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Hot-dog eating contest kills appetite

Joey Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., defends his title in Nathan’s Famous July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in New York. Chestnut fought off Takeru Kobayashi of Japan and won for the third straight year by devouring a world-record 68 franks.

Associated Press photo by Craig Ruttle Joey Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., defends his title in Nathan’s Famous July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in New York. Chestnut fought off Takeru Kobayashi of Japan and won for the third straight year by devouring a world-record 68 franks.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Photos: Nathan's Famous hot dog contest

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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer Updated 1:06 AM Sunday, July 5, 2009

Staring up at a television waiting for a ferry to the Reds game on Friday, July 3, the show that caught our attention was a special on competitive eating.

It was a lead-in, of course, to the festivities of July 4, which were broadcast by ESPN on Saturday. Broadcasts included rehashing of rules, profiles of competitors and highlights of some of the best (and grossest) contests in recent memory.

Last year’s hot-dog eating contest was even called a “thrilling overtime classic.”

Maybe it’s time to change the way we broadcast competitive eating. I’m not totally against having it on television, as much as I try to personally avoid it. But, many people like looking at car wrecks, so they might also enjoy disgusting flurries of hot dogs, buns and water.

July 4 is a day that is built on eating. Granted, it doesn’t have the same connection to television as, say, Thanksgiving Day, but plenty of people are watching.

Please don’t show us this food consumption anymore, or at least wait until I’m finished eating.

“The last 60 seconds I told myself to eat like I did in the beginning,” said Joey Chestnut, the two-time defending hot dog champion, as he exited the bus Saturday morning. Excellent advice I might use tonight at dinner.

The hot dog eating contest is universally known as “the biggest event on the eating tour.” But does that mean it has to ruin my appetite?

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