Quit While You're Ahead (or else...)

[MA-Caver]

Some guys just don't know when to quit while they're ahead. The world famous Hot Dog eating champion suffered a jaw injury while training. (yeah there's a joke in there somewhere... durned if I can see it).

Japan's all-star speed eater suffers professional injury
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070625/lf_afp/lifestylejapanushealthfoodpeople_070625130041
Mon Jun 25, 9:00 AM ET

TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese man who set a world record by wolfing down dozens of hot dogs within minutes has suffered a severe jaw injury due to his rigorous training, making his next title uncertain.
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Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi said he can only open his mouth to make a gap the size of a fingertip after being diagnosed with jaw arthritis.

In an entry on his blog entitled "Occupational hazard," Kobayashi said: "My jaw refused to fight any more."

The injury occurred only a week after the slender 29-year-old started training to win his seventh straight title at the annual July 4 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating event on New York's Coney Island.

"I feel ashamed that I couldn't notice the alarm bells set off by my own body," he said. "But with the goal to win another title with a new record, I couldn't stop my training so close to the competition.

"I was continuing my training and bearing with the pain but finally I destroyed my jaw."

He said that his jaw "...refused to fight anymore"... should there be a martial art based on eating?

I dunno if this is something that a mother would really be proud of... what say you moms out there in MT land?

"I want to be the pride of my mother," he said in the blog entry posted Sunday.
Last year, Kobayashi put down a world-record 53 and three-quarters hot dogs in just 12 minutes.

 

[Shuto]

He was going to have some tough competition this year even without the injury. I read that some guy set a new record of 59.5 dogs (IIRC) shattering the old record of 53.5.

edit

I saw a show about this guy where they had a balloon that was about the size of a normal stomach and they filled it up with a bunch of hot dogs and buns that equaled the world record at that time. It was amazing how much space all of those hot dogs take up and also amazing how expandable a stomach is.

The show also commented about how it's usually skinny people who are good at this. The show speculated that was because skinny people have less resistance when expanding their stomachs to the unnatural size these competitors need to.

 

[Skip Cooper]

I dunno if this is something that a mother would really be proud of... what say you moms out there in MT land?

I heard on the radio a couple of weeks ago that his mother passed away and that there was some speculation that he would not attend this years contest. The radio report also stated that he had not even begun training (????) yet.

I know more about this guy than I want to...

 

[MA-Caver]

He was going to have some tough competition this year even without the injury. I read that some guy set a new record of 59.5 dogs (IIRC) shattering the old record of 53.5.

edit

I saw a show about this guy where they had a balloon that was about the size of a normal stomach and they filled it up with a bunch of hot dogs and buns that equaled the world record at that time. It was amazing how much space all of those hot dogs take up and also amazing how expandable a stomach is.

The show also commented about how it's usually skinny people who are good at this. The show speculated that was because skinny people have less resistance when expanding their stomachs to the unnatural size these competitors need to.

Yeah well it's still not healthy either way. I can eat a large amount in one sitting if I'm hungry enough and if the food is extraordinarily great... (like my cooking ). But I don't make it a habit and it's a once in a while kind of deal for me to do that.
However; to eat mass amounts and to eat that all quickly isn't healthy, it isn't safe (a Japanese school-boy died from choking to death trying to imitate this speed eating champion), and most of all (for me anyway) it just doesn't make any sense. It's fun? Fun to watch? :idunno: I can think of better things to entertain me. Like a MA tournament.

 

[Jade Tigress]

I don't get it, but there are alot of "competitions" I don't get. It seems to me, that even though competitive eating is not isolated to Japan, the Japanese find some of the most unusual games to compete at and take pride in. I guess you find something you're good at and go for it with gusto. What mother wouldn't be proud?

 

[Shuto]

I entered a pizza eating contest once when I was in college. I just ate my FREE pizza at a normal eating rate while the other contestants stuffed their faces as fast as they could. Most people would have considered me the loser but I didn't. I guess my goal was just different than the others.

 

[Jade Tigress]

I entered a pizza eating contest once when I was in college. I just ate my FREE pizza at a normal eating rate while the other contestants stuffed their faces as fast as they could. Most people would have considered me the loser but I didn't. I guess my goal was just different than the others.

AWESOME! heh

 

[hong kong fooey]

I watched a hot dog eating comp one time and it was amazing I have never seen sombody eat like that maybe it's a good idea for him to take a break and maybe his jaw will get better

 

[MA-Caver]

I entered a pizza eating contest once when I was in college. I just ate my FREE pizza at a normal eating rate while the other contestants stuffed their faces as fast as they could. Most people would have considered me the loser but I didn't. I guess my goal was just different than the others.

I would definitely call you a sneaky/smart loser for sure. :lol: Free Food can't beat it!

 

[bydand]

I entered a pizza eating contest once when I was in college. I just ate my FREE pizza at a normal eating rate while the other contestants stuffed their faces as fast as they could. Most people would have considered me the loser but I didn't. I guess my goal was just different than the others.

Loser??? Lets examine this shall we?
1) College student + 2) FREE pizza = ?

Guess I'm missing the losing part. :lfao:

The only thing that would have made it better is couple of free beers (or whatever) to wash the pizza down.

 

[MA-Caver]

Jaw dropper! American wins hot dog title over 6-time Japanese champ
By LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press Writer
July 4, 2007
http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ap-hotdogchamp&prov=ap&type=lgns
NEW YORK (AP) -- In a gut-busting showdown that combined drama, daring and indigestion, Joey Chestnut emerged Wednesday as the world's hot dog eating champion, knocking off six-time winner Takeru Kobayashi in a record-setting yet repulsive triumph.
Chestnut, the great red, white and blue hope in the annual Fourth of July competition, broke his own world record by inhaling 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes -- a staggering one every 10.9 seconds before a screaming crowd in Coney Island.
"If I needed to eat another one right now, I could," the 23-year-old Californian said after receiving the mustard yellow belt emblematic of hot dog eating supremacy.
Kobayashi, the Japanese eating machine, recently had a wisdom tooth extracted and received chiropractic treatment due to a sore jaw. But the winner of every Nathan's hot dog competition from 2001 to 2006 showed no ill effects as he stayed with Chestnut frank-for-frank until the very end of the 12-minute competition.
Once the contest ended, the runner-up suffered a reversal -- competitive eating-speak for barfing -- leading to a deduction from his final total. Kobayashi finished with 63 HDBs (hot dogs and buns eaten) in his best performance ever.
Competitors receive credit for anything in their mouths at the 12-minute mark, provided they can swallow it.

An all American! Whoo Hoo!

What I liked was the good sport Kobayashi was as evident from these photos...