Joey Chestnut set the record for most frankfurters eaten at the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2018 with a whopping 74 (he still ate 71 last year, which is still SO MANY HOT DOGS).
He actually thinks he can beat his record with this year’s special conditions that are set because of the coronavirus pandemic, which reportedly include holding the event without fans in a “large, open warehouse-like space” with fewer competitors spaced out.
Chestnut told TMZ there is some downside with no fans pushing him, but there are some good things about the conditions: “There’s a little bit of a bonus because it looks like we’re going to be eating in air conditioning, and they’re less eaters, so they’re making less hot dogs so they might taste better.”
He thinks without the humidity in Coney Island and the better taste, he could hit 77 (!) if everything lines up perfectly.
We’ll see on Saturday.
