RIVAL GROUPS SQUARE OFF

Published: Thursday, July 28, 2005

By Dennis Fiely
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Take cover: Gluttons are having a food fight.

Two governing bodies vying for control are threatening to sully the hog trough of competitive eating.

The International Federation of Competitive Eaters remains the dominant authority in the "sport," but it is being challenged by the Association of Independent Competitive Eaters, formed last year by renegade gorgers.

Each group claims to have the biggest pigs.

''The finest competitive eaters in the world are IFOCE eaters,'' said group co-founder Richard Shea.

Not so fast.

''We can beat them,'' AICE Chairman Arnie ''Chowhound'' Chapman said.

''We would love the opportunity to face off with them,'' he said.

So far, a chow-down seems unlikely.

The original group excludes members of the spinoff organization from its contests and refuses to allow its pound-packers to compete in the other group's food orgies.

Both groups keep track of their own ''world'' records, and neither ranks the other's members.

The schism has stirred some indigestion over the International Federation of Competitive Eaters-produced 2005 Alka-Seltzer U.S. Open, to air tonight through Saturday on ESPN.

''It does not have the 32 best eaters in the world,'' insisted Chapman, who counts himself among them. ''ESPN got conned by the IFOCE.''

Missing in action on the telecast are Chapman and two Ohioans who have cast their lot with the newer group -- Dave ''Coondog'' O'Karma of Cuyahoga Falls and Mark ''The Human Vacuum'' Lyle of Gahanna.

A Web site that ranks eaters from both groups -- www.speedeat.com -- listed all three in its top 25.

''How can the say they have the world's best eaters when I'm not there?'' said Coondog, a 49-year-old painter and writer who recently ate 31 ears of corn (4.1 pounds) in 10 minutes.

Lyle attributed his omission from the event to his refusal to sign a two-year exclusivity deal with the International Federation of Competitive Eaters.

''People say I'm one of the best chicken-wing eaters in the world,'' said the 34-year-old swimming-pool technician and contractor, who in April ate 150 chicken wings in 12 minutes to win ''War of the Wings'' in Coshocton.

Richard and George Shea, International Federation of Competitive Eaters co-founders, dismiss the upstart organization as a small group of disgruntled grubby-guts who don't want to abide by the professional standards the brothers established for an activity that has outgrown county pie-eating contests.

Otherwise, Richard Shea said, ''I don't comment about them.''

Association of Independent Competitive Eaters members, on the other hand, protest as loudly as they belch.

They have publicly ripped the older group for everything from bad food to false advertising.

At the gut of the dispute is the contract that the International Federation of Competitive Eaters requires most of its members to sign.

Signers agree to participate solely in that group's events. They also defer handling of personal revenue opportunities to the group, which pockets 20 percent of the income.

''They want to dictate where you eat and what you eat,'' said Gahanna's Lyle. ''Basically they want to own you, make money off you and use you to promote their business.''

The Shea brothers launched their federation eight years ago after their public-relations company, Shea Communications on Long Island, spent several years promoting Nathan's Famous July Fourth International Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island in New York -- the granddaddy of eating events.

This year, they will stage more than 100 events with purses that range from $500 to the $40,000 in the Alka-Seltzer US Open.

The contracts are necessary to protect sponsors and the honor of the sport, Shea said.

''We expect a certain behavior from our eaters. When they are wearing a sponsor's jersey onstage, they have to carry themselves with dignity.''

Chapman compared his upstart group to the American Football League, which began as an alternative to the National Football League and eventually united with the NFL to create the Super Bowl.

Lyle envisions a Super Bowl for eaters someday.

''Competition from AICE is creating a better environment for eaters, generating more money and publicity,'' he said. ''Eventually, we will go head to head in a true open championship for a big payday.''