Kobayashi: Contest Organizers Are "Trying To Take Away My Freedom"

Earlier this week we learned that this year's Nathan's Famous July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest would be lacking in both vuvuzelas and Takeru Kobayashi, meaning Joey Chestnut is a shoe-in for winning the competitive eating contest (this would be his fourth consecutive title). But why no Kobayashi? Early rumors mentioned a problem in contract negotiations, and now the Daily News reports on the finer details.

Kobayashi claims the organizers want him all to themselves, saying, "They want complete control over me. I just want to compete and do what I love. They are trying to take away my freedom." On the 4th of July no less! The 32-year-old is still training, and hopeful they'll be able to work things out by Sunday, saying, "I want to be in it more than anything. I am hoping they will change their mind. If I compete, I guarantee I'll win." Gauntlet... thrown.

The Major League Eating head honcho, Richard Shea (who organizes the contest every year) claims the clause has been in place for years, and isn't sure why Kobayashi is only now rallying against it; he told the paper, "His saying this is like Tom Brady saying he'd like to be in the Super Bowl, but not in the NFL." Will Kobayashi buckle and hand over his freedoms, or will he show up as a spectator, armed with a vuvuzela?

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By Jen Carlson in Food on July 1, 2010 12:49 PM

Comments [rss]

farkas

I didn't know Obama was running the Nathan's contest.

JacqueMehoff

that's too bad, he's the only guy who can keep up with chestnut.

kazubes

Major League Eating, that could be the saddest thing I've heard in a while

Jen S

Next up: Major League Diarrhea.

Guest

They may take his hot dogs, but they will never take his freedom...

Guest

y'know, i wonder how well these food-eating contestants will fare if michael mineo was put in the front row in the audience seat.

brown bags may become mandatory.

MT

Is he named after the Kobayashi Maru of Star Trek fame?

Splicer

I think it's a no-win scenario this year.

Potty Boy

+1

Kelles

Nerd-me says: "coool!"

Non-nerd-me says: "say whaa?"

angry_pickle

So what does he need to do in order to compete? Join the United Food Glutton's Union?

1stephanie

It's "shoo-in"

Svenyahn

Wrong, shoe-in is correct, look up where it comes from and then go "edit" more articles

hapanabwana

No, you're wrong; Stephanie's right. Honestly, if you're going to get on a soapbox like that, at least take 3 seconds to Google it and make sure you know what you're talking about. "Shoe-in" is incorrect; it should read "shoo-in." Probably the kind of thing that's better put in an email to the author than in a comment, though.

Regardless, who cares about this guy anymore? He just doesn't want to compete (probably because he doesn't want to get his ass kicked by Joey Chestnut again), so he's taking issue with a clause in his contract that he's apparently agreed to in years past in order to save face and be able to quit without quitting. Lame.