Tsunami Strikes: Kobayashi ARRESTED In Coney Island

Photograph of Takeru Kobayashi being apprehended in Coney Island by Bucky Turco/ANIMAL NEW YORK

After watching Joey Chestnut hold onto the Mustard Belt from the sidelines, thanks to a contract dispute, beloved competitive eater Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi was arrested after Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. According to the AP, "Kobayashi went on stage after the competition. Police officers grabbed him, and he tried to hold onto police barricades as they took him into custody."

A Twitterer says he was wearing a "Free Kobi" shirt while another decides, "Kobayashi getting hauled off by the NYPD at Nathan's is the cherry on the top of a delicious celebration. That's for Pearl Harbor, bitch!"

Update: Bucky Turco took this photo of Kobayashi being taken away by the cops—and his video of the incident is at Deadspin. An AP update of the story indicates the charges are trespass, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration. HOT DOG DRAMA!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Food on July 4, 2010 3:32 PM

Comments [rss]

Cannibal

Hes gonna have to commit Hari Kari because of the shame

Crapola

I wonder if Kobayashi had a CM sandwich eating contest in jail.

LB

I'm going to regret this ,........But what is a "CM Sandwich" ?

LB

Lol, "Contract Restrictions" for stuffing yourself silly ! Wow ! All these people in this city on welfare, and still starving and we have Competitive Eating Contests . Lol, And it actually draws a significant crowd !

Mordicai

I heard the "contract dispute" wasn't over money (which I'd assumed) but because the Nathan's contest wanted to restrict what other compilations Kobayashi could be in?

I guess it really was the "no-win" scenario.

NERD JOKE!

JacqueMehoff

what was he going to say when he got to the mic? he could barely speak English. Was he really going to lift up that metal barricade? this is all too weird.

justthinkin

Screw hot dogs, he should be challenging Linda McMahon for Senate in Connecticut.

Pull My Finger

What with our police. They look like they were having a lot of problems getting the cuffs on him.

Kevin Walsh

Insanity. The cops went overboard.

www.forgotten-ny.com

whitecastlerock

This is news?

Mr. Know-It-All

Another terrorist plot thwarted!

RevWaldo

- Chief! Kobayashi's escaped!

- What the... Good Lord! Hit bit through the damn bars!

thelegendofzaku

Looks like someone's getting deported, and can never compete in this country again. No way Customs is gonna let him back here now that he has a criminal record. Hope he can eat his way out of a Brooklyn jail cell, let alone a shitty court-appointed lawyer. His career is out of class and out of gas.

jaja007

Only reason to watch "competitive eating" (lol) is Kobayashi. There is no "sport" without Kobayashi.

Gothamist_Cynic

He'll be back next year competing.

Taco Renald

Where is the taco eating contest?

Gothamist_Cynic

How did he even on stage anyway? Why would they arrest him if he was already there? Sounds like a publicity stunt.

CaptainMXC

I am with you on that one.

JacqueMehoff

you could be right, koayashi could barely speak and understand English without an interpreter. and that guy Shea, pt barnum ain't got nothing on him, he's almost Pat lynch like.