Joey Chestnut Shatters Kobayashi's Hot Dog Eating Record

How did competitive eating become a well-known sport? We've actually reached the point in America where a Japanese hot dog eater is a household name, and an American breaking his hot dog eating record is big news. I just told my wife that Joey Chestnut broke Takero Kobayashi's hot dog eating record, and without missing a beat she said, "We'll see what happens on the Fourth of July."

Yes, my wife knows that the Fourth of July is the biggest day of the hot dog eating year, and so do millions of Americans. And after Chestnut ate 59.5 dogs in 12 minutes yesterday at the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe, Kobayashi had better be ready to face his stiffest competition yet at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.

One thing I'm not entirely clear on: How standardized are the hot dogs in these contests? Are the hot dogs Chestnut consumed yesterday the same size as the ones he'll eat on Independence Day? If so, I guess you'd have to say Chestnut is the favorite, and that's a good thing for patriotic Americans: As much as I respect Kobayashi as a competitor, I've always felt that there's nothing more American than eating hot dogs on the Fourth of July, and it would be nice to see an American win the title.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)