The 4th of July is canceled, everyone! Not really, but it might as well be. According to a press release Major League Eating president Richard Shea just sent out: “Takeru Kobayashi is currently not scheduled to compete in the 2010 Nathan's Famous July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest. In recent weeks, Major League Eating has sought to arrive at an agreement with Kobayashi, but contract negotiations have reached an impasse. MLE remains hopeful that Kobayashi, who won the contest from 2001-2006, will decide to compete this July 4th in Coney Island, when Joey Chestnut will seek his fourth consecutive title.” Also: competitive eating is a very serious sport with very serious contract negotiations?

Anyway, it gets worse! Brooklyn Southie reports that vuvuzelas are banned from the contest! The MLE folk allegedly think that they will "damage the competitive eating aesthetic." And the last thing we want to do is damage the image of a grown man shoving unhealthy amounts of meat slurry into his mouth.