-based.’’
Chestnut attests he matches the profile.
“And if I eat 14 kilos of bologna on Saturday, you may guess on Monday I’m going to be consuming a plant-based weight-reduction plan and excessive fiber,’’ he stated. “That’s a part of my restoration. I’m very comfortable to be working with them, however I nonetheless love meat.’’
For the document, Chestnut stated he’ll be consuming all-beef sizzling canines towards Kobayashi on Labor Day. And, if he returns to Coney Island in the future, it’ll be extra beef.
“If he finally ends up going again to Nathan’s, we’ll help him,’’ McGuinness stated. “I simply don’t see it as this controversial aggressive at-war sort of factor.
“And I don’t suppose they need to both, frankly.’’
What to anticipate on the Fourth
Chestnut stated he is heard supporters say of the Nathan’s contest, ‘We’re not watching with out Joey (competing).”
However Shea stated he expects larger crowds and better TV rankings due to the “intense” controversy over Chestnut. He additionally stated he thinks a extra aggressive contest may attraction to followers at an occasion that draws greater than 40,000 individuals yearly, in keeping with Allison O’Donnell, a publicist for the competition.
Whereas Chestnut often dominates the sphere, Shea stated this yr he is anticipating a good competitors amongst 4 prime eaters on the lads’s facet.
And Chestnut’s future on Coney Island?
“He’s all the time welcome again,” Shea stated. “If he and his staff need to resolve it, I am sure we will.’’
Comply with Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11