How could this happen?
Every year on the 4th of July (honestly a little too early in the day), the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest takes place, with the usual “Glizzy King” Joey Chestnut showing out and racking up titles.
Except this year, the world (or I guess just America) was robbed of getting to see some of the all-time-great competitive eaters face off in the annual contest, after it was officially canceled due to weather.
#BreakingNews The men's contest at the Nathan's hot dog eating competition CANCELED due to weather https://t.co/OsXRh2QQsO
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 4, 2023
I’m devastated. I truly am. I always look forward to watching Joey Chestnut get on stage at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest and uncomfortably shovel multitudes of water-soaked dogs down his gullet. It’s kind of similar to a train wreck: it’s truly awful, kind of disgusting, mildly horrifying, but you can’t help but watch.
Originally, the men’s event was delayed because of lightning and rain in the Coney Island, New York area. The women’s competition still took place earlier today, with Miki Sudo eating 39 hot dogs and taking home the 2023 title.
The stage was cleared around 12 p.m. eastern time due to the inclement weather, and it just became official that no one would return to the famous Coney Island backdrop for the gross-yet-exhilarating hot dog eating contest.
I’ve got a couple of questions about all of this…
First, how is there not a contingency plan to move the event somewhere else? Surely there is a big tent somewhere that they could reconfigure for the contest and just postpone it until later today, am I right?
Also, why cancel it? I’m sure the competitors would be willing to wait until tomorrow to suck down some hot dogs, and to be honest, it would be an extension of the 4th of July that people would probably be fine with. It would be reminiscent of when NFL games got pushed later in the week due to COVID issues.
And finally, why is the event held outside in the first place? This has to be the first time the annual glizzy gobbling competition has been called off due to weather, at least in my recent memory. They should have a facility specifically built for this contest so something like this never happens again.
People on Twitter were also confused at why there’s not a backup plan. I mean, this isn’t NASCAR. People can eat hot dogs indoors.
One day we will invent the technology to eat hot dogs indoors https://t.co/kK6z9RFZgP
— James Holzhauer (@James_Holzhauer) July 4, 2023
they managed to keep playing at Wimbledon today but we canceled the hot dog eating contest. The revolution is over and we have lost
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) July 4, 2023
So you're telling me they were able to have a hot dog eating contest in the middle of a pandemic but they can't plan around some afternoon thunderstorms? 🤨
Tough look
— Jared Smith (@jaredleesmith) July 4, 2023
The Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest is currently in a lighting delay… bro you are eating hot dogs just go inside
— 🟡 The tumboy 🟡 (@TheTumboy) July 4, 2023
Did they run out of buildings in New York? They can’t do a hot dog eating contest inside?
— Swendig (@alswendig) July 4, 2023
If you are into conspiracies, I think Nathan’s might have had it out for Joey Chestnut on this one. Maybe they saw his warm up and said “this is going to be a blowout” and decided to blame the weather so they didn’t have to televise Chestnut obliterating everyone else.
I’ll only be happy if they double the time limit from 1o minutes to 20 minutes for 2024’s edition of the competition. Imagine watching people eat as many hot dogs as they can for the length of a modern television show. On second thought, maybe that’s a bad idea…
BUT WAIT. It might not be over after all.
According to Twitter, Chestnut is reportedly working to round up his fellow competitors so that the hot dog contest can go forward after all,
“I’m gonna get the rest of the guys out and we’re gonna do this f***er.”
Hear me out, I’m not saying the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is going to happen, but @joeyjaws just came out and said and I quote, “I’m gonna get the rest of the guys out and we’re gonna do this f***er.” #nathansfamous #ESPN pic.twitter.com/PhOTQGrKWv
— Kenneth Heasley (@HeasleyK13) July 4, 2023
HERO.
And in the meantime, here’s Chestnut choking out a protestor at last year’s contest while still taking home the title.
