Champions Compete in Hot Dog Eating Contest
In the world of competitive eating, there are no bigger names than Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi. On September 2nd, the two living legends went head-to-head in an epic showdown broadcast live on Netflix.Competitive eating started hundreds of years ago as a fun event at local fairs. In recent decades, however, it has grown into a sport of its own. During a competitive-eating contest, participants consume as much food as they can within a certain amount of time. The sport may seem unusual, but it has gained popularity worldwide.The special on Netflix was titled “Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef,” and it saw the two competitors facing off against each other for the first time in 15 years. They were given 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs as possible.In the end, Chestnut defeated his rival by eating 83 hot dogs, beating his previous world record of 76. Kobayashi, on the other hand, finished the competition with 66 hot dogs.Chestnut is a 16-time champion of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, one of the biggest competitive-eating events. However, he was not able to compete this year after signing a sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based hot dogs. Chestnut was disappointed with this situation, but the Netflix special gave him an opportunity to show his skills once again.Kobayashi is a six-time champion of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Although he has competed for many years, he recently decided to retire due to health concerns. In fact, the Netflix special with Chestnut could be Kobayashi’s “last hurrah” as a competitive eater.
Questions:
1. Who are the two famous competitive eaters mentioned in the article?
2. What was the title of the Netflix special about Chestnut and Kobayashi?
3. How many hot dogs did Chestnut eat in the contest?
4. Why did Kobayashi decide to retire from competitive eating?
5. Would you want to watch a hot dog eating contest? Why?
What do you think about competitive eating as a sport?
