The Charlotte Observer, N.C., Tom Sorensen Column: Red, White and Chew

Jul 04, 04:35 AM

Current Headlines: By Tom Sorensen, The Charlotte Observer, N.C.

Jul. 4--IN MY OPINION I grew up with four brothers, so my interest in competitive eating should have worn out long ago.

But I would not miss the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at noon today on ESPN. Some purists denounce the competition, but give the athletes this. With one or more hot dogs jammed down their throats, they can't talk trash.

I wrote about competitive eating last month when I competed in the Nathan's qualifier at Concord Mills. It was cool to think that if I ate more hot dogs than anybody else in the 12 minutes we were allotted, I would join 14 others today in Coney Island, N.Y.

Instead it was Hunt Hall of Florida who advanced by eating 283/4 hot dogs. I hung with him for awhile, but he edged me by 243/4 dogs. He might have beaten me even had I not been taking notes.

Some of you took time out of your busy schedules to write that eating mass quantities of hot dogs is gluttony.

You're right. The Nathan's event is a testament to gluttony. This is what makes it the quintessential Fourth of July sporting event.

We're Americans. Maybe this has escaped you, but gluttony is what we do. We drive giant SUVs that go through gas the way six-time champion Kobayashi goes through hot dogs. We get as excited as middle-school girls as we wait in line for a $500 telephone. We turn the faucet and get out the hose no matter how little water is available or how often we are fined.

According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council -- the sausage folks get offended if you omit them -- we will eat 150 million hot dogs today, more than on any other day this year.

Do we need that third or fourth dog? It's not about need. But if we are always frugal with our desires and our cash, when do we get to have fun? There's a reason Nathan's Famous Tofu Eating Contest has yet to catch on.

Most of us have been eating since we were little kids, and I'm curious about how far man can go. I'm also curious about how far woman can go. The woman next to me at the Concord Mills event ate 28 hot dogs. And she weighed, at most, 105 pounds.

This is why the eaters you'll see today are athletes. Quickness is the quality that distinguishes the truly athletic, and this is why I contend that eating 50 or more hot dogs in 12 minutes requires more athleticism than hitting a golf ball, running a marathon or competing in a triathlon. Running 26.2 miles, as well as swimming and biking, is more about fitness and desire.

How would I know?

Because I have hit golf balls, run two marathons and watched part of a triathlon on TV.

I'm pulling for Japan's Kobayashi today, even though California's Joey Chestnut is the favorite. Chestnut ate 591/2 hot dogs last month, breaking Kobayashi's record. Plus, Kobayashi has an injured jaw. Despite that, he says he will compete. Willis Reed lives.

No matter how deeply the stuffing of dogs and buns in one's face offends you, it could be worse.

What if you turned to the hot dog contest and saw Terrell Owens?

IN MY OPINION -- noon, ESPN -- Last year's winner: Takeru Kobayashi --Second place: Joey Chestnut Tom Sorensen

Tom Sorensen: 704-358-5119

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