Joey Chestnut barred from Nathan’s hot dog eating contest

Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, widely considered the greatest professional eater in history, won’t be allowed to compete at the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest after signing an endorsement deal with plant-based company Impossible Foods.


The deal with Impossible, which is trying to attract more meat eaters with its new plant-based hot dog, does not prohibit Chestnut from entering eating competitions, including Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog-Eating Contest on July 4.

“We love Joey and support him in any contest he chooses. It’s OK to experiment with a new dog. Meat eaters shouldn’t have to be exclusive to just one wiener,” the California-based company said in a statement.


But Nathan’s demands loyalty from its competitors — at least when it comes to hot dog brands, said George Shea, chair and co-founder of Major League Eating, the governing body for numerous competitive eating contests, including Nathan’s.

A key agreement for all competitors at the Nathan’s contest — where people compete for the “Mustard Belt” and prize money in front of ESPN’s cameras — is to “not represent a rival hot dog brand,” Shea told The Washington Post.

The latest contract between Chestnut and Nathan’s had expired, Shea said, and the two sides were negotiating a new one when Chestnut announced he had signed a deal with a “plant-based firm.” Nathan’s didn’t know then that it was with Impossible.

Shea said Nathan’s had asked Chestnut for a potential carve-out: Could he represent all other products in the company’s line, except for its plant-based hot dogs?


“And they said no, and that was where we got to an impasse,” Shea said. “We just got surprised by this.”


Impossible Foods wouldn’t comment on its deal with Chestnut. But in signing with Impossible, Chestnut apparently walked away from a lucrative deal with Nathan’s, which was prepared to offer the 16-time winner an annual $300,000 appearance fee over four years, said one source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations.


“I was very disappointed to learn from the media today that after nearly 20 years I am banned from the Nathan’s 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,” Chestnut said in an Instagram post.

“I love competing in that event, I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th and I have been training to defend my title.”…….

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food...nut-nathans-hot-dog-contest-impossible-foods/