Is a Big Eater's Bad Jaw a Boon for 'Black Widow'?

COMPETITIVE EATING champion Takeru Kobayashi won't be able to compete in the upcoming Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in New York. In fact his days of chowing down on large quantities of hot dogs could be kaput: Kobayashi has an arthritic jaw.

Might that mean that Alexandria's very own "Black Widow," the highly ranked competitive eater Sonya Thomas, might be moving up the rankings? She's scheduled to compete in Nathan's hot dog bun eating contest, but, so far, not the hot dog competition itself.

On July 4, Kobayshi had been set to take on American Joey Chestnut, who earlier this month surpassed Kobayashi's world record by eating 59 1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes at a regional match in Arizona. It was a feat that led the Brooklyn Paper, a feisty newspaper in the borough that's home to Coney Island and Nathan's, to declare "Eat this, Japan!" The petite but voracious Thomas has been ranked fourth in the world circuit, according to the International Federation of Competitive Eating.

Thomas, though, would likely frown upon the inherent nationalism in the Brooklyn Paper's headline. As she wrote on her Web site:

You must also know that regardless of what you may read in the press, I know a bit about Kobayashi, and he is not into this US versus Japan thing. He just wants to have fun in the sport he loves with all his heart — competitive eating. Kobay is a gentleman's gentleman, who has earned the highest respect from all his peers.

Joey too is a nice, down-to-earth, well-mannered young champion with tremendous heart and talent. Make no mistake, young Joey Chestnut is a force to be reckoned with — the greatest so far for Kobayashi. Regardless of who wins, it will be fun!

» "Hot Dog Eating Champ Bit Off More Than He Could Chew" [AP via NYDN]
» "Hot Dog Eating World Record- Joey Chestnut" [You Tube]
» "Eat this, Japan!" [Brooklyn Paper]
» "IFCOE Rankings" [IFCOE]
» "Sonya Thomas IS ... 'The Black Widow' of Competitive Eating" [Sonya Thomas]
» "'Repulsive, Riveting, Astounding'" [Times of London]

Photo of Sonya Thomas at her first year at the Nathan's final table on July 4, 2003 from sonyatheblackwidow.com