E-Mailing It In

Traina: Very inspired debate. I say if Leonard Little can be in the league, anyone can be in the league. Moving on... the hot-dog eating contest is this weekend. Personally, I find the event ridiculous, and I'm fascinated mainstream media covers it strictly because it's on ESPN. The bottom line is that I wouldn't watch it if it took place in my backyard. (I stole that line from Mike and the Mad Dog). Anyway, am I being too hard on the event? Is it just a fun, harmless thing? Will you watch? How many hot dogs can you eat in one sitting?

Hildenbrandt: Of course it's a ridiculous event, but that's why it's so fascinating. And I'd be willing to bet that if Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut's shark teeth showed up in your backyard and started pounding hot dogs, you'd be mildly amused. My only problem with the contest is that it occurs in such close proximity to lunch time on the on the East Coast. You absolutely, positively CANNOT watch this event before eating lunch, and I don't care if you've got a cast-iron stomach for all things potentially nauseating. But otherwise, I'm a huge fan of putting ridiculous competitions on television. Poker? Darts? Rock-paper-scissors? Why not! And on a personal note, my record is six hot dogs in one sitting at Yocco's Hot Dogs in Allentown, Pa.

Rubenstein: Is it weird that I set my alarm on the Fourth (I'm on the West Coast) to be up in time to watch borderline social outcasts devour dozens of hot dogs? Actually, you don't need to answer that, it was rhetorical. I watch it every year, and I'm not even sure why. I entered an eating contest for an SI.com video and the people running these competitions are so comically serious about overeating, it's almost charming. The best part about the July 4 contest isn't the actual consumption, but rather the personalities and their introductory résumés.

Osterhout: I think ESPN shows the hot-dog eating contest simply because nothing else is on TV. This time of year, we've got baseball and bass fishing, that's it. Not even fat people watch the hot-dog eating competition. It's just not that much fun to witness grown men shoving hot dogs down their gullets. Although, it's a good subject to read about. The drama is there. This rivalry between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi is reminiscent of Larry and Magic -- if Magic had been a 5-foot-8, 128-pound Japanese man.

Rubenstein: To me, what hurts the integrity of the Nathan's contest is that Kobayashi has a weird stomach disorder that's actually an unfair advantage. I was watching a special about him (possibly on MTV) and they said that his stomach rests lower in his body than it should, which allows food to stack up in his gut more than it would in a normal person's. Somewhere, Skip Bayless is outraged.

Hildenbrandt: Dan mentions an MTV special... aren't there limitless reality TV possibilities for competitive eaters? How has this not been pursued? Wouldn't it be fun to disguise Kobayashi and Chestnut and turn them loose at the Bellagio buffet, or even at a cheap Old Country buffet in a Philly suburb? Someone get Jeff Probst on the phone, let's make this happen.

Rubenstein: I believe it was True Life: I'm a Competitive Eater, which I'd happily watch again if given the choice between that and any summer network programming. I don't think I Can Dance (I know it). Also, to answer Jimmy's last question, I haven't pushed myself with hot dogs, but since I'm not a huge guy, I figure I could push my gut to five or six dogs if eaten at a normal pace, possibly eight or nine at a competitive pace.

Osterhout: I've heard that Kobayashi weird stomach-disorder story before. Some might call it an unfair advantage, but remember, Pete Maravich had gumby ankles that allowed him to basically run with his shins parallel to the floor, and nobody was crying that he had an unfair advantage. Of course, Maravich hid his ankles under those droopy socks so maybe Kobayashi needs to change up his wardrobe.

Hildenbrandt: As long as Kobayashi wasn't surgically altered, Six-Million Dollar Man-style, I say it's all fair. More power to him for finding his calling as the world's foremost authority on eating an obscene amount of hot dogs in a relatively short period of time. Godspeed.

Traina: I'd still never watch. Next subject: A 13-year-old has committed to play football at Tennessee. Is this disturbing? Should there be an age restriction on when someone can commit?