When did The Wall Street Journal start following competitive eating so closely? Takeru Kobayashi, who says he is still negotiating with Major League Eating to be in the Nathan’s hot-dog showdown this weekend, now turns to the television cameras to complain about a contract that would limit his participation in other North American eating competitions. Noticeably less beefy than he had been in previous years, he poignantly asks, “How can I use my extraordinary ability?” This is quickly devolving into the NBC vs. Conan of the professional-gorging world.
