(WJBF) – The bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty and all the tried and true red, white and blue symbols of America. But none are as overlooked as the dog…the hot dog. The world’s oldest processed food turned American phenomenon.
It is said on this Independence Day, over 150 million hot dogs will be enjoyed across the land of the free. That is, of course, according to the National Hotdog and Sausage Council. And today it is the centerpiece of this great nation’s most noble sport, competitive eating. This is the annual Your Hometown Amateur Hot Dog Eating Contest.
It is more than a competition. It is more than a meal. It is a battle where strength meets mustard and endurance meets indigestion. The champs will chew and the underdog will bite back. But only one can taste victory.
H. O. T. D. O. G. S.
Hot dogs are the very best.
I’m broadcast legend and food enthusiast Al La’Carte. Now, I know what you’re thinking. How did they get such a famed announcer like me for this simple competition? The answer is plain. When glory knocks at the door, you open it. When Destiny calls, you answer it. And when hot dogs are laid at the table, you clear your calendar.
A Frank Story: The Rise of the Hot Dog
It was in 1972 when Nathan’s Famous held their first ever official hot dog eating competition. And it has since then become an American tradition so beloved that we to honor it here in the CSRA. But before the first bite, before the glory and gastric triumph, we must first honor the humble origins of the hot dog and begin in Germany, where sausages weren’t just food…they were a heritage.
In the late 1600’s, a Coburg butcher by the name of Johann Georg Garner, may have crafted the first so-called dachshund sausage, shaped like the little dogs they so loved. Frankfurt claims it as the frankfurter as does Vienna as the wiener. But one thing’s certain: German immigrants brought the sausage to America. Where from then on it was on a roll…or rather a bun.
By the 1860’s, you could approach a pushcart and buy a sausage on a roll in New York City’s Bowery. Then came Charles Feldman, a Coney Island baker who, according to legend, sold over 3,000 in his first year. The taste and portability of this boardwalk staple sent it soaring into popularity.
But how did they get the name Hot Dog? Folklore suggests that on one chilly day, a cartoonist heard a vendor yelling, ‘Get yer red-hot dachshund sausages!’ while sketching the scene. He was unsure how to spell dachshund, so he instead printed hot dogs. The cartoon in question: lost to history. But the name has been grilled into every backyard barbecue since.
Come 1893, the hot dog had its banner year. In Chicago, Vienna beef became the hot item at the Colombian Exposition. Meanwhile, in Missouri, the owner of the Saint Louis Cardinals and then the Browns treated the bleachers to their first frankfurters, forever cementing it with America’s pastime.
The Competitors
And that perfect marriage between hotdog and baseball continues at SRP Park, where today six Americans step up to the altar of appetite, not to ask what their country can eat for them, but what they can eat for their country. No baseball will be played today at SRP Park. At this cathedral of peanuts and Cracker Jack, a different kind of athlete will approach the plate in the truest, most literal sense of the phrase…testing their spirit, speed and stomachs. They’ve come to devour hot dogs at the annual Your Hometown Amateur Hot Dog Eating Contest.
But just who are these brave few who dare to stare down this gut busting gauntlet? Well, the good folks at NewsChannel 6 look no further than their own backyard at Television Park. Let’s find out who they are.
Ellison Hubbard
First up, he’s usually bringing you the headlines. But today he’s set on making them, it’s Mr. Slime. Ellison Hubbard. He’s known for his quick interviews and even quicker bites. But can those fast talking skills translate to fast chewing? Let’s hear what Ellison has to say before the competition kicks off.
“Man, I’m glad to be here. I cannot wait to win, just so you know.”
You know, the one to beat this year is Mike O’Neal. How do you think you’re going to sneak up on him?
“Oh, I mean, with ease. I don’t think he had any competition last year, and now he’s facing the real deal.”
The real deal. Well, what is going to be your approach? What’s your technique? How are you going to handle these dogs?
“Well, you could always go fast, but I like to do big bites. Slow and steady.”
Big bite, slow and steady. Like a slow roasted wiener at a gas station.
Dania Alawir
Behind every great story, there’s a lens and today that lens points squarely at D. Diesel herself: Dania Alawir. From dueling wits over the weather question of the day, to throwing it down in the kitchen. This photojournalist keeps her eye on the action, but we’ll see if she has the stomach for being in the spotlight.
Dania, how do you feel today?
“I feel great!”
Do you think you’re going to accomplish much out there at the tables?
“We can see.”
Now, tell me, when did you first realize you had a gift for eating?
“I think just today.”
Just today. How’s your appetite?
“0.10.”
So does that mean you got an empty stomach?
“I think so.”
Wonderful! You’re gonna need it. Do you think you’re going to take the gold?
“I think so. I have faith in myself.”
You have faith in yourself. And we have faith with her. We’ll see what happens.
Gianna Cefalu
She’s usually breaking down the stats, but today she’s about to become one. Representing the heart of the WJBF Sports Department, it’s the chomper from Californ-i-ay, Gianna Cefalu. She is stepping off the sidelines to prove if her smarts will translate to competitive glory. Will they be enough to help her make the highlight reel?
Gianna, this is your first year competing in the contest. How does that feel?
“Honestly, I’m honored to be a part of this. I’ve only been here for a little less than a year, so I’m glad that they thought of me to do this hot dog eating contest.”
Wonderful. Now, let’s talk technique. You’re a woman of sport. What’s your bun technique? How are you going to handle those buns out there?
“Honestly, I’m not a picky eater, but I really don’t like hot dogs. That’s one of the few foods that I don’t like. So I think my approach is going to be just slow and steady wins the race.”
Even though this is a game of speed?
“Correct.”
You heard it here first. Slow and steady wins the race.
Parker Heyser
Of course, you can’t play as a park without someone from the home team and the GreenJackets are putting another diamond out on the field with the Miami Muncher…Parker Heyser. But before he leaves the dugout for the dining table, let’s find out if he’s bringing his A-game.
What is your approach to tackling these hot dogs today?
“I’m just going to go out there and eat some dogs.”
Just. Eat. Some. Dogs. Now tell us, we have to ask the philosophical question. Are you eating FOR something or AGAINST something?
“For something.”
And what is that?
“My hunger.”
His hunger. His hunger…to win.
Brandon Dawson
It goes without saying that last year’s showdown left the whole station talking. Brandon Dawson, that kid from Syracuse, the Road Trip king, came in hot, hungry and ready to claim the crown. But championships aren’t handed out in the first course. They are earned. And the last bite, that real deal stomach of steel, Mike O’Neal, was relentless, unstoppable and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, leaving Brandon with unfinished business.
“But I want to let everybody know, right here, right now, that next year…I’m coming for that [trophy].”
And that bad blood buffet picks up today. With these two adversaries hungry for seconds.
Brandon Dawson, you came close to winning last year, but you were one bite short. How does that make you feel?
“Let me tell you. It inspires me. Let me tell you, as a young kid growing up in Syracuse, we didn’t have hot dogs. I was out here eating baloney, rolled up, pretending that it was a hot dog. So to be here today, to be privileged to do this. I know it’s my time. If you think for one second that Mike O’Neal…[laughs] MIKE O’NEAL is going to get one over on me again? You got another thing coming. Tell him what I’m gonna do, manager.”
“The training has happened,” Dawson’s manager tells us. “The expectation is excellence. He’s going to bring the Awesome Dawson to this situation today. Count on it.”
“It’s an Awesome Dawson Day. I’m doing this for my family. I’m doing this for my kid. I’m doing this for my wife. And not only that, I’m doing this for America.”
Are you really? Or is it all about beating HIM?
“Mike O’Neal, last year, you embarrassed me. This year…YOU’RE the hot dog…and I’m eating YOU.”
Strong words from last year’s runner up.
Mike O’Neal
But the champ, he’s heard it all before. Mike O’Neal is not just here to defend his title. He’s here to remind everyone why he’ll be the last one standing.
You won last year’s hot dog competition. How do you intend to stay Top Dog of the CSRA?
“I’m just gonna to do it again. Simply do it again.”
Did you pre-game?
“No, absolutely not. I’m ready for it.”
Last year, you had quite a tussle with Mr. Your Hometown, Brandon Dawson. And he’s calling you out. He’s coming for you. He called you the hot dog and him the eater. What do you have to say to that?
“He called that a tussle? That was light work for me. He better been training this past year, because right now it’s all me. Still.”
It’s all you. You heard it here, folks. He’s going to stay the top dog.
Joining me is sports analyst and commentator Nathan Heinz. Nathan, it’s a pleasure to have you with us. Please tell me what you think is going to happen. What do you plan to see and who do you think is going to come out on top?
“Absolute carnage, absolute carnage. When I look at the contestants, you know, Mike, I saw him massaging his jaws. Yeah, I have to give him the nod. The early odds on favorite. Must be Mike.”
Well, maybe we’ll see just that. We’re going to separate the nibblers from the true chompers at this, the Annual Your Hometown Amateur Hot Dog Eating Contest.
