Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 2021: Did Joey Chestnut set a record?
By and large, the contest today was a very different affair than what we saw last year. In 2020, there were a number of restrictions made in order to ensure that the contest was safe. This year, there were 5,000 people in attendance for the festivities in Coney Island. We saw segments of the competitors coming over from Manhattan, in addition to the sort of social traditions that go along with this event year in and year out.
Of course, just about every part of the show today revolved around Joey Chestnut. He is the reigning hot-dog king and a man who has broken countless records over the years. Would he do it again? There was the question about beating his competitors but then, there were questions as to whether or not he would set a new record. He’s already downed more than 70 hot dogs on numerous occasions.
When the competition kicked off, it appeared pretty clear already that Chestnut was going to be the favorite by far to win again. The thing that makes him so dangerous in this (we actually did research) is that he is one of those competitors who actually gets more dangerous the longer the competition goes on. He doesn’t tire out! That’s the result of training for sure, but also his understanding that people want to see a record.
Did Joey Chestnut break the record?
Well, ESPN messed this up. Their feed cut out right at Joey’s winning moment, and we had to actually go on Twitter to see that he broke his own record with 76 hot dogs. Congrats to Joey! Yet, no congrats to ESPN for ruining the few moments a year where the guy is Michael Jordan.
What did you think about the 2021 Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest?
Did you find yourself watching this year for the first time, or is this a repeat tradition for you year in and year out? Be sure to share right now in the comments! Once you do that, remember to stick around for some other news. (Photo: Nathan’s.)