The July 4th holiday is upon us and people around the country are gearing up to watch one of America’s most storied traditions. No, we’re not talking about fireworks or even friendly neighborhood cookouts. We’re talking about an event as quintessentially American as they come: a hot dog eating contest.
Later this afternoon, challengers with insatiable appetites — and something to prove — will convene at Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island where they will attempt to eat as many hot dogs as they can over the course of 10 minutes. Per usual, most will be tuning in to see if the current champion — Joey “Jaws” Chestnut — can emerge victorious and defend the crown yet again. It will also be interesting to see if Chestnut can break the record he set last year when he ate an astounding 72 hot dogs — buns included — in just 10 minutes.
If you’re looking to catch the bizarre eating event live as it happens, or even if you’re just looking for an excuse to sneak inside and escape the sweltering heat for a few minutes, you can catch all of the hot dog eating madness live on
Chestnut, it’s worth noting, is something of a hot dog eating legend as he’s won the event 10 times thus far. The prize money, as in years past, is $10,000 for the first place winner. That said, Chestnut last year earned nearly $139 for every hot dog he ate.
