Tim "Gravy" Brown took first place at the KSO VI Nashville Qualifier with 54 Krystal Burger Points. Maybe it was the gold jacket that gave him the extra edge over the competition.
Folks watching the Krystal Square Off VI Nashville Qualifier this past Saturday experienced the closest qualifying competition for the World Hamburger Eating Championship yet. While Erik “The Red” Denmark, “Crazy Legs” Conti and plenty of other top-rate competitors showed up to chow down, in the end Tim “Gravy” Brown ate his way to the top with 54 Krystal Burger Points to advance on as a finalist in the Krystal Square Off Championship taking place in downtown Chattanooga on Sept. 27.
Having also competed at San Antonio in late August, Nashville was the second Qualifier for Erik “The Red” Denmark. Unsure if his first Krystal Burger Point total of 55 would keep him in the lead for a Wild Card spot, Denmark felt the trip down South was necessary. And although finishing at the Nashville Qualifier with a lower tally of 52 Krystal Burger Points was disappointing, it stands as the second highest total for the Wild Card race (although he can only hold one spot); thus confirming that Denmark will be a major contender at the finals.
Coming in at third place was 15th-ranked eater in the world, Jim Reeves, who was very satisfied with his 50 Krystal Burger Points, as the score put him in second for the Wild Card race behind Denmark. Finishing in the 5th and 6th place spots, “Nasty” Nate Biller, “Crazy Legs” Conti (who both tied) and Russell Keeler all plan to compete in the Knoxville Qualifier as well with hopes to knock Reeves out and put themselves in the running for a Wild Card seat.
Crazy Legs Conti shares his strategy for the KSO VI Qualifiers and hopes he has what it takes to make it back to the Final Table this year.
If we learned anything from the Q&A below with “Crazy Legs” Conti, it’s that he’s got a passion for two things: Krystal Burgers and everything Southern. Conti also talked about the new Krystal Square Off rules, preparations for the Nashville and Knoxville Qualifiers, the power of KSO’s yellow “Future Champion” t-shirt and much more. Check out the details below…
How has your training been for this year’s Krystal Square Off? Trying out any new techniques?
Training? What training? I’m a foolish Northerner that chooses to live outside Krystal country. My love of the Southern slider and Southern women is well documented. If I had any sense at all, I’d move to New Orleans to be in Krystal country. Harold and Kumar must have been high…if they had been thinking straight; they would have gone to a Krystal. I didn’t even compete in Krystal Square Off I because all the big talking Northern eaters headed South and lost to Southerners weaned on Krystal. I was scared. I admit it. I’m not anymore. I’ve learned to embrace the Krystal as a pro-eater and as a casual diner. I know you’ll have plenty of Krystal Blitzes standing by, but can I get a Milkquake for dessert?
Who do you think the new rules give an advantage to?
Super Paul Bonebreaker Barlow. He has been trying for years to get past his personal best of 24. This year he ate five Big Angus burgers in eight minutes and got to 25 points. The man shattered his personal best. I wish I could have been there.
What is your goal for this year’s KSO VI?
Same as every year – simply make the final table. Last year, I only made it to the finals due to the generosity of Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas. This year for me is going to be even tougher. I have been watching “Breaking Away” every night in preparation.
You’ve seen the Krystal Square Off grow from taking place in a mall parking lot in front of a few hundred people to drawing more than 10,000 spectators to downtown Chattanooga and a live TV audience. What do you attribute the KSO’s success to?
I am fortunate to have eight years of pro-eating perspective. I’ve seen sponsors come and go. A sponsor that is in it for the long game is always going to come out ahead. Longevity, increased prize money, and endearing oneself to the eaters always lead to success. Krystal does too much for the eaters…the rock star treatment we get whether we are eating in just one qualifier or the final is wonderful. The gear is cool. The Hall of Fame is cool. I’m wearing a Krystal hat and Krystal watch right now because year round I am thankful for the opportunity to compete in the hamburger circuit. The most fun is interacting with fans, signing stuff, and talking Krystal. But if I had to attribute the Square Off success to just one thing it would be the yellow shirt that reads “Future Champion”. A generation of Krystal Champions is coming…
You’re set to compete in two qualifiers this weekend. What’s your thinking behind that other than getting to eat more Krystals?
This is the Krystal Square Off Blog so I figure this where Krystal lovers and true MLE insiders come for the truth. I’ll give you my thought process as I am prepping for Nashville on Saturday and Knoxville on Sunday. My best shot at making the finals is Saturday in Nashville. Gravy Brown, Buffalo Jim Reeves and I are pretty evenly matched. If Krystal ever goes Pay-for-View, I’d lay down $33 bucks to see that match-up. If I lose Saturday, I’ll be crying in Wild Bill’s back seat the whole ride from Nashville to Knoxville. My road to the finals on Sunday is a lot tougher. Look at the Sunday table in Knoxville. Eater X is winning with a high number, leaving one wild card spot (assuming Eric The Red’s 55 holds up). Wing Kong is trying to avenge his cheesesteak injustice against Juliet Lee. Juliet Lee is trying to silence the debris critics and put up a personal best. Denmark might fly redeye and show up if Nashville numbers are not to his liking. Nasty Nate could be a wild card spoiler. Wild Bill will get a PB, but be exhausted from driving a million miles. That’s a stacked table. Eight minutes of agony leading to a winner and two wild card spots. Everyone eating for the glory of making the finals! Think of the Knoxville fans trying to do the math in their heads. Think of poor Kenny Hammontree trying to make sure every bite, chew, and swallow is legal. Think of the MLE MC urging the crowd on. Think of me, channeling Dennis Christopher’s Dave in “Breaking Away”. The closing seconds of the Knoxville qualifier is going to a moment that every athlete strives to be a part of. I guarantee a bun buzzer beater. No matter what happens it’s going to be an awesome moment in Krystal history.
How would you handicap this year’s championship?
I can tell you right now exactly what is going to happen. It’s not going to matter who wins. It’s not going to matter who splits the $50,000 in prize money. What is going to matter is that the banks of the Chattanooga River will be overflowing with joy…and Krystal Blitz.
Seen here at the KSO V Knoxville Qualifier last year, Tim Janus (middle) and Crazy Legs Conti (right) finished in first and second place. Can they do it again this year to earn seats at the KSO VI finals?
On Sunday, Sept. 20, The Krystal Square Off VI Qualifying Circuit will head to Knoxville for it’s very last stop on the World Hamburger Eating Championship tour. The Knoxville Qualifier will be the final chance for Wild Card hopefuls to give it their all for one last shot at a coveted spot at the live televised main eating event in Chattanooga on Sept. 27, where the Knoxville winner will compete against eleven other masters of mastication. Below are some quick bites of info for you to chew on between now and then.
Contest Bites:
The Knoxville Qualifier will take place on Sunday, Sept. 20 at the Tennessee Valley Fair.
For any out-of-towners traveling to the event, there are four hotels in the Knoxville area offering special discounts for Fairgoers. Click here for more information.
Five amateur hopefuls will be selected on the spot to compete. Those wishing to be selected can register on site starting at 1:00 p.m.
The 8-minute contest will start at 2:00 p.m.
Tim “Eater X” Janus, the 4th-ranked eater in the world, is no doubt the favorite to win on Sunday. Janus placed fifth at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship last year with 64 Krystals. His personal best is 74 Krystals.
The race for second should be a close one between 14th-ranked eater in world, “Crazy Legs” Conti and 2nd-ranked female eater in the world, Juliet “The Lovely” Lee. The two will be battling it out for a shot at one of the two Wild Card Spots.
Four of the eaters confirmed for the Knoxville Qualifier are in the Top 30 of Major League Eating’s world rankings.
The current list of confirmed eaters includes:
Tim “Eater X” Janus, New York, NY – ranked 4
Juliet “The Lovely” Lee, Germantown, MD – ranked 8
“Crazy Legs” Conti, New York, NY – ranked 14
Russell Keeler, Kingston, PA – ranked 28
“Nasty” Nathan Biller, Briarwood, NY – unranked
Historical Bites:
The Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship has held a Qualifying event in Knoxville since the competition started in 2004.
“Crazy Legs” Conti competed in the Knoxville Qualifier last year, where he put up his biggest number to date – 50 Krystals.
Tim “Eater X” Janus participated in the closest Krystal Square Off event in history with just half a Krystal separating him and Chip “The Phenom” Simpson (53 Krystals) and Eater X (52.5) at the 2006 Atlanta Qualifier.
Fourth-ranked eater in the world, Tim “Eater X” Janus dominated the KSO V Knoxville Qualifier last year with 63 Krystals in eight minutes. Janus’ mark shattered the previous Knoxville Qualifier record of 49 hamburgers set in 2007 by Chip Simpson.
The 14th-ranked eater in the world "Crazy Legs" Conti hopes to put up a big enough number at the Nashville Qualifier to stroll into the Krystal Square Off VI Finals with confidence.
The seven-city Krystal Square Off VI Qualifying Circuit will make its way to Nashville this Saturday, Sept. 19 for the last weekend of qualifying events before the main event in downtown Chattanooga on Sept. 27. The Nashville Qualifier will be one of the most thrilling competitions yet, as five “Top 30 Competitive Eaters” compete for first place and a possible coveted Wild Card spot for a seat at the final table and a chance at the $50,000 cash purse. It will be a battle down to the very last second (and Krystal Burger) that you won’t want to miss. In the meantime, below are a few quick bites to help you gear up for the competition.
Contest Bites:
The Nashville Qualifier is free to attend and takes place on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Tennessee State Fair.
Registration is now closed for the Nashville, however five amateur hopefuls will be selected on the spot to compete. Those wishing to be selected can register on site starting at 1:00 p.m.
The eight-minute contest will start at 2:00 p.m.
Top IFOCE Competitive Eater “Crazy Legs” Conti started as one of the sport’s biggest fans and is now ranked 14th in the world. Known for his unique look, fun personality and knowledge of the sport, Conti has established himself as perhaps the most entertaining eater in Major League Eating.
The following five eaters are confirmed for Saturday, all of which rank in the list of top 30 competitive eaters in the world.
Rumored to also make an appearance at the Nashville Qualifier are:
Pete Davekos, Boston, MA
Nathan Biller, Briarwood, NY
Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama, Murfreesboro, TN
Historical Bites:
Nashville has been home to a Krystal Square Off Qualifier for all six years of its World Hambuger Eating Competitions since 2004.
Juliet “The Lovely” Lee won last year’s Nashville Qualifier with 51 Krystals, after beating out Eric “Badlands” Booker and Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama in an eat-off for the first time in Krystal Square Off history.
The controversy surrounding the infamous “Nashville Eat-Off” led to the creation of a new rule by Major League Eating – The “Mustard Yellow Card” rule – which allows judges to disqualify competitors for “messy eating” during a contest. For more info on the rule, click here.
One of the Nashville Qualifier headline eaters for KSO VI, Crazy Legs Conti competed in two Qualifiers last year in Memphis and Knoxville to earn a seat at the KSO V Finals in Chattanooga. There, he finished in 8th place with 49 Krystals.
Amateur hopeful Erik Unger took second in Birmingham and is now tied for second in the KSO VI Wild Card Race.
The race is on, and it’s about to get interesting.
With five Krystal Square Off VI Qualifiers already completed and only two more to go, it is Erik “The Red” Denmark who currently holds the number one Wild Card spot with 55 Krystal Burger Points from his performance at the San Antonio Qualifier.
And with the release of the new tallies from this past weekend, there has already been a shift in second place.
While unranked amateur Jon Bello, who finished second at the Jacksonville Qualifier with 36 Krystal Burger Points, has been surpassed and is no longer a possible contender, another unknown eater has stepped up in his place. The unranked amateur, Erik Unger, surprised eating fans in Birmingham this past Saturday by amassing 42 Krystal Burger Points after putting away 17 Krystals and 5 Big Angus Burgers in eight minutes. The impressive feat by the amateur hopeful puts him in a dead-even tie for the second Wild Card spot with the 22nd-ranked eater in the world, Eric “Steakbellie” Livingston, who scored 42 at the Atlanta Qualifier on Saturday.
The tiebreaker typically goes to the second best Krystal Burger count held by the eaters in question. However, with some of the big names scheduled to compete at the Nashville and Knoxville Qualifiers this weekend, we predict that a tiebreaker for the second Wild Card spot won’t be needed; unless of course, it’s between a few of the eaters listed below who have not yet had the chance to compete.
NASHVILLE QUALIFIER – Sept. 19
Crazy Legs Conti, New York, NY
Bryan Beard, Aurora, CO
Wild Bill Myers, Breinigsville, PA
Buffalo Jim Reeves, Boston, NY
Tim “Gravy Brown”, Chicago, IL
KNOXVILLE QUALIFIER – Sept. 20
Tim “Eater X” Janus, New York, NY
Crazy Legs Conti, New York, NY
Russell Keeler, Kingston, PA
Juliet “The Lovely” Lee, Germantown, MD
“Nasty” Nathan Biller, Briarwood, NY
A pretty impressive line up, don’t you agree? Looks like Denmark will be watching our @ksquareoff tweets closely on Saturday as we give real time updates from the Nashville Qualifier. Depending on the final numbers put up from the eight-minute contest, Denmark might be jumping on a plane to compete in the Knoxville Qualifier on Sunday to ensure he keeps his number one Wild Card spot.
Like we said folks, the race is on. And with just one more weekend of qualifiers, it’s almost over.
Crazy Legs Conti is one of the stars of the new docudrama "I'm A Major League Eater."
A new competitive eating docudrama featuring many of the biggest names from past Krystal Square Off seasons is set to air tomorrow night at 10 p.m. EST on the BIO Channel.
Titled “I’m a Major League Eater,” the show promises to give a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to prepare for a major league eating contest.
Check out the “I’m a Major League Eater” trailer below featuring some of the sport’s top eaters including: Juliet Lee of Maryland, Gravy Brown of Chicago, Eater X Janus of NYC and his roommate Crazy Legs Conti. And as always, stay tuned here for all your Square Off news.
The table is finally set for Major League Eating’s biggest event of the year: the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship.
This Sunday, Sept. 28 in Chattanooga eleven of the finest eaters from around the world, including American phenom Joey Chestnut and Japan’s legendary gurgitator Takeru Kobayashi, will battle live on FSN South for the top burger title and an unprecedented $50,000 cash purse. FSN South will air a live, 60-minute special on Krystal Square Off V, including the championship event, starting at 2 p.m. EST.
This year’s winner will walk with a whopping $20,000 and the coveted Krystal Square Off Champion’s Belt and Trophy made out of crystal. The runner-up and third place finisher will each take home $10,000 and $5,000, respectively, and the remaining finalists will receive payouts ranging from $3,000 to $500.
While Chestnut received an automatic seat at this year’s final table as the defending champ, the ten other finalists had to battle it out during a seven-city qualifying circuit in which the winner in each city won a spot at the finals and the rest fought for three wild card seats. Kobayashi posted the top qualifying number this year, easily winning the Birmingham qualifier last Saturday by devouring 89 Krystals in eight-minutes. His mark betters Chestnut’s all-time qualifier record of 87 Krystals set at the trials in Tuscaloosa last year.
The 11 finalists for Krystal Square Off V are:
Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, San Jose, Calif. (Automatic seat as defending champ) Takeru Kobayashi, Tokyo, Japan (89 Krystals in Birmingham, Ala.) Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti, Chicago, Ill. (66 Krystals in Atlanta) Tim “Eater X” Janus, New York, N.Y. (63 Krystals in Knoxville) Hall “Hoover” Hunt, Jacksonville, Fla. (60 Krystals in Jacksonville) “Humble” Bob Shoudt, Philadelphia, Pa. (58 Krystals in Chattanooga) Rich “The Locust” LeFevre, Henderson, Nev. (52 Krystals in Memphis) Juliet “The Lovely” Lee, Germantown, Md. (51 Krystals in Nashville) Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (51 Krystals in Nashville – Wild Card) Eric “Badlands” Booker, Long Island, N.Y. (51 Krystals in Nashville – Wild Card) Crazy Legs Conti, New York, N.Y. (50 Krystals in Nashville – Wild Card)
In addition to the 11 finalists, for the first time in Krystal Square Off history, one person from the crowd will be chosen on the spot to compete in the championship event, giving them the chance to compete alongside some of the best eaters in the world live on television.
Last year at Krystal Square Off IV, Joey Chestnut shocked the world and a live audience of 10,000 by eating 103 Krystals in eight minutes, shattering Takeru Kobayashi’s previous world record mark of 97 set in 2006. Due to a debilitating jaw injury, Kobayashi did not compete in last year’s final. With Kobayashi hoping to reclaim his title from Chestnut, this year’s showdown is the most hotly anticipated event in competitive eating and thousands of spectators from across the U.S. and as far away as Japan are expected to witness Krystal Square Off V in person.
Now in its fifth year, the Krystal Square Off is one of the two majors in the sport of competitive eating and the only world hamburger eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating, the official governing body of all stomach-centric sports. An eight-minute eating contest, Krystal Square Off V is presented by the fast food icon Krystal and features the famous, fresh, hot, small, square Krystal Hamburger.
The Mid-South Fair in Memphis has been a familiar site on the Krystal Square Off circuit the past five years, and yesterday it drew many familiar names from the world of competitive eating as Krystal hosted the final qualifier of the year.
As expected, the event drew a tough field featuring some of eating’s finest including Rich LeFevre, Crazy Legs Conti, Juris Shibayama and Erik Denmark. All were looking to win a seat at the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship this Sunday in Chattanooga, whether by victory or by grabbing one of the three wild card spots.
The sixty-four year old LeFevre, who has qualified for all four previous Krystal Square Off finals, was considered the slim favorite going into Sunday’s competition, and while he struggled to maintain the lead for most of the contest, in the end his experience triumphed over the youth and bravado of his competitors, earning him the win with 52 Krystal burgers. Shibayama, aka “Dr. Bigtime,” took second with 51 burgers, the same number he was credited with in Nashville a week ago.
Denmark, who promised a victory this week via his Twitter feed, improved upon his performance from a week ago when he ate just 43 Krystals, but he was penalized in Memphis for cramming two Krystals in his mouth after time was called. After deductions the Seattle-based eater was deemed the third place finisher with 50 Krystals. Crazy Legs, who last week downed half a century in Knoxville, finished two behind that mark in Memphis to finish fourth with 48 Krystals.
Click here for photos from the Krystal Square Off V Qualifier in Memphis.
Competitive eating’s man of mystery Tim Janus was the king of the Krystal today in Knoxville, Tenn. The 31-year-old from New York, N.Y. known as “Eater X” devoured 63 of the fast food icon’s famous hamburgers in eight minutes to win the Knoxville Krystal Square Off V Qualifier. Janus’ mark shattered the previous Knoxville Qualifier record of 49 hamburgers set last year by Chip Simpson.
Janus’ victory earns him a spot at the FSN South-televised final table of the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship on Sept. 28, held in Krystal’s hometown of Chattanooga. There, Janus will go up against reigning World Champion and record holder Joey Chestnut, three-time champion Takeru Kobayashi and all of the top finishers from the regional qualifiers held in cities across the South.
Never challenged the entire contest, Janus finished a baker’s dozen ahead of his closest competitor, Crazy Legs Conti, whose 50 Krystals one short of placing him in wild card contention.
Watch WBIR-TV’s coverage of today’s contest here. And for a news story and video of Crazy Legs on WBIR’s Sunday morning show just ahead of the contest click here.
Click thumbnails below for some photos from today’s event.
The seven-city qualifying circuit for the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship makes its way to Knoxville, Tenn. this Sunday, Sept. 14, and among the eaters who will be competing for a spot at this year’s World Championship include the world’s No. 4-ranked gurgitator Tim “Eater X” Janus and the 11th ranked Crazy Legs Conti.
It should be a relatively easy run for Eater X, who brings with him a high mark of 74 Krystals to Knoxville. Conti’s personal best is 45, which may not be good enough to challenge his fellow New Yorker, but puts him the ballpark to earn one of the three wild card spots in the finals. Right now, the bottom number in the wild card race is 44 Krystals, but that is all but guaranteed to change this weekend either in Nashville or Knoxville.
The Knoxville Krystal Square Off V Qualifier takes place at the Tennessee Valley Fair. Action starts at 2:00 p.m. Registration for the five amateur on-the-spot slots begins at 1:00 p.m.
Here’s a list of eaters confirmed as of today for the event this Sunday:
Tim Janus
Crazy Legs Conti
Pete Davekos
Nathan Biller
Bill Myers
Dave Goldstein
Steve Spinosa
Loren “Bubba” Yarbrough
Follow the action in Knoxville and every contest this season as it happens at Twitter.com/ksquareoff.
