Pros banned from Wing Bowl 17, contest will be all local eaters
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Pros banned from Wing Bowl 17, contest will be all local eaters
The brainchild of co-host Al Morganti and Cataldi, the annual celebration of gluttony and strippers began in 1993 with less than a hundred spectators in the lobby of the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel, now the Sheraton City Center. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 15 for the Wachovia Center event.
Reigning champion Joey Chestnut, who beat his previous record by eating 241 wings at this year's contest, had won three years in a row. He and many contestants in recent years, were professional eaters who appear regularly in events sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, Major League Eating and other professional contests.
Chestnut revealed to us before Wing Bowl 16 that win or lose it would be his last Wing Bowl, but the departure of all pros means we are likely to have a brand new winner in 2009 as five-time champ Bill "El Wingador" Simmons is ineligible. Simmons came out of retirement for Wing Bowl 16, but then said he would not return either.
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There is ONE reason and ONE reason alone that WIP has made the stupid decision to make Wing Bowl 17 a Philly-only event - THEY COULD NOT GET KOBAYASHI TO COMPETE!! I was on the floor last year and heard Chestnut state to the reporters that he was retired from the Wing Bowl. Once he stepped away from the reporters, I asked him if he would come back next year if Kobayashi was here. He said, and I quote …”Yeah, that would make a difference in my decision. I LOVE beating that guy!” I can not describe the fire that was in his eyes when he said it. I ran and told Angelo, but they obvioulsy decided not to take any action. Why not get the best of the best on stage? Then, they should take a chapter from the Philly Marathon and give a big award to highest Philly eater. Would we want to see the Phillies win the world series, but not against the best of the best? Hell no! And we don’t want to see the best Philly eater take the crown unless he/she is THE BEST.— Boneman- Comment removed.
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- Amen:: Gross should be one of the celebrity eaters..At least someone from the Delaware Valley will win...and who is looking at the girls hair eh?
