Joey Chestnut is returning to Nathan’s hot dog eating contest

Avid sports watchers like myself will undoubtedly remember the great schism of 2024 that boiled the annual Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest that year, leaving many with upset stomachs and raw nerves. But for those who missed the beef, here is a ketchup: 16-time Mustard Yellow Belt champion Joey Chestnut, the kid who’s become nearly as synonymous with the event as Nathan’s itself, was BANNED from partaking in last year’s proceedings. Nathan’s and Major League Eating (MJE) jointly took the drastic measure after alleging Chestnut had violated “basic hot dog exclusivity provisions” when he made a deal with Impossible Foods to support their plant-based franks. Chestnut maintained that all his actions had been above the carving board and accepted an alternate gig, appearing in a special Labor Day contest on Netflix. Throughout that whole summer, tempers were searing, and the buns and puns were flying. But now? A truce! Balance has been restored to the buns, with MJE announcing that this year Chestnut will be back at Coney Island, baby!

Joey Chestnut, competitive eating legend, announced Monday that he is returning to the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest after a one-year hiatus from the annual Fourth of July event.

Chestnut, the 16-time champion, missed last year’s event because of a dispute with Major League Eating over his sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based hot dogs.

“I’m thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Chestnut wrote on X. “This event means the world to me. It’s a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”

Chestnut added that he continues to partner with companies in the “plant-based space,” but those relationships never conflicted with his “love for hot dogs.”

“I’m excited to be back on the Coney Island Stage, doing what I live to do, and celebrating the Fourth of July with hot dogs in my hands!” he wrote. “Stay hungry!”

Major League Eating president Richard Shea told ESPN in an email that the contest is “extremely excited to welcome Joey back to Coney Island this 4th of July for what will surely be the greatest Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest of all time.”

Patrick Bertoletti downed 58 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win last year’s men’s contest, while Miki Sudo ate 51 hot dogs and buns to capture the women’s title. Chestnut owns the contest record with 76 hot dogs and buns in 2021.

This year’s event will take place July 4 at Coney Island in New York and be broadcast on ESPN platforms.

[From ESPN]

I don’t know about you, but for me, in these fraught, uncertain times, to see once-quarreling sides find a way to thaw relations so they’re less chili, well it’s Pepto Bismol for the gut, frankly speaking. Because what matters most, here? Not records or winning (and certainly not health!), or getting into culture wars over what constitutes a real hot dog. It’s love of the game! And yes, cherished, time-honored tradition, like Chestnut says. It commemorates the celebratory meal our Founding Fathers had after they all signed the Declaration of Independence. Most of those delegates were away from their wives and homes while holed up in Philadelphia — they weren’t making themselves complicated meals!! And HELLO, where do you think Betsy Ross got the red stripe idea from for the flag?!?

But actually, I think Chestnut is right in that the Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest is perhaps the single most appropriate representation of American culture: it’s gluttonous, wasteful, unhealthy, centered around a phallus (at least in imagery), and a complete misuse of language, in that there really is no “eating” done at all. Chestnut’s record with Nathan’s is 76 dogs & buns in 10 minutes, but he crossed 83 hot dogs & buns in the Netflix special (also in 10 minutes). Will he break both of those records this year? Tune in on July 4 to see him defying gastronomy.

photos credit: Netflix and Dennis Van Tine/Avalon