American Beat: Japanese Sputnik

When I heard that Kobayashi had been beaten in Japan, it dawned on me: We're sending weekend duffers out there to compete against Tiger Woods. It's not that the Japanese eaters are better than us, it's just that we're not finding our best eaters.

In a country of 270 million people, you're telling me that we can't find one person who can eat 51 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes?

Shea-who spends most of the year running regional qualifiers for the Nathan's contest, as well as running other competitive eating events around the world-is certain that there's an American eater out there who can beat the Japanese at what has become their game.

But that eater will never reveal himself unless America starts treating eating contests like a sport.

"The popularity of competitive eating is rising, but the sport needs to mature-and when I say 'mature,' I'm obviously talking about money," Shea said. "A Japanese eater can make $5,000 for an appearance. With that much money on the line, you develop an entire class of professional eaters who do this for a living."

Case in point: Shea is working out final negotiations for an eating contest at the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D. (preliminary reports indicate it will involve eating an entire hog). He's hopeful that some great eater will emerge, but he knows he'll just get the same old weekend athlete rather than a gustatory gladiator.