"Sports" Injuries

[NatsAddict]

Japan's all-star speed eater suffers professional injury
Mon Jun 25, 9:00 AM ET

TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese man who set a world record by wolfing down dozens of hot dogs within minutes has suffered a severe jaw injury due to his rigorous training, making his next title uncertain.

Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi said he can only open his mouth to make a gap the size of a fingertip after being diagnosed with jaw arthritis.

In an entry on his blog entitled "Occupational hazard," Kobayashi said: "My jaw refused to fight any more."

The injury occurred only a week after the slender 29-year-old started training to win his seventh straight title at the annual July 4 Nathan's Famous hot dog eating event on New York's Coney Island.

"I feel ashamed that I couldn't notice the alarm bells set off by my own body," he said. "But with the goal to win another title with a new record, I couldn't stop my training so close to the competition.

"I was continuing my training and bearing with the pain but finally I destroyed my jaw."

Kobayashi, who has become a niche celebrity in Japan and the United States, had already halted his competitive eating activities for several months due to mourning after his mother's death earlier this year.

But he said he still wanted to go to the competition in New York.

"I want to be the pride of my mother," he said in the blog entry posted Sunday.

Last year, Kobayashi put down a world-record 53 and three-quarters hot dogs in just 12 minutes.

In addition to the Nathan's Famous titles, he holds world records for scoffing cows' brains and rice balls.

In 2004, he founded the United Food Fighters Organisation in hopes of making people take competitive eating seriously as a sport.

Yahoo

Miguel Cabrera's stomach just growled. 

[natsfan1a]

Hey, quit dogging the guy!   

[Dave B]

Basically this guy was the Federer of eating. Just blew away the competition at the hot dog eating contest. Last week, an american, broke Kobayashi's world record. It will truly be a sad day if these two can't go head to head on July 4th

[The Chief]

Sorry but I have to snort derisively every time anyone even gets in the neighborhood of implying that professional food wasting is a sport.

[2k6nats]

Sorry but I have to snort derisively every time anyone even gets in the neighborhood of implying that professional food wasting is a sport.

Me too, but even I recognize the name "Takeru Kobiyashi".  He's made a big name for himself.

[joker]

joey chestnut is a monster at eating

[nats2playoffs]

Sorry but I have to snort derisively every time anyone even gets in the neighborhood of implying that professional food wasting is a sport.

The July 4th contest won't be the same if Kobayashi does not compete: he is the Champion.  The contests are televised and aired on ESPN (Every Sport Possibility Network).  And then repeated ad nauseam.  Kobayashi is not a big fat guy, as you might suspect.  Some people think that he actually IS Keyser Söze.
 

[The Chief]

Me too, but even I recognize the name "Takeru Kobiyashi".  He's made a big name for himself.

Oh I know.  I recognize his name as well, I was just commenting on of the worst and most inappropriately celebrated excesses of modern western society.

Also, I don't even want to think about that guy's plumbing costs.

[nats2playoffs]

Kobayashi to compete July 4th!!!

Joey Chestnut, left, and
six-time defending champion
Takeru Kobayashi

Jul 3, 2007, 6:06 PM (ET)
By LARRY McSHANE

NEW YORK (AP) - They stood toe to toe, eye to eye, and - most important - jaw to injured jaw.  Six-time defending champion Takeru Kobayashi, still unable to open his mouth wide enough for a typical teeth cleaning, joined favorite Joey Chestnut at a Tuesday weigh-in before their Fourth of July hot-dog-eating showdown in Coney Island.  The Japanese title holder declared himself ready to gorge, dismissing suggestions by skeptics that his stiff jaw was nothing more than hot dog head games aimed at rattling world record holder Chestnut.  "I don't care what they think," the 29-year-old said through an interpreter. "I just want to battle tomorrow."

Since going public with his ailment last month, Kobayashi underwent treatment by a specialist and a chiropractor. Event organizers said he also had a wisdom tooth extracted June 26 to relieve what they described as "jaw-thritis."  The slender Kobayashi weighed in at 154 pounds. Chestnut, 23, came in at 215 pounds and added his voice to those unsure what to expect from the champion. "Kobayashi is the underdog," he said, "and he's claiming an illness."  The two are among 17 contestants preparing for Wednesday's eat-off, where the winner must consume the most HDBs - hot dogs and buns. Last month, Chestnut eclipsed Kobayashi's mark of 53 1/2 in 12 minutes by inhaling 59 1/2.

Urged by photographers to open wide on Tuesday, Kobayashi displayed less than a full range of mandible motion.  That could be good news for Chestnut, who's favored to end Kobayashi's record run as holder of the mustard yellow belt presented each Fourth of July outside Nathan's Famous. Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced the pair before they stepped on the scales and engaged in a staredown at City Hall Park.  "Many times ... in the annals of sports, the eyes of the world have turned to our great city to watch worthy adversaries square off," said Bloomberg, tongue in cheek. "What comes to mind is Ali and Frazier, the Yankees and the Mets, the Post and the Daily News."  And, this year, Kobayashi and Chestnut.

[tomterp]

I'm a fan of all the local teams and individuals, and eating championships is no different.  My fav - Sonya Thomas (a.k.a. the "Black Widow"), of Alexandria.  99 lbs of hot dog eating machine.  No joke, she's unbelievable.

[Kenz aFan]

They should have a hot dog eating contest at one of the Nats home games. It might be the only way fans have someone they root for actually win.

[nats2playoffs]

I'm a fan of all the local teams and individuals, and eating championships is no different.  My fav - Sonya Thomas (a.k.a. the "Black Widow"), of Alexandria.  99 lbs of hot dog eating machine.  No joke, she's unbelievable.

I forgot she was local.  Didn't she finish 3rd or 4th at Nathans in New York last year?  I remember seeing her on television.  I think she slowed down near the end.  Chestnut was close to upchucking at the end.  (I cannot believe that he ate 59 last month and can even THINK about eating a hot dog this soon.)  Kobayashi was phenomenal, consistent to the end.  It's kind of funny and a little hard to believe that he travels all the way to NYC from Japan for this.  I can't remember the prize.

[2k6nats]

Hold on...I just saw a hot-dog eating competition on TV today that had Kobiyashi winning over Chestnut in a close race, with Kobiyashi breaking the record with 54.  Was this a re-run, eating fans?

[nats2playoffs]

Hold on...I just saw a hot-dog eating competition on TV today that had Kobiyashi winning over Chestnut in a close race, with Kobiyashi breaking the record with 54.  Was this a re-run, eating fans?

Yes, that was 2006.  The 2007 contest is on ESPN at noon July 4.  The 2006 match will be repeated at 10 pm on ESPN-2, followed by a repeat of 2007 at 11 pm.  One of those channels will repeat it on Thurs, Fri and Sat, and probably next week.  It tends to get shown throughout the All Star festivities.  Trash Sports... if only someone could synthesize Howard Cosell's voice for the coverage, it would be perfect.
 

[nats2playoffs]

41-year-old Juliet Lee of Germantown MD is competing in 2007.
39 Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas of Alexandria VA returns in 2007.
They eat as many dogs as they can in 12 minutes.

[nats2playoffs]

Kobayashi's six-year reign ends!
JOEY CHESTNUT WINS 66 hot dogs to 63!
BOTH break the world record of 59.5 dogs!!!!!!!!!!
Kobayashi competed admirably with a jaw injury.

[2k6nats]

Honestly, this is the proof I need that Kobiyashi didn't have a jaw injury.  He shattered his personal mark by about TEN hotdogs.

[Kenz aFan]

So, who are you calling a liar, Kobayashi or the contest organizers? I've seen athletes win harder and tougher contests than a hot dog eating one, with a hell of a lot more than an injured jaw.

[PANatsFan]

Kobayashi barfed big time. They cut him a lot of slack and deducted only 3 dogs. The replays were horrific!

[Kenz aFan]

They showed replays of Kobayashi up-chucking? Geez, please don't tell me they even did slow motion replays... Whoever directed has really sick taste

[2k6nats]

Kobayashi barfed big time. They cut him a lot of slack and deducted only 3 dogs. The replays were horrific!

It didn't really matter; he lost anyway.