NATHAN’S HOT DOG EATING CONTEST STILL ON

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest will go on as usual this year.
The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island has been a staple event for the Fourth of July. Even though the coronavirus has canceled many events, the contest is still on.

Joey Chestnut will look to continue his dominance in the sport. He has won 12 of the last 13 contests and set a record last year with 71 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

This year is the first year that fans will be able to bet on the event legally. New Jersey, Colorado, and New Hampshire have all approved the event for wagering.

“ESPN had already affirmed us as a sport in the early 2000s,” said Rich Shea, president of Major League Eating, which puts on the event. “But, with legal betting, we are really now as legitimate as the NFL and the NBA.”

Scaled Back

Because of travel restrictions, the contest won’t have the number of participants as usual. Each year it is 15 to 20 men and women. This year, only five women and six men will compete.

The contest foresaw the travel restrictions, so they were smart in flying in Joey Chestnut to New York a week before that happened. The event would take a big hit if he wasn’t present.

But it did cause Matt Stonie to miss the competition. He is the third-ranked eater in the world and is the only man to beat Chestnut. Fans might miss the close contest that he could’ve provided.

Official Partner

Each of the three states can bet at any sportsbook in their area, but DraftKings also has betting available. They partnered with Major League Eating to become the official partner.

“The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is an iconic U.S. tradition that personifies American competition,” said DraftKings chief of business Ezra Kucharz in a statement. “We are proud to have partnered with Major League Eating to offer people everywhere the opportunity to engage with such a classic event.”

Chestnut is a -800 favorite on DraftKings. Like years before, he will be the guy to beat. Miki Sudo, who has won the last six women’s competitions, is a -500 favorite in the women’s division.

The two closest to Chestnut last year will be competing, and they may be the only ones with a shot to beat him. However, they need vast improvement from their numbers last year.

Darron Breedon came in second with 50 hot dogs, while Geoffrey Esper was third with 47 hot dogs.

“There are a lot of factors at play,” Shea said. “Our eaters are usually in midseason form. They’re gonna be rusty. Plus, you have the fact that social distancing and fewer contestants will give eaters more room, you have air conditioning instead of the 100-degree heat, and you have no crowd.”

Just as in all sports, the crowd is a big factor. There’s no doubt that the fans cheering can push the competitors to finish several more than they normally would. For this reason, it would be a shock if there was a new record set this year.