2013 Nathans Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Needs Kobayashi and Chestnut

<div class="MsoNormal">I know what you’re thinking:  Who cares about a hot dog eating competition?  Well on the Fourth of July, a small portion of the country will tune in to watch the <a href="http://www.nathansfamous.com/index.php/hot-dog-eating-contest">Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest</a>, which means a lot of folks care about the, err, sport.  However, this year the field will lack one of the competition’s most notable names, Takeru Kobayashi.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">According to The Post Game, Kobayashi is <a href="http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/chompions/201307/nathans-hot-dog-contest-goes-without-kobayashi">refusing to sign</a>with <a href="http://www.ifoce.com/index.php">Major League Eating</a>, the organization that runs the 4^th of July spectacular, because he is balking at a clause that gives the organization a portion of the competitors’ endorsement deals.  Sounds interesting huh?  Imagine Lebron James giving a cut of his Nike money to the NBA.  Of course, it’s not like Major League Eating has nearly a percentage of the revenues that the NBA does, so it is a necessary evil.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The competition is a bit tarnished, because again Joey Chestnut, an eating legend in his own right, is expected to runaway with the 2013 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Contest crown.  For soccer aficionados, it is a bit like Manchester United taking on a US college team, because Chestnut is just simply that good.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Major League Eating and Kobayashi would be better off settling their differences and giving a little ground, because the sport does not get a whole lot of exposure as it is.  I mean how many kids do you know who want to grow up to be the champion of the <a href="http://www.ifoce.com/contests.php">The World Slugburger Eating Championship</a> presented by Main Street Corinth? <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">Basically, both parties are better off with each other than without, and if there was ever a time to give a little ground this is the time.  Just like many Olympic Events, this is a sport that millions of Americans care about once in a blue moon, and you want to have your best competitors in the field when ESPN2 is broadcasting the festivities.<o:p></o:p></div>

joey chestnut nathans famous hotdog eating championship takeru kobayashi 2013 Nathans Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Needs Kobayashi and Chestnut

I know what you’re thinking:  Who cares about a hot dog eating competition?  Well on the Fourth of July, a small portion of the country will tune in to watch the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, which means a lot of folks care about the, err, …

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