He complained of a sore/dislocated(?) jaw just days before the contest last year - never know how much truth there was in that tho. Can't remember re: the mother thing.
Quote:
The once-undisputed champ of Coney Island’s annual hot dog-eating contest is preparing to reclaim his crown Friday.
Takero Kobayashi is back for the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest. The Japanese lightweight saw his six-year winning streak come to an end last year, when California's Joey Chestnut set a record by chewing through 66 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes.
Kobayashi managed just a meager 63 dogs, but was suffering from a jaw injury.
Looking to reclaim his mustard belt, Kobayashi said in a Wednesday interview in Central Park that he's at the top of his game and that no one downs the dogs any better.
"Strategy, I don't know, I don't know. But all I have to do is try my best," said Kobayashi through a translator.
The hot dog drama reaches its boiling point on Friday at the original Nathan's Famous hot dog stand, at Surf and Stillwell Avenues on Coney Island.
Kobayashi, Chestnut and 19 other competitors are expected to participate.
The dog-eat-dog battle has been held every Fourth of July since 1916.
|
This is tricky to weigh up as it all depends on Kobayashi, and there's no results to hint at his form.
And we also got to consider that Chestnut has drastically improved year on year since 2005 ish - there's nothing to suggest that even if Kobayashi can raise his level, Joey won't go even higher again...
The odds are a little strange - I was expecting Chestnut to be pretty short after last year, in which case i'd have been quite willing to take a chance on Kobayashi.
As it is, it's a measly evensish on Kobayashi being able to improve again(and given the lack of stats or soundbites, thats just a shot in the dark at the moment,) and hoping that Chestnut isnt any better.
The more I think about it, Chestnut's odds look the better to me.