On the Fourth of July, the world will again turn its attention to Coney Island as 14 men and 10 women compete in an annual tradition that has become synonymous with the American holiday: The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest.
This year, the drama isn’t just about devouring the most dogs.
A major shake-up was announced last month on the men’s side of the competition, as Joey Chestnut, the 16-time champion and winner of the last eight contests, is out for this year’s event. Chestnut’s absence is due to another American tradition: a contractual disagreement.
According to statements from Major League Eating (MLE) and Chestnut himself, the dispute boils down to MLE operating under a hot dog exclusivity provision with Nathan’s Famous for the past two decades. This year, Chestnut partnered with Impossible Foods, a rival company that sells plant-based hot dogs. Though Chestnut notes he does not have a contract with MLE or Nathan’s, the decision was made to disallow him from competing this year because of his agreement with Impossible Foods.
After so many years at the top of the food-eating chain, Chestnut has become a household name. Whether his absence hurts the event’s popularity is a yet to be seen, but one thing that has already been affected is the competition….
