Something Rotten in Brooklyn
It is nearly impossible to name an institution that was respected, even revered, in this country that has not had its reputation besmirched by scandal, corruption or downright cheating. Polls clearly demonstrate that trust in each of the three branches of our federal government has plummeted, not least for a radically partisan Supreme Court that is determined to restore a criminal and conman to the Oval Office and to ensure that every man, woman and child in the country possesses an assault weapon under its perverse view of the Second Amendment.
Then there is the Catholic Church that keeps tripping over itself in its futile efforts to restore its legitimacy in the wake of its seemingly perpetual sexual abuse scandal. Not to mention the Boy Scouts of America, languishing in its own history of such abuse. Colleges and universities, once the bastions of the aspirational promises of the American dream, are mired in political protests and regarded by many as no longer worth the money. And you can’t even count on the participants in the Little League World Series being the correct age to participate in the event.
What’s next? Well, according to the New York Post, the fourth place finisher in this year’s annual Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest held on July 4th at Coney Island, Nick Wehry, husband of women’s division champion Miki Sudo, is being accused of using sleight of hand trickery during the contest in order to inflate his tally of eaten hot dogs.
This year’s event had already been controversial after the Babe Ruth of competitive eating, 16 time winner Joey Chestnut, was banned from the contest after he endorsed a Nathan’s rival, Impossible Foods, which makes (gasp!) plant-based wieners. Chestnut’s plight is reminiscent of the drama surrounding the 2010 withdrawal of Kobayashi, six-time champion and former world record holder, supposedly over a contract dispute in which he claimed that Nathan’s insisted he sign an exclusive deal with Major League Eating, the official sponsor of the contest, to endorse Nathan’s dogs.
Meanwhile, this year’s contest went on, with the winner Patrick Berteletti gouging on 58 dogs in the 10 minute time limit. Sudo devoured 51 to take the women’s division. Berteletti’s feat hardly matched up to Chestnut’s best as the erstwhile champ consumed 75 red hots in copping the 2020 Nathan’s contest. Chestnut later beat that record by chomping down 76 the following year.
Chestnut does not intend to go quietly and he has agreed to partner with Kobayashi in his return from competitive eating oblivion. On Labor Day, September 2, Netflix will stream live the renewal of their 15 year rivalry: Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef before a military audience in Texas. Not exactly the Thrilla in Manila between Ali and Frazier but it is the best we can do in this age of slob art TV.
Can competitive eating restore its reputation? Not without its superstars. But just maybe the country needs to maintain faith in at least one of its once revered institutions. After all, what’s more American than gouging on junk food on a national holiday? Not to mention that, unlike business and politics, there is no room for cheating to get ahead. The numbers speak for themselves.
