The E:60 crew was at the Nashville Qualifier to capture Juliet Lee win her seat at the Krystal Square Off finals.
ESPN’s prime-time television newsmagazine, E:60, will spotlight this year’s Krystal Square Off V on Tuesday, October 21, at 7 p.m. ET, as the show takes an in-depth look at the sport of competitive eating.
A press release from ESPN describes the coverage as follows:
There are 80-100 competitive eating events a year at venues across the country. The top two are Nathan’s in New York and Krystal’s hamburgers in Tennessee. In a sport replete with colorful personalities, E:60 correspondent Jeremy Schaap takes an in-depth look at competitive eating . . . Highlights include interviews with some of the greatest “eaters” in the world such as Takeru Kobayashi, Joey Chestnut, Juliet Lee, “Crazy Legs” Conti and Tim “Eater X” Janus.
Set your TiVo for ESPN, tomorrow night at 7 p.m. ET. We’ll send a tweet beforehand to remind you of the broadcast.
FSN South's Heather Catlin talks with Pat Bertoletti after his runner-up finish at Krystal Square Off V.
If you missed out on watching Joey Chestnut successfully defend his title at the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship on Sunday, or you were there in person and wanted to see if your “Crazy Legs-Palin 2008″ sign made it on television, FSN South is re-airing the one-hour broadcast of Krystal Square Off V tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST. It looks like only Direct TV users will be able to watch this replay but be sure to check listings for when the Krystal Square Off is replaying on your cable provider.
Also, check out this Dutch TV news story on Krystal Square Off V and wait for when the music kicks in. Pretty funny. And watch a Slovenia TV news report on Krystal Square Off V after the jump . . .
It pays to be the Krystal Square Off V champ, with Joey Chestnut earning $20,000 for his victory on Sunday.
Hailed as the Super Bowl of competitive eating, the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship annually fields the finest eaters in the world who all have one thing on their minds: winning the title. And while it is the championship belt and trophy they’re after, the prize money always makes a victory taste sweeter, and at Krystal Square Off V yesterday, even a defeat tasted pretty darn good.
A total of $50,000 in prize money was awarded to the 12 gurgitators, making it the largest cash purse in competitive eating history. Joey Chestnut was of course the biggest winner of the bunch, pocketing his largest cash payday ever, $20,000. Pat Bertoletti also earned the biggest prize of his career, taking away $10,000 for his runner-up finish. And even the last place finisher, Kyle Brogdon, who joined the finalist on stage at the very last minute thanks to winning The 12th Eater contest, earned a cool $500.
Below are the official payouts for the 12 finalists:
Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, San Jose, Calif. (93 Krystals) - $20,000
Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti, Chicago, Ill., (85 Krystals) - $10,000
Takeru Kobayashi, Tokyo, Japan, (84 Krystals) - $5,000
“Humble” Bob Shoudt, Philadelphia, Pa. (76 Krystals) - $3,000
Tim “Eater X” Janus, New York, N.Y. (64 Krystals) - $2,500
Hall “Hoover” Hunt, Jacksonville, Fla. (63 Krystals) - $2,000
Juliet “The Lovely” Lee, Germantown, Md. (55 Krystals) - $1,850
Crazy Legs Conti, New York, N.Y. (49 Krystals) - $1,500
Rich “The Locust” LeFevre, Henderson, Nev. (47 Krystals) - $1,400
Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (43 Krystals) - $1,250
Eric “Badlands” Booker, Long Island, N.Y. (41 Krystals) - $1,000
While at an autograph signing at the Hixson Krystal, Competitive eater Patrick Bertoletti posed with a copy of the Chattanooga Times Free Press that has a picture of him, Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi on the cover
As part of the events over the Krystal Square Off V weekend, competitive eaters Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi, Patrick Bertolettiand Humble Bob Shoudt went out to the Krystal restaurant in Hixson, Tenn. to sign autographs during the “Sample Saturday” celebration, where customers get to try out Krystal menu items for free and enter to win a $100 gift card.
Fans came out to see their gustatory heroes and get their official Krystal Square Off V event guide signed by four of the best eaters in the world. Once again, both Chestnut and Kobayashi were asked how many Krystals they were planing to eat tomorrow, and both said that they were looking to set a new record and were aiming around the 110 mark. Looks like it’s going to be a close, tense rematch tomorrow. However, even if just for an hour, all four got to hang out with their fans and relax for a little before going back to mentally prepare for the pending showdown.
Here is a quick video of the autograph signing and you can check out some photos here.
Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut faced off for the media today at the official Krystal Square Off V press conference at Ross's Landing.
Krystal Square Off V officially kicked off the weekend of festivities this afternoon with a pre-event press conference held at Ross’s Landing in Chattanooga. On hand to talk to the media were competitive eatersPat Bertoletti, Takeru Kobayashi and defending champJoey Chestnut.
After being introduced by Major League Eating chairman and founder George Shea, Chestnut was asked how many Krystals he was looking to put down this year. His response: 110. Shea’s introduction of the eaters was then followed by an impassioned speech about the importance of the rematch between Chestnut and Kobayashi and a presentation of this year’s championship belt and trophy.
Chestnut and Kobayashi were then filmed and photographed by the media doing a one Krystal eat-off, or what looked like an eat-off. Kobayashi did not actually swallow his Krystal after putting into his mouth; he didn’t want to ruin his preparation for Sunday’s big event which includes keeping his stomach empty from here on out. “You tricked me,” said Chestnut after realizing his rival hadn’t eaten the Krystal.
Below is a quick video recap of the press conference and check out loads of photos from today’s press conference here.
Stay tuned for more Krystal Square Off posts and news throughout the course of the weekend and don’t forget that you can follow the KSO Twitter feed to get instant updates.
Takeru Kobayashi was looking relaxed and confident during a TV interview yesterday at the Krystal restaurant on Broad Street in Chattanooga.
Wearing a Krystal Square Off V “staff” shirt and a Gringo Bandito Hot Sauce trucker cap given to him by The Offspring’s Dexter Holland, a relaxed and confidentTakeru Kobayashistopped by the Krystal restaurant on Broad Street in Chattanooga yesterday to sign autographs and get a behind-the-scenes look at how Krystals are prepared.
The three-time hamburger world champ also sat down for an interview with local CBS affiliate, WDEF-TV, and had a terse message for last year’s champ Joey Chestnut.
Chestnut, who flew into Atlanta from San Jose, Calif. last night and drove the 115-plus miles to Chattanooga, was up and at ‘em this morning, doing two interviews with WDEF starting at 6:00 a.m. (that’s 3:00 a.m. for the west coast eater). The speed-eating sensation is now off to a lunchtime interview with Don Welch on WTVC, the local ABC affiliate, and then the two eaters will meet up for the first time in Chattanooga since 2006 at today’s press conference at 2:30 p.m.
Follow today’s events on Twitter. Sign-up to “follow” us by clicking here.
By the way, here’s a little known Krystal Square Off fact that we learned yesterday. One grill is capable of steaming a maximum of 24 Krystal hamburgers (aka a “Steamer Pack), and it takes a total of eight minutes to fully prepare and cook all 24 Krystals. So, when you do the math, Chestnut and Kobayashi can consume more than four times as many Krystal hamburgers as Krystal can cook in the same amount of time. They could also devour one Steamer Pack in about 1/8th the time it would take to prepare them.
Want a shot at Chestnut and Kobayashi? Sign-up to be The 12th Eater at Sunday’s Krystal Square Off V and win at least $500.
UPDATE: WDEF-TV has posted a video of today’s news story on the match-up between Chestnut and Kobayashi at Krystal Square Off V. Noon anchor Joe Legge, who won this year’s kick-off media contest, presents the piece which includes interviews with both eaters, footage of Kobayashi at a local Krystal and footage from Krystal Square Off III and IV. Watch it here.
Autograph Alley at the Krystal Square Off gives competitive eating fans a chance to meet their favorite pro eaters.
We’re still around 50 hours from the start of the Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship, but the fun and festivities officially get underway today with the eaters’ press conference at 2:30 p.m. and activities will be held throughout the weekend to get you ready for Sunday’s big event. To make sure you have all the details on this weekend’s happenings, we’ve put together the guide below. All events are free and open to the public.
Also, be sure to follow the action on the Krystal Square Off Twitter feed. Sign up and “follow” us to get messages delivered directly to your cell phone or email.
Friday, September 26 -
2:30 p.m. - Press Conference @ Ross’s Landing - The top ranked eaters in the world, including Joey Chestnutand Takeru Kobayashi, will meet face-to-face for the official pre-contest press conference. This is Kobayashi’s first time in Chattanooga since he won Krystal Square Off III in 2006 and the first face-to-face meeting between Chestnut and Kobayashi on American soil since July 4’s hot dog eating championship in Coney Island.
Saturday, September 27 -
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Autograph Signing @ Krystal in Hixson, Tenn. - The world’s greatest eaters will be at the Krystal in Hixson signing autographs and taking photos with fans including, Takeru Kobayashi, Joey Chestnut, Pat Bertoletti, Humble Bob Shoudt and others. Plus, in addition to meeting these eating superstars, you can fill-up for free as the restaurant will be giving away free samples of various menu items as a part of it’s “Sample Saturday” series.
Sunday, September 28 -
9:00 a.m. - Krystal Square Off V Bicycle Poker Run begins. For more information, click here.
Noon - Krystal Square Off V Tailgating Party and Fan Fest begins at Ross’s Landing at the Chattanooga Riverfront. This year’s Fan Fest includes: Carnival Games, Free Krystal Burgers, Parade of Eaters, Autograph Alley with the eaters and The Marshall Tucker Band will take the stage.
* Also, don’t forget - registration for the Sackful Challenge and the spot of the 12th Eater will take place between noon and 1:00 p.m. This is your shot to take the stage and show your stuff - oh, and you’ll do it on live television!
2:00 p.m. - FSN South televised coverage begins and kicks off with the Sackful Challenge. Immediately following, the official 2008 Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship will take place.
The Krystal Square Off press conference has been the site of weigh-ins, stare downs and the official unveiling of the three-digit Krystal counter.
Before this Sunday’s Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship, the top three ranked eaters in the world–Joey Chestnut, Pat Bertoletti and Takeru Kobayashi–will meet face-to-face for the official pre-contest press conference. The media event will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Friday at Ross’s Landing in downtown Chattanooga.
This will be Kobayashi’s first time in Chattanooga since he won Krystal Square Off III in 2006 by eating 97 Krystals in eight minutes. This is also the first face-to-face meeting between Chestnut and Kobayashi on American soil since July 4’s hot dog eating championship in Coney Island.
During the press conference the eaters are expected to make predictions and discuss their strategies for winning the top burger title and its $20,000 cash prize. A total of $50,000 in prize money will be awarded with second place winning $10,000 and third earning $5,000.
Chestnut and Kobayashi will also discuss their rivalry, going back to when Chestnut first challenged Kobayashi at Krystal Square Off II in 2005. Chestnut, who surged to his No. 1 ranking by beating Kobayashi at hot dogs, has never beaten Kobayashi in a Krystal hamburger match-up. Chestnut does own the current world record of 103 Krystals in eight minutes, which he did at last year’s Krystal Square Off with Kobayashi absent due to a jaw injury.
Bertoletti, the No. 2 eater in the world, finished third at last year’s championship with 94 Krystals. He has beaten both Chestnut and Kobayashi in the past.
George Shea of Major League Eating will host the press conference, providing an expert’s perspective on what is being hailed the biggest event in the history of Major League Eating.
Finally there's a game that level's the playing field between you and Japan's Takeru Kobayashi.
Want to know how you can beat three-time world hamburger-eating championTakeru Kobayashi in a competitive eating contest? Challenge him to a game of Major League Eating: The Game on Wii.
The 30-year-old legendary gurgitator from Japan has been in Atlanta all week ahead of this Sunday’s Krystal Square Off V World Hamburger Eating Championship in Chattanooga, and while he has spent most of his time doing 100-Krystal burger training runs in preparation for his rematch against Joey Chestnut, he stopped by the Wicked PR office in Atlanta yesterday and took a stab at some virtual speed eating.
So how did he do? Let’s just say he’s much, much better at the real thing. Of course it was the first time he’s tried the popular new Wii game, and it probably would have helped if someone could explain to him in Japanese how to play rather than blurt out instructions in English as he played. Come to think of it, give Kobayashi some time and he’ll probably master it. He did in fact invent half the maneuvers you simulate during the game.
Check out the video below of Kobayashi virtually chewing, cramming and belching his way in match-up between Crazy Legs Conti and Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas. He’s playing Crazy Legs. And be sure to catch Kobayashi, Chestnut and all of competitive eating’s best as they face off at Krystal Square Off V on FSN South at 2:00 p.m. this Sunday.
Sonya Thomas seen above competing at Krystal Square Off III. For the first time ever, she will not be competing in the Krystal Square Off finals.
While Sonya Thomas has sadly been sidelined from competing at the Krystal Square V World Hamburger Eating Championship, that hasn’t stopped her from chiming in with a prediction on Sunday’s big event, where the top competitive eaters from around the world will battle it out in Chattanooga for the top hamburger title and a $50,000 cash purse.
Just yesterday on her popular website, the Black Widow commented:
“I expect both Koby and Joey to eat over 100 Krystals in the Finals, and a new World Record to be established. It will truly be something to witness, almost to the point that some of the other participants will almost be inclined to put down their Krystals and stop eating, just to witness the drama between these two best eaters in the world. (Of course, given the money at stake, everyone will keep eating to the end, I’m sure.)”
Thomas has never shied away from prognosticating on eating competitions, especially the Krystal Square Off. During our podcast interview with her earlier this month, the world’s No. 1 female eater predicted that the top number this year at Krystal Square Off V would be in the 105-110 range. Considering Joey Chestnut did 103 last year and Takeru Kobayashi is reportedly putting away 100 in under eight minutes during his practices this week, she may be spot on.
