This year marked the first (and maybe the last) time two top-tier Hot Dog Eating contests ran in parallel on July 4th. And the Champion Chomper Joey Chestnut remained a champ – even though he starred in an alternate event after being banned from Nathan’s…
The new 2024 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Champion:
Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago, stuffing his way to victory…
It’s been a turbulent spring in the Major League Eating (MLE) community. And we’re not talking about the weather. Fans were divided – but universally outraged – when long-time Nathan’s Famous contest champ Joey Chestnut was banned from this year’s event.
Pure politics
Like so many pro sports scandals, the Joey ban was rooted in politics. And, bitter fans claim, rules put in place by jealous sponsors and greedy league officials.
It was discovered that Joey had signed on with an ‘unapproved sponsor’ – plant-based hot dog com-petitor Impossible foods. And that was a straight-up clash with Nathan’s of Coney Island, who’ve been backing the classic July 4th event, with their classic all-beef Dogs, since the beginning – in 1916.
All his fault
Nathan’s and MLE tag-teamed to dump the blame for the resulting fan disappointment squarely on Chestnut.
“There is no ban,” MLE co-founder Richard Shea told TODAY.com. “Major League Eating wants him there. The fans want him there. Nathan’s wants him there.”
But MLE points out it has run its sanctioned events under, “the same basic hot dog exclusivity pro-visions,” for nearly 20 years. And this is the first time there’s been any kind of problem. They insist it was Joey going rogue that triggered the split.
“We [were] devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs, rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.”
Disappointing alternative?
Chestnut was supposed to go head-to-head with another former Nathan’s champ in a new July 4th eating spectacle. He was originally lined up by Netflix, for one its rare Live Events, to take on the so-called ‘Godfather of Professional Eating’, Takeru Kobayashi, at Fort Bliss Army Base in Texas. But that appears to have fallen through. Reports from the Lone Star State indicated that Chestnut went up against a slate of soldiers in a contest for charity.
We reported, a few weeks back, that Kobayashi had announced his imminent retirement from the gorging game. And it appears he meant it.
Joey excelled, consuming 57 dogs with buns at Fort Bliss, and raising over $106,000 for charity. Not bad for 5 minute’s work.
So, what happened at Coney Island?
A new Nathan’s champ – not-unknown MLE ranker Patrick Bertoletti – demolished the competition loading-in 58 similar franks in 10 minutes. For the record, top-ranking women’s contender Miki Sudo set a new record for her division, consuming 51 dogs.
My take
In the final analysis… Both this year’s Nathan’s contest and the ‘alternate’ event were sadly dimin-ished. Nathan’s didn’t manage to mount the supreme eat-off it usually stages because Joey Chestnut wasn’t there. And the alternate event was a sorry imitation of a proper big-league affair, with the exiled champ ‘eating-off’ against a crew of amateurs.
How the mighty are fallen… And all because of ‘hot dog politics’!
~ Maggie J.