Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2020: Joey Chestnut Sets Record with 75 Hot Dogs
Jul 4, 2020
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut poses for a photograph before the Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest, Friday, July 3, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The weigh-in was held in a private, socially-distanced ceremony in the Williamsburg neighborhood due to COVID-19 concerns. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Joey Chestnut won the 2020 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Saturday by eating a world-record 75 hot dogs to capture the famed mustard-yellow belt for a 13th time.
Chestnut has won the annual Independence Day showcase on five straight occasions and has only lost once since 2007. Matt Stonie, who was among the contenders who couldn't attend this year's event because of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, pulled off the upset in 2015.
🌭 13-TIME CHAMPION 🌭@joeyjaws breaks his own world record by eating 75 hot dogs and wins his 13th title in 14 years 💪 pic.twitter.com/8euwBbK7qm
Miki Sudo crushed the women's competition with a record-setting 48.5 hot dogs and buns (HDB) for her seventh consecutive pink belt. Sonya Thomas, a three-time champion, held the previous mark of 45.
🌭 SEVEN STRAIGHT TITLES 🌭
Miki Sudo dominated the field, setting a women's record by eating 48.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dDdAnTJyla
This year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest looked far different than the normal Fourth of July spectacle at the corner of Surf and Stillwell on Coney Island in New York City.
The event was moved inside to an undisclosed location in NYC with no fans in attendance. The field, which typically features 15 men and 15 women, was reduced to five on each side to allow for social-distancing requirements between each eating position.
Chestnut's main competition, Stonie and Geoffrey Esper, weren't able to attend, which quickly turned the focus from any serious challenges to whether he could break the single-contest record of 74 hot dogs.
Pure dominance.
75 HOT DOGS AND BUNS for Joey Chestnut, a new world record and 33 more than his closest competitor this year.
It's his 13th career Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest title, most all-time. pic.twitter.com/u1eBMYojlV
He came flying out of the gates, maintaining an average of over 10 HDB for several minutes, but the record-setting moment came right down to the final seconds as he slowed over time.
In June, the 36-year-oldtop-rankedeater in the world toldTMZ Sportsthe controlled conditions of an indoor competition as opposed to the sweltering heat of a New York City summer day would give him a golden chance to break his record.
"There's a little bit of a bonus 'cause we're gonna be eating in air conditioning and [there are] less eaters, so they're making less hot dogs, so they might taste better," Chestnut said. "There's a good chance that we might have better conditions for a world record, and I'ma be pushing for it."
Most championships/titles in a single event: 1. Joey Chestnut: 13 (Nathan’s Famous) 2. Rafael Nadal: 12 (French Open) T3. Margaret Court: 11 (Australian Open) T-3. Bill Russell: 11 (NBA title) T-3. Henri Richard: 11 (Stanley Cup)
His 13 titles are more than double the next highest total on the men's side (Takeru Kobayashi, six). He also surpassed 1,000 career hot dogs during the win.
Meanwhile, Sudo also faced off with a field short on high-end competition because of COVID-19.
She thrived in the air-conditioned environment, easily topping her previous Nathan's best of 41 HDB. No other women's eater topped 20.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2020: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Replay Info
Jul 4, 2020
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut holds his championship belt during a weigh-in before the Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest, Friday, July 3, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The weigh-in was held in a private, socially-distanced ceremony in the Williamsburg neighborhood due to COVID-19 concerns. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
You may not be traveling to go swimming or see fireworks this weekend, but one thing is universal to July 4, even in the midst of a pandemic: hot dogs.
Whether you're having a few hot dogs yourself at home or tuning in to watch competitive eaters gobble up a few dozen in the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, hot dogs should be top of mind Saturday.
Even this yearly tradition isn't untouched by the COVID-19 pandemic; for the first time, the contest will be held indoors without any spectators, in Brooklyn, New York, rather than Coney Island.
And given how many people may be staying home this weekend in lieu of their normal holiday weekend travel plans, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest may see a corresponding bump in ratings. In 2019, the ESPN broadcast brought in nearly two million viewers, according to NathansFamous.com.
All the information you need to tune in to watch reigning champion Joey Chestnut and his challengers slide cased meats down their gullets is below, as well as a preview of this year's contestants, records at stake and fun facts about the contest's history.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2020 TV Schedule, Live-Stream Info
Date: Saturday, July 4
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Time: Noon ET
TV channel: ESPN
Live stream: ESPN
Replay: Throughout the day July 4 on ESPN
Chestnut enters this year's contest eyeing his 13th Mustard Yellow Belt and his fourth-straight victory. But five other competitors will attempt to thwart him. Still, Chestnut is far and away the favorite in the men's field, with -1,250 odds (bet $100 to win $8) compared to +650 (bet $100 to win $650) for the rest of the field, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
On the women's side, Miki Sudo looks for her seventh straight career title and perhaps to best her personal record, which is 41.
Brooklyn has been good to Chestnut; it's where the contest was held two years ago when he set his world record of 74. But he told TMZ Sports he's looking to break that record this year.
"I'm breaking the record this 4th of July! This is gonna be a weird 4th of July, but I'ma make it memorable. My record 74, 75 just sounds like a good number but we'll see," Chestnut told TMZ. "If I'm feeling it, if I'm in the perfect rhythm, 77 is doable."
Chestnut noted that it's easier to eat more dogs in the air conditioning (naturally; meat sweats), which is why the conditions were favorable for his record-setting feat two years ago and why he thinks he could reach 77 this year.
He also suggested that given the smaller field—this year's contest was cut down from 15 competitors to just five in both the men's and women's divisions—the hot dogs may be tastier, with fewer for event organizers to prepare overall.
According to Nathan's website, consuming 74 hot dogs packs on about 12,000 calories in a matter of minutes.
This year marks the 104th iteration of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, and ESPN's Mike Golic Jr. will do play-by-play of the competition.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2020: Men's, Women's All-Time Results, Records
Jul 3, 2020
Joey Chestnut stuffs his mouth with hot dogs during the men's competition of Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest, Thursday, July 4, 2019, in New York's Coney Island. (AP Photo/Sarah Stier)
This Fourth of July is set to look very different than in years past because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected festivities, caused closures and will force most Americans to celebrate at home.
However, one infamous staple is still set to go ahead: Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Americans all over the country will still be able to watch men and women shove hot dogs down their throats. And while this year's contest won't have fans flocking to Coney Island, New York, to watch the festivities in person, the competition will still take place in an "undisclosed" location, according to CBS New York.
"All the eaters will be spaced out six feet, and on either side will be plexiglass to prevent any sort of extra spray," George Shea, the event's emcee and co-founder of Major League Eating, said.
So who will hoist the mustard belt in 2020?
Here's a look back at all the past winners—including the number of hot dogs they ate—and a quick preview of this year's event.
No surprise here! The man to beat in 2020—as he has been in 12 of the past 13 events—is Joey Chestnut.
The 12-time champion is looking for his fifth straight win. The only person to defeat Chestnut since 2007 is Matt Stonie, who ate 62 hot dogs in 2015.
Since then, Chestnut broke his own world record by devouring 74 hot dogs in 2018. Can he break the record once again?
He seems to think he can.
"There's a little bit of a bonus 'cause we're gonna be eating in air conditioning and there are less eaters, so they're making less hot dogs so they might taste better," Chestnut told TMZ (h/t Chris Bengel of CBS Sports). "There's a good chance that we might have better conditions for a world record, and I'ma be pushing for it."
Is @joeyjaws always shooting for records during the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?
The Kentucky native has topped 70 hot dogs in the past four years. And with the unique circumstances under which this year's competition is being held, he may just be able to set another record.
Because of its inaugural contest only taking place in 2011 (the men's event began in 1972), the women's division has only two winners in its history: Sonya Thomas and Miki Sudo.
Sudo will be attempting to win her seventh straight mustard belt and top Thomas's record of 45 hot dogs Saturday. Sudo ate the fewest hot dogs needed to win to date in 2019 (31) after breaking 40 in 2017.
Will she be able to reign supreme as the new women's record-holder, or will she fall short of 45 hot dogs? And will Joey Chestnut bulldoze his own record to notch his 13th victory?
Joey Chestnut: World-Record 77 Hot Dogs Is 'Doable' in Hot Dog Eating Contest
Jun 22, 2020
Eleven-time and defending men's champion Joey Chestnut participates in Nathan's Famous international Fourth of July hot dog eating contest weigh-in at the Empire State Building on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Joey Chestnut will go for his 13th win in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, and the Major League Eating superstar is also thinking about breaking his own world record in the process.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Chestnut believes that eating 77 hots dogs during the 10-minute contest is "doable" (starting at 3:00 mark):
Chestnut set the world record with 74 hot dogs eaten during the 2018 event. He won the contest last year, but his total of 71 marked his lowest total in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest since 2016.
Circumstances around the contest have changed because of the coronavirus pandemic. No fans will be allowed to attend the event, which has been moved from its usual spot at the corner of Surf and Stillwell to a private location on Coney Island.
There would normally be 15 contestants eating together, but only five will be allowed to compete at a time. Competitors will still have their normal 10-minute time limit to eat as many hot dogs as they can.
Chestnut has won the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in each of the past four years and 12 times since 2007. He's eaten at least 70 hot dogs every year since 2016, so 77 seems to be within his reach.
Report: Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest to Be Held Without Fans Amid COVID-19
Jun 16, 2020
A tray of hot dogs sit on a table waiting to be devoured before the 2019 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest on Coney Island on July 4, 2019 in New York. (Photo by Don Emmert / AFP) (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)
The 2020 Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest will take place behind closed doors this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Wall Street Journal's Charles Passy.
TMZ Sports also reported the event's participants will be tested for the coronavirus and those working the event will wear masks and gloves.
The Hot Dog Eating Contest is a July 4 tradition and usually takes place at the Nathan's restaurant on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island.
Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo are the reigning Mustard Belt holders in the men's and women's categories, respectively, heading into this year's installment. Chestnut's dominance is unparalleled, as he has reeled off 12 victories in 13 years. Sudo, meanwhile, has claimed the last six events.
TMZ noted thousands of fans descend upon Nathan's in Brooklyn to watch the Hot Dog Eating Contest. Staging a major public event next month isn't feasible given how the pandemic is unfolding.
In May, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomobegan relaxingsome of the guidelines and restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The number of positive casesstarted trending upward over the second half of May and into June. The state confirmed 620 new cases Sunday.
Video: Watch Joey Chestnut Eat World Record 32 Big Macs in 38 Minutes
Mar 5, 2020
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 04: Competitive eater Joey Chestnut competes in the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island on July 4, 2012 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Chestnut won the men's division by successfully tying his own world record by eating 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut has set a new world record by eating 32 McDonald's Big Macs in just 38 minutes.
The eating legend described it as "something he's always wanted to do" before having his world-record order delivered.
Chestnut then proceeded to smash the previous record of 30 Big Macs by munching and sweating his way through the 18,016 calories on offer.
The 36-year-old posted his record-breaking efforts on YouTube:
Of course Chestnut is no stranger to crushing records when it comes to eating
He chomped his way through 71 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win July 4 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest for the 12th time in 2019. It was a fine effort but could not quite match his best record from 2018 when he devoured 74 hot dogs.
Chestnut also powered through 413 Hooters chicken wings in 12 hours in July 2019, as well as setting a new world record two months later by polishing off 82 tacos in a mere eight minutes.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2019: Joey Chestnut's Final Stats, Prize Money
Jul 5, 2019
Nobody in the world eats hot dogs as efficiently as Joey Chestnut. And the competitive eating king was back atop his throne on Thursday.
Chestnut became a 12-time champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, an annual Fourth of July tradition, by devouring 71 hot dogs in 10 minutes. He may not have broken his world record of 74, set during the 2018 contest, but he ate at least 70 hot dogs for the fourth consecutive year.
The 35-year-old has accumulated those wins in a span of 15 years. The California native once again dominated the field this year, besting second-place finisher Darron Breeden, who ate 50 hot dogs, and third-place finisher Geoffrey Esper, who ate 47.
However, Chestnut was disappointed he didn't reach 75 hot dogs, but he believes that will happen in the future.
"I'm a little disappointed, but I got to win. I annihilated the competition," Chestnut said, according to the New York Post's Khristina Narizhnaya and Ruth Brown. "I'm not full, I have plenty of room. I practice and I love this. I just need to find a way to move a little bit faster. Find a way that will help me break the record."
Most people would have been very full. According to Darren Rovell of The Action Network, Chestnut's 71 hot dogs and buns contained 20,590 calories, 1,172 grams of fat, 2,130 milligrams of cholesterol and 781 grams of protein.
Chestnut took home $10,000 for coming in first place. The rest of the $40,000 overall purse was distributed among those who finished second, third, fourth and fifth.
There was also a $40,000 overall purse for the women's competition, which took place before Chestnut won the men's title. For the sixth straight year, the $10,000 first-place prize went to Miki Sudo, who ate 31 hot dogs, besting second-place finisher Michelle Lesco by four-and-a-half hot dogs.
However, Sudo was 10 short of her previous best of 41, which she achieved in 2017. And like Chestnut, Sudo expressed some disappointment after the showing.
"The heat just distracted me, but it's because of my great competitors who supported me along this journey that I was able to get this win," Sudo said, according to the Narizhnaya and Brown. "It was just really hot and I didn't do my training right."
Nonetheless, both Chestnut and Sudo had strong showings and continued their respective dominance on the competitive eating scene. And of course, there's always next year for both to try to shatter records.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2019: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Replay Info
Jul 4, 2019
Americans love eating hot dogs on the Fourth of July. They also enjoy watching competitive eaters shove 60-70 hot dogs into their mouths over a 10-minute period.
Much like baseball, barbecues and apple pie, the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has become an annual Fourth of July staple. And the Babe Ruth of this sport is 11-time champion Joey Chestnut.
The 35-year-old has dominated the competitive-eating scene for more than a decade, and every year, people tune in to watch the best in the sport take down his competition by guzzling hot dogs and setting records.
Each of the past two years, Chestnut has set a new world record for number of hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes. He ate 72 in 2017, then upped his total to 74 last year, when he won his 11th championship in 12 years and his third straight title.
As the Kentucky native prepares for another title quest, here's everything you need to know for this year's edition of the hot dog eating contest.
"It takes about two months to really know where I'm at, where I'm peaking, and my body's pretty much a hot dog-digesting machine," he said.
The winner on both the men's and women's side will each receive $10,000, while those who place second through fifth will also receive prize money.
The women's competition has also been dominated by one individual in recent years. Miki Sudo enters this year's contest looking for her sixth consecutive championship.
Last year, she ate 37 hot dogs to win the women's title. Her best showing came in 2017, when she ate 41.
The women's record at the contest is 45, set by Sonya Thomas in 2012. So, while Sudo has never reached that total in previous years, she's been close enough that it's possible she could set a new record this year.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2019: Men, Women's All-Time Results and Records
Jul 3, 2019
The Fourth of July is filled with numerous American traditions, such as backyard barbecues, fireworks and apple pies. Another is watching Joey Chestnut devour dozens of hot dogs.
Chestnut will again be taking part in this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Thursday, and he'll be looking to win the competition for the 12th time in 13 years. He has won in each of the last three years, including in 2018, when he ate a world-record 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
After eating 70 or more hot dogs each of the last three years, Chestnut will be looking to break his own record again.
Meanwhile, in the women's competition, Miki Sudo will be looking to win for the sixth straight year after eating 37 in 2018 and a personal-high 41 in 2017.
All eyes will be on Chestnut again this Fourth of July, as he's dominated the hot dog eating contest since his first victory in 2007. That ended the run of Takeru Kobayashi, who had won six in a row from 2001-06.
Kobayashi took the hot dog eating contest to a new level in 2001, when he ate 50 to win his first title. That was nearly twice as many as the previous year's winner, Kazutoyo Arai, who ate 25.125. No men's winner has eaten less than 44.5 hot dogs since Kobayashi's first win.
But Chestnut has been the man to beat over the last 13 years, and only one man has done so in the Fourth of July contest over that span—Matt Stonie, who ate 62 in 2015.
With Chestnut's total increasing each of the last three years, it wouldn't be surprising to see the 11-time champion set another new record this year. It doesn't appear that anything is slowing him down.
Meanwhile, the women's record of 45 hot dogs was set by Sonya Thomas in 2012. While Sudo has been impressive with five straight victories, her personal high was still four away from the record. But perhaps this will be the year when a new record is set on the women's side.
All Hail Molly Schuyler, the Dark Queen of Competitive Eating
Feb 1, 2019
Hang on, folks. I've just received word. Molly Schuyler has landed. She is on her way. I repeat, she is en route.
I'm coming to you live from the grounds of the Great Pumpkin Farm on a sparkling October Sunday in Clarence, New York, about 20 minutes outside of Buffalo. I'm bearing witness to the culmination of the farm's fall festival, but the culminating will be hard to come by without the undisputed reigning pumpkin pie-eating champion of the world.
A series of folding tables, draped in material that's more sheeting than cloth, stand end to end along a stage at the back wall of a building made of concrete and siding and not much else. Volunteers criss-cross the floor with walkie-talkies and stacks of paper plates.
Schuyler had a mix-up with her flights, they explain. She had to take the red-eye from her home in Sacramento. She's late, but they'll wait.
Finally she walks in, sunglasses on, phone in one hand and Starbucks in the other. The contest can now begin.
Competitive eaters are local celebrities in whatever location happens to host them. A small group gathers around the slender 5'7" Schuyler, whose bleach-blonde hair is tied back to reveal a shaved head beneath. Each ear contains 10 piercings, give or take. Her nose has only one or two.
"I have a cracked tooth," Schuyler tells the group.
She opens her mouth. "See? Iz hack zhere."
Fast-forward one hour and Schuyler stands onstage, smack in the middle of a righteous mess. The tooth didn't seem to present much of an obstacle. Having traded a cardigan for a bright orange T-shirt, she is flanked on either side by a ponderous assortment of dudes. Together they peer out through a trashscape of water bottles, pie in various states of decay, crumpled napkins and many, many paper plates.
The plates are the unquestioned lords of the trash. Each held one slice of pie. Whoever has the most plates in front of them after 10 minutes wins $1,000. An emcee counts through the stacks, starting with the Joes and moving to the pros. When he reaches Schuyler, the number to beat is 34.
The crowd counts along. They blow past 20. People whoop as they approach and pass 30, a mark only three other competitors reached. A full cheer erupts as 34 comes and goes. The tally finally stops at 44. That's five-and-a-half pies in 10 minutes. And still champion.
For those in the know, it was a foregone conclusion.
"Usually what you would think of in the competitive eating world is some big huge guy wolfing down food," Schuyler says. "[With me] you have a more petite girl in the contest who can eat 10 times more."
Afterward, Schuyler has more energy than her 38 years and recent achievement might suggest. She frequently flashes her trademark grin, a massive, toothy affair full of mischief, excitement and a hint of a snarl.
Forget that July 4 hot dog-eating contest on TV, and forget that Joey Chestnut guy who always wins it. Schuyler is no simple feel-good story. She is largely unknown to the wider world. But this mother of four and former Applebee's waitress is the dark queen of competitive eating.
She Doesn't Chew
Growing up in Minnesota, Schuyler (pronounced SKY-ler) routinely outdueled her brothers at the buffet. But it ended there, owing to its rather limited range of practical applications.
In college, she double-majored in sales/marketing and business management, but soon after, as she puts it, she "got married and had too many kids." Her husband, who is in the Air Force, became the breadwinner as Schuyler stayed home to raise the family.
Still, they needed extra cash. Applebee's had flexible scheduling. She took the job but, uh, didn't like it much.
"People are cheap," she says, "and they don't tip."
She entered her first eating contest on a lark. The food: bacon. She won the contest. She won free bacon. She was tickled to death. And that was before she learned you could win money, too.
"A couple minutes every once in a while, and I could make more money than a couple shifts at this other job? What's the point of working hard? I might as well work smart," she says.
A few years later, she holds world records for pizza, hamburgers, hot chicken, fried mushrooms, bratwurst, and pumpkin pie, among other things. Videos of her feats have gone viral, including one where she takes down a 72-ounce steak in three furious minutes, then absently munches fries as she waits for her time.
Her top achievement is likely the record she set last year by downing an astounding 501 chicken wings in 30 minutes during last year's annual Wing Bowl in Philadelphia. Sadly, Wing Bowl organizers recently pulled the plug after 26 years, removing one of competitive eating's richest prizes ($5,000 and a car) and the event many eaters considered even more prestigious than the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Schuyler is one of only a few full-time competitive eaters. Schuyler says she earns "enough to survive," with some contests even covering her travel. She is someone people will literally pay to see.
"She's just incredibly fast," says Brandon "Da Garbage Disposal" Clark, also a professional eater. "There's no words to describe it. I look over and it's like Houdini. It's amazing how fast it disappears."
How does she do it? She follows a normal diet outside the 15 or 20 competitions she does each year but maintains stomach capacity by training with water. In one session, she can put down upwards of three gallons.
But she has another, not-so-secret weapon that's even harder to emulate: She doesn't chew.
"I've been doing that since I was a little kid. I never chewed," she says. "My mom and dad used to yell at me about that. … I go straight in and swallow it whole."
It makes her so much faster than the men that she almost styles on them during contests, pausing to wipe her mouth or crack a joke or comment on the food ("Hot!").
Plenty of people see her as the top challenger to King Hot Dog himself. She and Chestnut are friendly and talk regularly; Schuyler says people ask her "all the time" about a head-to-head battle.
To be clear, no one disputes that Chestnut is amazing. In last year's July 4 contest, he put away 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Still, there would be no clear-cut favorite between them. Everyone else is arguably vying for third place. Schuyler won't make any proclamations herself; others will.
"I think overall she's more accomplished [than Chestnut]," says Dan "Killer" Kennedy, a competitive eater and friend of Schuyler's. "She can do a higher volume; way more experienced. I'd love to see it head-to-head. I'd take Molly in every food but hot dogs. Hot dogs are his specialty. But with practice, I bet she could battle him pretty good."
So why don't they get it done? There's a big obstacle. Major League Eating, a promotion that helps oversee the contest, is a colossus in the sport. To take part in the hot dog contest, eaters must sign a contract with the company, a contract some suggest can be restrictive. Major League Eating competitors cannot participate in events outside that circuit. So when you flip on the hot dog contest, you're not seeing the best competitive eaters in the world, full stop. You're seeing the best competitive eaters who have signed with Major League Eating.
"It's a great contract," Schuyler says. "[But] I couldn't go do certain contests because I'll get in trouble. I have small people that I need to take care of. I need to make money."
Major League Eating did not respond to a request either for comment or an interview with Chestnut.
Woman vs. Man vs. Dog
The paper plates are just paper plates again. Volunteers rake them into garbage bags along with the rest of the aftermath. Trophy hoisted and interviews complete, Schuyler and a few buddies, all of whom just competed in the contest, huddle up. There's Kennedy, goateed with a backward camo cap, who owns a body shop in Pennsylvania. And there's Clark, Da Garbage Disposal, a thickly built and thickly bearded gardener from Illinois. And there's a newcomer to the circuit, Joel Hansen, an affable Canadian fitness model.
You read that correctly.
"Competitive eating gets a bad rap," he says, spreading out his arms. "Look at me. I stay lean."
I'm not sure what's coming next, but I have a feeling it's something. Sure enough, Schuyler turns toward me.
"I'm gonna go back to the hotel and take a nap," she says. "Then you wanna meet us for a food challenge?"
Pardon?
A food challenge is a close cousin of the eating contest; think "finish it and it's free." Before we break for the afternoon, I have to ask. It's a touch indelicate, but I wouldn't be doing my job as a hardcore news journalist if I didn't ask. Pumpkin pie plus a food challenge...well, it's a lot. Do competitive eaters ever do any, you know, refunding?
Schuyler raises her eyebrows, then shrugs.
"I can't speak for other people, but just because you ate four pounds of food doesn't mean it's going to go out," she says. "Hey, I can't speak for other people. I don't do it."
There you have it.
A few hours later, I'm first to arrive at Mooney's, an unsuspecting pub in Depew, New York, that's soon to be shaken from its Sunday night reverie. I tip off the bartender on what's coming. She's younger, says she's fairly new in the job. She's not entirely sure how to process what I've told her.
"Hold on," she says. "I need to check the rules. … I've never seen anyone do it before! … I don't know if we have any T-shirts. … Do they know that if they don't finish, it's $26?"
Not long after, in they sweep: Clark, Hansen, Kennedy and Schuyler, Depew's newest local celebrities. They proceed through the bar and into the rear dining room. They push tables together and set up video cameras for their respective channels on YouTube, which is the lifeblood of the sport. People turn their chairs. A server, who seems to be the veteran of the bunch, steps forward.
"Can we do the challenge?" one of the eaters asks.
"You can't all do it together."
"Oh, that's cool. We all want our own."
They probably don't even have their wallets on them.
The Mooney's Moses Challenge involves a sub roughly the size of your average carry-on bag. The thing weighs six pounds. If you finish in 45 minutes, it's free and you get a T-shirt, subject to availability.
According to the menu, the record is nine-and-a-half minutes, held by a 240-pound English mastiff.
The sandwiches arrive, and they're terrifying. Steak knives hold them together instead of toothpicks. Adding insult to injury, there are fries, too. The eaters get their waters and Diet Cokes and offer opening remarks to their cameras.
Someone says "go," and they tear in. Kennedy's cheeks are puffed like a squirrel's. Da Garbage Disposal has his head down, face inches from the plate. Hansen's laying back a bit but still working. Schuyler is like Saturn devouring his son, eating by the fistful.
A bathroom break would have meant missing it. Schuyler takes care of the last handful and calls for time. She finishes in 4:15, cutting the record in half and then some. So to recap, that's a six-pound sub with fries and 44 slices of pumpkin pie in the span of 12 hours and fewer than 15 total minutes of action.
A few seconds later, Da Garbage Disposal finishes at 4:32, and Kennedy not long after. Then, finally, they relax, wrapping their vids and checking their phones. Schuyler grabs them all some napkins. They tease the unfailingly cheery Hansen for eating his sub in a way that reminds them of a normal person.
At one point, Da Garbage Disposal raises his head, a bit of coleslaw still in his beard.
"We beat the hell out of that dog."
The group gets a little more expansive, pun intended. They want to talk about competitive eating. They understand why some people don't like it but can't hide a desire for wider acceptance.
Yes, they concede, competitive eating gets pretty gross. It is gluttonous. It can be wasteful. Is it something a doctor would endorse? No, it is not. But as undeniable as those things may be, equally undeniable, they say, is the fact that high-level competitive eaters are doing something amazing. And it can be done relatively responsibly.
"Competitive eating is like football or basketball, and you might think it's not, but it really is," Schuyler says. "You're pushing your body to the point where it hurts, and you're trying to build something greater than what you had before. And there's endurance, and it's hard. It's work. It's not easy."
In a country that pays considerable lip service to individualism, Schuyler is about as individual as it gets, even, or maybe especially, if certain segments can't help but grimace in disgust at the very thought of it all.
The bartender pops in for an update; someone fills her in. She looks at Schuyler, who gives her a grin. The bartender is silent for a moment.
"Dude," she says. "I'm proud of you."
Scott Harris is a feature writer for CNN.com and Bleacher Report.
