Hamburger
Salvages American Pride in Coney Island
story submitted by freelance writer Ian Dyre
With the upcoming presidential election and the great debate that has been witnessed
all across America regarding US presence in Iraq, I, like many other Americans,
have given a great deal of thought about
the topic of American
pride and what it really means to be a patriotic American. When my family and
I decided to spend July 4th in Coney Island never did we suspect that the question
of American patriotism and Pride would smack us in the face like a Coney Island
wave.
If you were in Coney Island on July 4th you may have witnessed the remarkable
Hot dog eating performance by Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobiyashi
who again smashed the world record by eating 53 Nathan's Hot Dogs. For those
of us who glanced away long enough from this remarkable spectacle, you may have
noticed that another Japanese Eater, Nobuyuki Shirota consumed
38 Hot Dogs and a Korean National, Sonya “The Black Widow”
Thomas eat 32. All of these performances eclipsing the 31 Hot Dog mark
which remains the American record. Although I was dazzled by the performance,
I like many other proud Americans wondered whether America would ever regain
its dominance or presence in the Hot Dog Eating contest. The feeling of disappointment
can easily be compared to the feeling one gets when watching a long distance
running event in the Olympics or the high profile marathons like New York, Boston
and Chicago where the first American finisher is way back in the pack.
If you were lucky enough to hang around in Coney Island on July 4th that feeling
of American pride may have been restored. In front of Keyspan Park at a Bar
& Grill called Peggy O’Neill's Coney Island held
its first, Inaugural Hamburger Eating Contest. Contestants, numbering around
1,000, watched as three Americans in a field of International competitors took
the top 4 spots. Who were these contestants? The field of eaters included two
Japanese eaters, and eater from Puerto Rico who went by the name of “Burger
Baron” and two topped ranked American Eaters “Gentleman”
Joe Menchetti and Arnie “Chowhound” Chapman,
all competing for the coveted Golden Spatula, and the prestigious Peggy O'Neill's
Meat Jacket and $350 in prize money. The contest was Mc’d by none other
than America's foremost Hamburger Advocate, Dave “Coondog”
O’Karma and an enthusiastic local DJ named Sisco Kid
who made the event feel more like a party than a contest. Eaters were required
to eat the Hamburgers as they would at a July 4th picnic which meant that they
risked disqualification if they were caught dunking, Mutilating, separating,
watering down their buns or otherwise desecrating or mutilating the American
Icon known as the Hamburger. Two eaters from Philadelphia Yao “Burger
King” Bling and Jason “Cheese wiz” Goodwin
were caught trying to water down their buns and subsequently tossed from the
contest. Both the Mc‘s and the crowd seemed to enjoy ejecting these eaters
from Philly who themselves seemed to derive a good deal enjoyment from being
ejected. After all was said and done, the top finishers were “Gentleman”
Joe Menchetti (7.75 1/2 lb Hamburgers consumed) Arnie “Chowhound”
Chapman (6.5 1/2 lb Hamburgers consumed and a Brooklyn kid from Bensonhurst
named Angelo Otto who consumed 4.5 Hamburgers. The two Japanese eaters who are
accomplished eaters in their home land, were know where to be found in the final
tally. When watching them eat they seemed befuddled when attempting to eat the
Hamburgers using “American Picnic style rules.” Some of my friends
and coworkers have accused me of exaggerating when I loudly proclaim that the
Hamburger has brought back pride to both Coney Island and America.
Perhaps this is true, but all I know is that the Hamburger made me
FEEL GREAT TO BE AN AMERICAN on JULY 4th!