Interview Alert

I will be on BBC Radio 2 this Friday October 17th at 1:45 Eastern Time. This is their evening drive home radio show and their SportsCaster wants to hear about my setting of the Haggis Record and about Competive Eating in General. Said it should be about 5 minutes.

You can listen over the internets here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/

I've filled in the details on Wing Kongs Bean record post and now I need to fill the Haggis post with photos and details. So much to do!

Haggis World Record 3lbs in 8 minutes - Steakbellie

Wikipedia's Entry for Haggis

Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish.

There are many recipes, most of which have in common the following ingredients: sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours.

If you look further down in the wiki, you'll see that I own the record for eating the stuff. (thanks Mathis!!)

Doesnt sound all that appetizing though when you put it like that. If you think about it, it isnt that much different than Hot Dogs, Sausage or Scrapple, except it is Sheep based and not Pig based, and despite tasting ok it smells god-aweful.

Haggis is often contested accross the globe at Fairs and Festivals but because of how difficult the food is to eat, it is never more than a pound. My goal was to triple the most Haggis ever eaten and to do it in a conventional 8 minute format.

Coordinating approval from the International Federation of Competitive Eaters and the Preston and Steve Show at WMMR took over a month. The IFOCE requires an EMT be present at all contests, and the legal team at WMMR was relieved to hear it.

Finding Haggis in Pennsylvania was extremely hard and I scoured the internet and specialty meat markets in Philadelphia. Eventually my brother was able to provide a source in New Jersey.(thanks Joe!) I bought 6lbs of frozen Haggis over the phone that my Dad Fed-Ex'd to me still frozen. (thanks Dad!)

My stomach capicity is over 6lbs of food, but I knew that the high fat content (like eating cold sticks of butter)would make this food very difficult to get and keep down. Because the actual Haggis was so expensive to buy and ship, I used Scrapple to test my capacity. 3lbs would be very hard to hit.

Wow!
A very tough morning for me but I pulled it off! There is a ton of video and pictures and I will add all of that to this post as it comes in. It was the first time I ever got nauseous in an eating contest, but I powered through it and feel great now.

Funny: My pee is bright yellow like I took vitamins!!!!

Baked Bean World Record 84oz in 58 seconds - Wing Kong

He ate TWO of these suckers!
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

This was just amazing. There was a ton of photos and video verifying the weighing and then the eating.

The Pork & Bean Record stood for 4 years. It's a very odd quantity because it was originally sponsored by 84 Lumber. They had the Eaters eat 84oz of Pork and Beans (around 5.2lbs!) and the first person to finish the bowl won the contest. Thats different than most contests today that have a standard time of 8 minutes and the Eaters eat as much as they can in that time. Some great names of Competitive Eating took part in this contest and the best time ever recorded was a minute and 22 seconds.

Now everybody loves them some beans, so it's a highly respected food in this country. Think of the amazing power they have over your gastric processes and yet you continue to come back for more! If Potato Chips made you fart like a dragon, you probably wouldnt eat them as often as you do baked beans.

I think what makes this stunt so difficult is:
1. You have to be able to hold 5+ lbs of food
2. You have to also be able to swallow without chewing
3. You have to have a wife that will put up with your stupid ass when you do some crazy shit like eat 5lbs of Pork and Beans.

Wing Kong Crushing the Pork & Bean Record!
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

While some eaters have one or two of these traits, Wing Kong has a fine balance of all three. He first discovered his ability a few years ago when he ate a few lbs of them to get into Wing Bowl. I think back then he realized he actually had a chance to break the record.

A few months ago Wing Kong contacted the Preston & Steve show on a whim to see if they would go for him breaking the stunt on the air. The guys at the radio station could sense the potential for collossal failure and good radio and signed him up.

Because we are contracted by the IFOCE, Kong had to get special permission to do the stunt on the air. The biggest concern is safety and we had to hire an EMT to be present while Micah ate the beans. Choking to Death while eating Beans is comical and good for radio, but bad for breaking a world record.

Empty Pork & Bean Bowl
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

The folks at the Preston & Steve were very accomodating and helpful. They were truly fascinated that a person could actually eat that much food at once and were rooting for him. They actually run the most organized and professional studio I've been in.

Having seen Wing Kong do the stunt several times in the months prior, I knew that everything hinged on his swallowing rythem. He would need to get the bulk of the beans down in the first 20 seconds and be careful not to swallow too much air in the process. An airbubble in the stomach would cause a burp that could interupt his attempt.

Not only did he break the record, but he crushed it finishing the whole amount in only 58 Seconds!!!

WMMR.com has a podcast posted of the entire show.
http://www.wmmr.com/goout.php?url=http://prestonandsteve.libsyn.com/
you want the podcast of 10/08/08

There is also a YouTube Video of his stunt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=halXwKY_NKA
It's worth seeing.

How I will get a World Record

haggis
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

This Wednesday morning I will be on the radio in an attempt to set the Haggis 8 Minute World Record. As you may know Haggis is a traditional Scottish Meal made up of the innards of a sheep ground and mixed with some oatmeal. It is extremely Rich and fatty and is not unlike Scrapple except that it smell is more like death. Tastes ok though.

Because the food is so rich and satiating, there are NO RECORDS that exceed 1lbs. I have found several contests that are contested annually (including in Scotland, Western PA and California) but they all feature a single 1lbs of Haggis and the winner is the one who can finish it the fastest.

The fastest result is 1:30, and I fully anticipate to eat my first lbs in under 1 minute. The remaining 7 minutes is where all the trouble starts and I will be struggling to break 3lbs and in my fantasy world eat 4lbs. My capacity is more than double that weight, but this is more about intestinal fortitude on my part, being able to keep eating when all of my senses are opposed.

I can pretty much garuntee that the rest of the day wont be much fun.

Wing Kong and His Ride
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

Also attempting to break a World Record will be the great Wing Kong. He will be attempting to break Dale Boones long standing Pork & Beans Record of 84oz in 1:52. I've seen him practice this stunt and it is just so incredibly amazing! It may be one of my favorite stunts of all time, the bowl is as big as a steering wheel. I'm certain I could never come close to that speed in this disclipline.

Eating against the clock is much harder than eating against a rival, so we will both have to be on our game to create a record that will last. This will be a first record for each of us.

This whole thing has come full circle for me as eating Haggis was my very first stunt that I did to get into WingBowl 14, 3 years ago. I forget if it was 1.5 or 2lbs I ate that day but I know that I kept getting phantom wiffs of it for months afterwards. The smell kinda haunted me.

Whats also funny is that this simple moment on the radio may be how I am remembered anecdotaly for years to come. I have spent a whole life, loving and working and someday the only thing my great-grandchildren will know about me is that I once ate more sheep guts than anyone else. Ever. What do you know about YOUR great-grandparents?

The radio station we will be on is WMMR out of Philadelphia. We will be on Wednesday October 8th, 2008 sometime after 8am EST.

They will offer Podcasts and Videos of the show here and you might be able to listen live.

http://wmmr.com/jock_preston_and_steve.shtml

Year Three

Another Fourth of July and another year watching the Nathans Hot Dog Eating Finals from the couch. It's a habit that I have been trying to break, but another one has gone by with me staring at ESPN.

The fight between Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut was stunning. The rivalry between them should pay off hugely for them personally in the coming years. They have already been hired to face off against each other in Singapore in a few weeks. Thats exciting!

I had some generous offers from friends to attend the Coney Island event and after-parties, but I had to decline them. Mostly I just think it would be too painful to be there and not be participating. I'd be too jealous and moody, even around these sweet people. My feeling is that it's only for Champions to enjoy, and if I was a Champion I'd have a trophy on my mantel. I dont.

I figure if I'm going to blow a whole weekend it has to be really worth-while to miss all that time with my wife and kids. It wouldnt have been worth it because I'd just be jealous. I made the right choice and had a restful few days with my family.

It's easy to say 'next year' for making it to Coney but honestly thats pretty far away and I can only count on the Competition to get more difficult. In fact the new Rankings are likely to come out in the next few weeks and despite my slow and steady improvement year after year, so many new stomachs have blasted onto the scene it will be hard for me to maintain my ranking of 18. I'll keep trying, and can only hope to outlast them burning out.

The next big contest for me is probably the Krystal Burger Championship. It's the most wonderfully run contest and my favorite. I've eaten 31 Krystal Burgers in 8 minutes and this year I'm going to try to eat 40. All of the Qualifiers are held down South, so hopefully I'll be able to get enough money and time to attend one, once they are announced. I'd really like to attend the Atlanta one so I have a chance to meet up with my old friend, DW.

The last time he saw me I wasnt a Competitve Eater, so this must be kinda weird for him. I know it's been weird for me.

Long Road to Home (Bucket List)

Badlands Booker vs Steakbellie
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

I've tried to write this article 4 times, and cant seem to put it together. I'm going to try to just stick to the facts.

To Go to the Nathans Finals (4th of July in Coney Island on ESPN) you must WIN a Qualifier.

An Eater may sign up for up to 3 Qualifiers.

I have been trying to Qualify for three years.

I have also been trying to Eat 20 Hot Dogs and buns for 3 years.

I did not Qualify or eat 20 in the first 2 Qualifiers this year. I was getting desperate and decided that I had put too much pressure on myself.

So the night before my final chance, I allowed myself to eat dinner and drink a shitfull of beer. I didnt do any of the little tricks I've developed before and during a contest. I just lived my life and showed up on time.

Hungover, on a series of tables setup on the back of a flatbed truck, I competed in over 100 degree heat (at least on the back of the truck it was).

Rich Shea
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

Richard Shea was the Announcer for the contest. He's pretty much awesome. He honored me with some Social Distortion to my entrance. At the Pittsburgh Qualifier he played 'The Mountain Song' from Jane's Addiction. (What he couldnt know is that I sang that song outloud in TERROR while making a decent of the Rocky Mountains in Jackson Hole Wyoming on a bicycle. I was going 47.5 MPH and scared shitless. I always smile now when I hear it)

Camden was recently awarded the title of most dangerous city in the United States.

I did not qualify for the finals but I ate 20.75 Hotdogs and buns in 10 minutes and came in 3rd. At the end of the contest when everyone else was leaning over in discomfort, I was the only person with my hands in the air. I felt great. I felt like I won. I still feel like I won. Maybe I did Win????

Some of the Nathans Camden Competitors
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

This took a long freaking time and alot of writing and alot of beating myself up and I'm proud my family and freinds were there to see it. I look forward to NOT having to eat 50 Hotdogs a week. Believe me.

gripping sand (American Sonnet)

they are leaving
one by one

with all my desperation
holding myself
and rocking back and forth
i cant think of words
or actions
that can stop them
from growing up
and away

do they know
that I am a fragmented core
of fraud
and fear

Three Hundred Miles of What Went Wrong

A Short Play

A bearded man wearing a kilt is in a convenience store in Pittsburgh. In his shopping cart is five yellow paper plates with five cooked hot dogs and buns on each. The cashier is a very attractive girl and is watching him place each plate on the checkout belt.

Cashier: "Wow, thats a lot of Hot Dogs, are those all for you?"
Man: (Confidently) "Yeah, I figure this should be enough, it's hard to satisfy me ya know"
Cashier: (Impressed) "Are you from around here, I think I'd remember you"
Man: (still placing plates on the belt) "I'm actually from Philadelphia. I travel around alot. I'm a pretty big deal deal."
Cashier: "What's that you're wearing?"
Man: "This old thing? It's my Kilt. I'm half Scottish"
Cashier: (Smiling) "Wow..."
Man: I'm also Hungarian, but I like to tell people I'm only hungry on the inside"
(They both laugh out loud)

Cashier:" Thats $25 for all those hot dogs"

Man fumbles through his Sporan. Finds a bill but is still looking for more money. More people get in line. The Cashiers smile becomes stressed.

Man: (Embarrassed) "Gosh, I dont know what happened, I must have left the rest of my money at home, I have a Twenty Dollar Bill though, I'll just get twenty hot dogs this time, Twenty is still alot of hot dogs.

Cashier: (slightly annoyed) "Yeah, thats alot"

Man hands the Cashier the Twenty and starts to put away his wallet.
Cashier: "Ummmm..."
Man: "What?"
Cashier: "This is a Canadian Twenty."
Man: (flabberghasted) "Huh?, I uh..."
(Next person in Line Sighs Audibly)
Cashier: "You can only get Seventeen Hot Dogs with this"
Man: (Completely red, wanting to just leave) "I guess I'll just bag these up myself"
Cashier: "Nice Dress"
Man: "Right"

Juliet Lee Spanks Steakbellie in Hotdogs
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

Yesterday, I drove out to Pittsburgh to Compete in the Nathans Qualifier held out there with Wing Kong and US Male. Typically we eat at the Philadelphia Qualifier on Memorial Day, but tried to be clever and go to a city that we had a chance of winning.

I brought EVERYTHING I had and it just wasnt enough. This year for the first time I have been eating into the Twenties with every practice run. I typically do even better in a contest than in practice, but it just wasnt the case. On the ride home we discussed what happened. Everybody's totals were down. There was some differences in the Hot dog style and preparation that may be the reason. We fretted.

What we did agree on that whatever it was, the winner, Juliet Lee wasn't affected by it. She was prepared for anything and found a way to get those cold rubbery dogs down. She's the Champion of the Iron City because she was able to overcome the unexpected. I have alot of respect for that.

Rich Shea was the announcer and was pretty awesome.

Juliet Lee 29 Hot Dogs and Buns in 10 Minutes (11 competitors out of the 16 that signed up)
Jim Reeves 19.75
Wing Kong 19
Steakbellie 17
Big Brian 17
US Male 13
Mike Landrich 12
Disco Iskoe 7

On Eating

In Defense of Food
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

* I control 10 meals a week. Monday - Friday, Breakfast and Lunch are completely up to me. For the last 2 months I've eaten nothing but vegetables during these meals. I'm not against Meat, I'm against all the refined crap that is in my diet. I'm convinced it's poison.

For those 10 meals I dont eat anything with transfats, modified corn syrup, white flour, sugars, preservatives, or chemicals. I dont eats anything that has more than 5 ingredients. It helps alot that I have a Trader Joe's a few blocks away. On Mondays I buy a big of groceries and put it in the fridge. It's mostly raw vegetables and not much fruit. TJ's has alot of prepared Middle Eatern salads that fit my requirements. I DONT count calories and allow myself to eat as much as I want.

I guess my thinking is that if I add a significant amount more vegetables to my diet, it will balance out the other meals that arent so good. I'm a sucker for pizza. The good thing is that I havent had any problem sticking with it, although I feel kinda weird when people see me Microwaving a pile of potatos in the work lunchroom. Whole Food is a foreign concept in the Work Lunchrooms of America.

The good news is that I lost a few lbs and some pants size and it has stayed off despite my weekends. It takes some planning, but it very doable.

IFOCE
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

* The Iternational Federation of Competive Eaters just released their updated rankings. They typically update in the Fall (after the Krystal Burger Finals) and in the Early Summer (just after the Nathans Hot Dog Finals on July 4th). The IFOCE didnt do a fall update, and I assume this latest update is to reflect the eating [erformances of the end of last year.

I have been bumped up from 21st to 18th. I did well in Vegas and had a pretty good showing at Krystal Burgers eating 31. I also ate 6.5 lbs of Ramen Noodles in a contest sponsored by Nintendo in December. I dont think I mentioned that on this site. The FUNNY thing was that the contest was in the same building I used to work in Manhattan. 10 Rockefeller Plaza. I loved that place but never imagined I'd make my triumphant return using a pair of chopsticks! (ChopSticks were required in the contest!)

There's alot of excitement for this years Nathans Contest. You may remember my attempts to do 'The Duece' (eating 20 Hot Dogs and Buns in 12 minutes)In the last 2 years I struggled and failed to meet that mark. I will be competiting at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Memorial day for the Philly Nathans Qualifier. While I dont anticipate winning that particular contest, I will finally put the Duece to bed on my home turf. I've signed up for some other Nathans qualifiers and if I get in, I may be able to win one of those.

Major League Eating (the other name for the IFOCE) doesnt have room anymore for a top 20 Eater that cant eat 20 Hotdogs. The issue is resolved in my head, now just has to be resolved in my stomach.

MLE-Wii Game
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

* Nintendo is releasing a Wii Game about Competitive Eating! It's crazy, but I didnt make this up. It will actually be DOWNLOADABLE to your Wii over the wireless connection in a few months. My guess it will be half the price of a regular game. The game features actual eaters from the circuit! I didnt make it onto the game, but I cant WAIT to play this!!! I'll upload some demo pictures if I can find them! Can you imagine how cool it is for these guys to be IN a game??? I love this sport!

Plate 'em.

nathans
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

How serious am I?

for the first time
I have requested off
July 3rd

Hot Dog City
Open Your Gates!

MLE Chowdown Championships!

Well it's posted if you missed it on SPIKE. They just played this during the Superbowl halftime this week. Wing Kong and I get plenty of coverage in this one in the first few minutes. It's only 23 minutes total.

The greatest honor is given to Wing Kong and I when announcer, Crazy Legs Conti describes us as the 'Haim and Feldman' of Competitive Eating. What better could he say?????

Thanks KatRocket, Matthes, and Chris for catching it Live!

And THANKYOU Artie Lange!!!!!!!

release

for the few of you that need news before the freshness dating lapses: I didn't win WingBowl. Hell, I didn't even make the second round let alone win it. Not even close.

I ate the best first round of my 3 years, but it wasnt enough. Improving by 6 or 8 wings a year wont keep you ahead of a surging talent pool like we have in Major League Eating right now.

I had spent alot of time in the last couple months strengthening my jaw for this and THAT was successful. I bit through bones during the contest and it never got sore like in previous years. I was super-clean with my wings. Maybe too clean? My strategy was to be super-clean so maybe thats the flaw. I was 6 wings away from 80 wings when the first 14 minutes ran out.....I wasn't full. I wasn't done.

The great Wing Kong has said "I didn't get beat, I just ran out of time" and maybe that applies here. Good News? Wing Kong, had a final first round count of 80 and went on to eat 121 or so by the end of the second. I know how bad he wanted that second round appearance and he put the time into training to get it. It's awesome news!!

The float is another story, and that you will have to wait a couple days on. We were in a 3 way tie for first and somehow didn't win a damn thing. THATS a Crime that I will tell in my crime story blog. We looked good. We looked f'ing great.

Overall it was a BLAST and I got to see some of my good friends from across the country. We ate alot of wings for free, and had a few beers toboot.

I was looking forward to the end, but now I'm sad it's gone. I still see those last six wings.

details

WingBowl is this Friday.
If you are interested in listening, coverage starts at around 6am. You can listen through your computer at 610WIP.com Click 'Listen Live' somewhere in the top left corner of the page.

About this year:
About 30,000 Tix sold out in 45 Minutes.

Contest Structure is the same:
1rst Round - 30 Eaters for 14 Minutes
2nd Round - Top 10 Eaters move on to eat for 14 more minutes
3rd Round - Top 5 Eaters move on to eat for 2 more minutes.

Prize Structure is different:
Winner of Round 1 wins a Harley Davidson Motorcycle
Contest Winner receives a Toyota Tundra
Best Float/Enterauge receives: 72" TV and 10 trips to Punta Cana

Competition:
The big storyline is that ElWingador (former 5 Time Champ and local resident) is coming out of retirement specifically to beat Current 2 time champ (and number 1 pro in the world) Joey Chestnut. ElWingador has his hands full here.
10 of the 30 Eaters have Professional Status.

My Strategy:
There's a great prize for the float this year. Some of you remember the 11ft beer can we built last year, and I announced on the radio that this year we would be building a 12ft beer can. I cant tell you what we're doing this year, but it will be the first contest that I compete without the kilt. The kids are happy about that, but I had to really make this commitment to sell the concept/theme.

My brother and 2 other close friends werent able to be in the Enterague this year, so I've had to find replacements for them too. I'll miss not having my brother bagpipe me into the stadium. That was always emotional.

We have a very good chance of winning this prize.

My other startegy is to win the first round prize. Beating Joey in 30 minutes of eating would be nearly impossible, but I think if I am extremely clean on the wings I have a better chance than the lottery of taking the first round. I'm experienced enough to know what has to be done. My capacity is much higher than it was last year, and I'm going to sacrifice every resource that I have in the first 14 minutes to win that motorcycle. Even if it means there's no room left to eat in the second round.

I cant wait to show you guys the float we made!

UPDATE
Matthes pointed out in the Comments about the Final Installment of the SPIKE TV eating tournament I went to in Vegas last fall. SPIKE TV will be airing it this Sunday during HALFTIME of the SuperBowl. I know that it was originally an hour and has been edited down to 30 minutes. I'll be eating Hardboiled Eggs and I can tell you it ENDS pretty good for me!!!

30 minutes in February (American Sonnet)

Hours and hours of self doubt are broadcast in my head
This office only appears to be silent
It's actually resonating with Direct Observation, with Rationale
of Why I cant win, why I'll never be the best, there's truth and proof

My heart rages undeterred with hope and ignorance
above the facts and science
possibilities
it has it's own vision and voice
and the roar is becoming deafening in here

So for now I do the things I dont like to do, and prepare
My guts pay the price in the end
It's the heart that pushes you way out past misery
Past Reason

I wish this was about bowling

I'm In! I'm In! I'm In!

Pretty much down to the wire to get it all down. 5:25 I practiced with cold hamburgers but they didnt get as congealed as the ones I bought last nite for the stunt. At home I was hitting it at 5:00 flat. I was hoping for some more airtime, but they had overbooked eating stunts and were running behind.

Wing Kong continues to impress with 5 cans of Spagetti-O's in 1:15. The guys an animal.

THANKS for listening and all the support, I'll post the video in a couple of days when I get it!

WOW, I'm in Wing Bowl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My WingBowl 16 Stunt has been approved!

I am scheduled to be on the air this Thursday, Dec 13th at 7:30am. You can listen at 610 WIP AM or on the web at http://www.610wip.com/ and clicking on 'listen live' (it's in the upper left hand quarter of the page) They classically run late so it may not be exactly at 7:30, but hopefully it's close.

My stunt was inspired by Dave Shoeffner of the Eating Blog Mega Munch. Maybe over a year ago he suggested that it might be a fun challenge to eat the entire "McDonald's Dollar Menu". At the time it was 9 items. My local McD's has 13 items! WIP say I need to eat it in less than 5:30 minutes to qualify for WingBowl 16.

An important requirement of the stunt is that I cant dunk the items in water/soda. That can really make it more difficult. This stunt was fun to think about, because I had to come up with the order that I would eat the foods and why. It really does make a difference.

I think whats difficult about this stunt is that you dont have enough of any one food to ever hit a rhythem. There is a constant change of texture, temperature and flavor. I'm testing it again tonight and may change the order slightly, but here is the list, in the order that I intend to eat them.

Small Soda - I'm going to be taking sips off this through the whole first half of the challenge

Double Cheesburger - The heaviest Item by weight. I want to get all of the biggest stuff down first. Hamburgers however are fairly easy for me.

McChicken Sandwhich - Also heavy, and the exterior is kinda crunchy.

3 Cookies - These are new on the menu. You get three for a dollar and they are much bigger than I expected. Without doubt, they are the HARDEST thing to eat on the menu! My mouth hurt for a full day after this...scratchy!

Parfait - I will likely be alternating spoonfulls of this with the cookies

2 Apple Pies - I forgot they even made these anymore. Not terribly hard to eat, but heavy enough to make a difference in my time.

IceCream Sundae - A welcome break at this point

Small Fries - who likes cold fries?

Side Salad - Not too hard but a completely different feel than anything else on the menu

Apple Slices - These are preskinned and slicled, and are treated with something that keeps them very fresh and even alittle too firm. Should be easy to stuff in at the end.

Of course the downside of all of this being that it'll take me a week to balance out the calories on this! SUPER-SIZE-ME!



UPDATE
I guess we have ALL burned ourselves on a McDonald's Hot Apple Pie at one time or another! I will be picking up the food late tonight for tomorrows stunt. The warm foods will be room temp when I eat them which can be much more difficult. Realizing this, I only practiced with cold food.

I tested this stunt again last night and it isnt a shoe-in. It really is difficult and the roof my mouth is still sore.

As the great Eater Ian 'The Invader' Hickman pointed out, any food stunt can be much harder when 'Picnic Rules' Apply. Picnic rules state that you eat the food the same way you would normally. You can drink a lemonade while having a hotdog, but you wouldnt dunk it in a cup of Lemonade first.

A couple of important milestones for my stunt:
I'll need to have both the Double Cheeseburger AND the McChicken Sandwhich down before the 1 Minute Mark.

The 3 Cookies HAVE to be down before the 2:00 minute mark or it will be close at the end. They have been so difficult to get down in less than a minute.

ALSO Wing Kong will be doing his Stunt at 6:45AM. FIVE cans of Spagetti-O's in less than 2 minutes...it's AWESOME!!!!

We will be filming the stunts for posterity.

Wing Bowl 16 is Coming

Well it's that time of year again. The national Competitive Eating Circuit tends to dry up from December to the end of February, so alot of extra attention gets paid to Philadelphia's Wing Bowl.

Some of you have been with this blog long enough to remember that this will be my 3rd Year in the contest (assuming I qualify again). I've got 2 Qualifying stunts that I've prepared and I'm going to be calling in tomorrow for an On-Air Time Slot with 610WIP AM, the radio station that runs the contest. WingBowl typically has about 25-30 Contestants (including an automatic admission for the top 5 Eaters in the World)

I'll give you the details of my stunt, once the concept is approved....one of them is really freaking gross though....because it's a Radio show, I like to pick things that people can identify with or even duplicate if they think they can beat me. I want the hosts to be able to describe an acurate picture of whats happening.

Last year I ate a 2ft Wawa Hoagie with Turkey, American Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato plus a small bag of potato chips and a half Gallon of Wawa Lemonade in less than 3 minutes and 30 seconds. I wasnt allowed to dunk the food. Wawa's are on every corner in this part of the world so it was something that every listener could identify with. I'm trying to duplicate that feeling this year and offer a stunt that is accessable to anyone who wants to give it a try. You can watch last years stunt below. Thats WingKong in the background!



This years WingBowl will be on February 1, 2008. Tickets go on sale December 12. They typically sell all 34,000 seats in a day!

Spike's MLE Chowdown 2: The Turkey Bowl

Spike's MLE Chowdown 2: The Turkey Bowl
Originally uploaded by steakbellie.

In celebration of the airing of Episode 2 of my Las Vegas Eating Adventure this thursday November 22, 2007 at 11am and again at 7pm on SPIKE TV, I invite all of you to blow off work for the day, invite your relatives over and eat and drink all that you can.

We will be eating 20lbs Whole Turkeys and cans of jellied Cranberry Sauce. I recommend that you eat something similar but in more enjoyable quantities.

If you missed the first episode you can see it here

I great this episode with excitement and nervousness. I havent seen it yet, but the quality of the first episode was wonderful. I ate during the first half of the show in the Undercard. We were given whole cans of jellied cranberry sauce to eat, and you may be surprised to learn that this was by far the most difficult food for me to eat in mass. Worse than Jalapenos. Really.

While I have eaten in sweets before (twice in Shoo-Fly), I believe that the Complex Carbs in the Molasses, while extraordinarily sweet, didnt realease it's full sugar rush at once. The refined sugar in the cranberry sauce was brutal, and I could feel the effects by the 4th minute. My wife said that the other eaters looked like they were having a rough time too. I cant wait to hear the commentary!

The main event is a whole Turkey eating contest. I've competed in this discipline once before and it's a great food to eat competitivley. It involves hand skill to find the most meat on the carcass, jaw strength to chew the food up enough, and considerable swallowing strength as even moist Turkey is drier than most foods at high speeds.

The big questions to be answered:

Will Japanese HotDog Sensation Kobayashi be able to overcome the Jawthritis he's been hobled with this year.

Will American Eating Champ Joey Chestnut, be able to defeat inspired upstart (and current Turkey Record Holder)Pat Bertoletti?

Do you get sleepy after eating a 20lbs Turkey?

my secret ramen coaches (eight words)

they have them
but
they dont have you

My Contest in Vegas

Here's the video from the First Episode of SPIKE's MLE Chowdown!!!!!

Major League Eating - Wedges & Wings - Episode 1 - Full Episode

Posted Oct 18, 2007

From Las Vegas, it's the debut of MLE Chowdown: Wedges & Wings, featuring Takeru Kobayashi's highly anticipated rematch against reigning champion Joey Chestnut.