FanHouse Joey Chestnut

Wolfing down an incredible 68 hot dogs, Joey Chestnut defeated Japan's Takeru Kobayashi at the 2009 edition of the Fourth of July Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest.

It was the third consecutive victory for Chestnut, and Kobayashi, the six-time champion, once again finished in second place. Last year, Chestnut and Kobayashi tied at 59 dogs in the 10-minute regulation time, and then Chestnut won in overtime. This year Kobayashi improved, eating 64 dogs, but he didn't improve as much as Chestnut did.

It's the Fourth of July, which for many Americans, is a wonderful excuse to get drunk and stuff your face, all under the guise of celebrating freedom.

And if you're a competitive eater, you can actually make a few bucks in the process. It's not exactly glamorous, but, hey, everybody's good at something, and for Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi, it's all about chugging hot dogs (video proof here).

Ah, yes, the ol' "cannonball technique." (Actually, what I know about competitive eating consists of the few seconds each year I tune into the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, before puking and changing the channel. Maybe the cannonball technique is banned in many states.)

By the way, I love how ESPN has an on-scene reporter quizzing the contestants after the Chestnut pulls out the overtime victory (this seems like an event tailor-made for Heidi Watney; I'm guessing Jerry Remy agrees), and even better, Kobayashi has his own interpreter.

In case you're wondering, Kobayashi says he wasn't quick enough in the five-dog overtime eat-off, but he plans on being back in '09. Oh, and with the victory, Chestnut is still the No. 1 ranked eater. Don King would be proud.

Previously on FanHouse
Joey Chestnut Beats Takeru Kobayashi at Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest
Kobayashi vs. Chestnut Hot Dog Live Blog

American Joey Chestnut retained his world hot dog eating title today, beating Japan's Takeru Kobayashi in the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island.

Kobayashi had won the event every year from 2001 to 2006 before Chestnut dethroned him last year. Now Chestnut is the champ again, after an epic battle that had to go to a five-dog eat-off after they were tied at 60 hot dogs apiece following the 10 minutes of regulation time.

"It's just incredible," Chestnut said afterward. "It was a little bit messier than I wanted it to be, but I got them in me and I got them down. That's what I wanted to do."

Chestnut added: "I love to eat, I love the competition. It's the Fourth of July."

There's no greater rivalry in sports today than that between Japanese competitive eating legend Takeru Kobayashi and the American who dethroned him at last year's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Joey Chestnut. So when they take to the table again this afternoon at Coney Island, we'll be live blogging the festivities.

We're just 24 hours away from the 2007 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, and American Joey Chestnut is setting his sights high.

In an appearance on ESPN2's First Take today, Chestnut said he thinks 60 hot dogs is a realistic goal. That's five a minute, each minute, for the entire 12-minute competition. And it would break Chestnut's own world record of 59.5 hot dogs in 12 minutes -- and that last half a hot dog is always the hardest.

The real intrigue of tomorrow's showdown, though, isn't about whether Chestnut can break the record. It's about whether six-time defending champion Takeru Kobayashi, the best athlete in the history of the sport, can get over his jaw ailment well enough to compete. Even if Chestnut breaks the record, a Nathan's title in a year when Kobayashi isn't at 100 percent will always carry an asterisk in the minds of most competitive eating fans.

Previously at FanHouse:
Kobayashi Will Eat on Fourth of July
Hot Dog King Kobayashi has Jaw Arthritis
Kobayashi Might Skip Hot Dog Eating Contest
Joey Chestnut Shatters Kobayashi's Hot Dog Eating Record
Kobayashi vs. Bear: 'He Doesn't Know It's a Competition'