Hot Dog Eating Champ Released from Jail
Monday, July 05, 2010
(Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images)
His black t-shirt bore the message: 'free Kobi' and today, a Brooklyn judge did just that. The six-time Coney Island hot dog eating contest winner, Takeru Kobayashi, was released after he spent the night in jail.
Kobayashi was arrested on Sunday following his interruption of the annual hot dog eating contest. He did not participate in the event this year because of a contract dispute, but appeared on the stage anyway.
His lawyer says Kobayashi was waved up on stage after spectators began chanting, “let him eat!” Kobayashi has pleaded not guilty to charges of obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest, trespassing and disorderly conduct.
Kobayashi has refused to sign a contract with Major League Eating, known as the NFL of professional eating. Sunday’s big winner was Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, from San Jose, California, who devoured 54 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Comments [1]
Maybe I'm a cynical New Yorker, but this has the earmarks of a grand public relations stunt. I know Kobayashi will have an arrest record which is not something nobody would want, but perhaps they compensated him for that. This kind of publicity has to be worth a million dollars or more for Nathan's. It lead the evening news and made the headlines in the press today. A few years ago, this contest was just small potatoes. I predict next year the so-called "contract dispute" with Kobayashi will all be history, and the big feeding frenzy next July 4th will be the media clamoring for the story!
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.