For better or worse, it's hard to imagine anything more American than the Fourth of July hot dog eating contest at Nathan's Famous in Coney Island. Not everyone appreciates a stage full of grown men and women cramming meat into their face holes in the name of competition, though, as protesters rushed the stage this year and doused contestants with either ketchup or fake blood.
Dan Katz, who blogs for Barstool Sports, was among the competitors who were caught up in the protest. He posted this video showing what happened:
The protest didn't stop eight-time champion Joey "Jaws" Chestnut from regaining his title after losing it last year to Matt Stonie in an upset that shocked the world of competitive eating. This year, Chestnut ate a record 70 hot dogs to beat Stonie by a solid 17 franks, The Wall Street Journal reported. On the women's side, Miki Sudo ate 38.5 hot dogs to take the title.
Chestnut credited his victory to training, and his new beard. You can watch his powerful feat of (gastro)intestinal fortitude, as it aired live on ESPN, below.
