Dan Gross: 10th time may be a winner for Doug Canavin

WING BOWL 17 (Jan. 30 at Wachovia Center) will be "Damaging"

Doug Canavin

's 10th time in the competition. He says this is his year to go all the way.

Canavin, who works the door at Gigi (319 Market), says he's been practicing there on wings regularly, and on Monday nights he invites the public to watch him eat. Canavin has been chewing Tootsie Rolls, about 50 daily, to loosen his jaw. Canavin's entourage includes local attorney Joseph Q. Mirarchi, whom he calls "the head of my legal team," as well as "some surprises in my entourage. A few pretty famous people." Canavin declined to reveal specifics, but as Gigi is co-owned by "Survivor" alum Stephenie LaGrossa, and as she dates Phillies hurler Kyle Kendrick, we can't help but think he's referring to them. Canavin, 37, predicts that 150 wings will win this year's contest, but he's shooting for 175. "Not to be cocky, but anything less than a victory would be a disappointment for me this year," he says.

The Force is strong in this one

Valley Forge's Doug Les Pelock will return to compete again as Obi Wing. Pelock competed as Doug Les Petocle several years ago, and when we asked yesterday which name is real, he says "Pelock" and blames his bad handwriting for the previous identification. Obi Wing is training hard and stayed in character during the interview, although what we think is supposed to be an Alec Guinness Obi Wan Kenobi impression sounds a lot more like Triumph the Insult Comic Dog from "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." Wing says he's practicing on "watermelon."

U.S. Male is also a pro eater

Dave "U.S. MALE" Goldstein is the fourth of the local pro eaters who were shut out of Wing Bowl 17. We failed to include him in our list last week alongside Micah "Wing Kong" Collins, Eric "Steakbellie" Livingston and "Humble" Bob Shoudt. *

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