NEW YORK, NY — A mega Fourth of July party was underway last Friday with food on the grill and fireworks in the sky as family and friends got together to celebrate across the United States for the nation’s 249th Independence Day.
Last week was one of the most politically divisive as I have ever seen, but one thing which Americans across the political spectrum could agree on was that Joey Chestnut is the greatest hot dog eater of all-time. Chestnut won his seventeenth Yellow Mustard Belt, the most prestigious championship in sports, by devouring 70 franks at the Nathan’s July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest.
There was some drama going into this year’s contest because Chestnut was not allowed to take part in the 2024 contest because he signed an endorsement deal with a vegan hot dog brand not affiliated with Nathan’s. Details about how things got resolved have not been released, but my guess is Nathan’s executives realized how much attention Chestnut brings to their event.
Image Credit: ESPN
Word filtered out three weeks ago that Joey Chestnut would be returning to the riser on Stillwell and Surf Avenues on July 4. The question was whether he would be the unconquerable gustatorial warrior he was after a year off, as well as being 41.
While he did not break his previous record of devouring 77 hot dogs in ten minutes, Chestnut may have turned in his best performance ever by consuming 70 franks and beating his nearest rival, 2024 champ Patrick Bertoletti by 24 wieners.
You have to feel bad for Bertoletti who was clearly intimidated having to compete right next to Chestnut. Major League Eating, which is the governing body of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, should place an asterisk next to Bertoletti’s name as the winner of the 2024 contest since Joey did not compete that year.
More from Nathan’s 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest
Multiple Sports Emmy Award winner Jeremy Schaap added prestige to the event by handling the play-by-play chores for ESPN. He was at the top of his game, and clearly having fun, calling Chestnut the Michelangelo of mastication.
Image Credit: Youtube
‘Schaap’s broadcast partner, Rich Shea, who is an executive with Major League Eating, is known for his unpredictable commentary which can veer from great one-liners to serious observations Shea always promotes New York City at the event. He made it a point to call New York City the center of capitalism.
This normally would not raise eyebrows, but given that Astoria assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, an avowed socialist, won the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, it was not a random statement. Shea may be concerned that if Mamdani were to be elected he might try to limit the number of hot dogs each participant could consume!
While Joey Chestnut understandably gets the lion’s share of the glory at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, Miki Sudo, who has won eleven straight Coney Island contests on the women’s side, is often overshadowed. She deserves the same plaudits.
Lindor named 2025 NL Starting All-Star shortstop
Francisco Lindor was named the starting shortstop for the National League at next Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta. This is the first time Lindor will be an All-Star wearing a Mets uniform. He was a fixture at the game when he was playing for Cleveland.
Image Credit: George Napolitano/Latino Sports
While that is a great honor for him, he might have been better off taking the time off instead of heading down to Georgia for the midsummer classic. Francisco Lindor never misses a game. In addition to the fatigue that creates, he suffered a broken toe from a foul ball he hit and that was a factor in the lengthy funk at the plate he endured recently. When Lindor slumps, so do the Mets. That was proven beyond doubt in June.
The Scene of “My Girl” at Citi Field
Every Mets player has walk-up music when they go from the on-deck circle to the batters’ box at Citi Field. Francisco’s song of choice is that overplayed oldie, “My Girl,” which was a hit for the Temptations in 1965.
Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
While I can appreciate the song’s appeal, the SNY camera crew does not have to spend a full minute taking panoramic shots of the fans singing the lyrics every time Lindor bats.
Southpaw set to debut on ESPN this Sunday, July 13th
This Sunday (July 13) at 9:00 PM ET, ESPN will debut “Southpaw,” a documentary about former Angels and Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott, who had a superb career despite being born without a right hand. Abbott even threw a no-hitter while pitching for the Bronx Bombers.
Image Credit: ESPN
He remains a fierce advocate for disabled individuals.
Remembering and Paying Tribute to Jimmy Swaggart
The death of disgraced television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart at age 90 last week reminded me of how he was responsible for a very memorable World Wrestling Entertainment character. In 1988, Jimmy Swaggart made national headlines when he was arrested on charges of soliciting a prostitute. Former wrestler, and nascent WWE executive, Bruce Prichard created “Brother Love” (named after the preacher protagonist who ran a southern revival show in Neil Diamond’s memorable 1969 hit), and he captured Swaggart’s look right down to his eyeglasses and boutonniere. Prichard’s character always wore a resplendent white suit and matching tie. He loved to annoy wrestling fans by shouting his tag line, “I love you!” with each syllable held for maximum effect. I miss the days when WWE writers would find comedy gold by satirizing current events.
Annual Summer Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center
The annual Summer Fancy Food Show took place last week at Javits Center. While there were some caviar sellers, the Fancy Food Show is a misnomer. It should be called the “Better Food Show,” but that lacks pizzazz.
Image Credit: Speciality Food Association
Queens was represented by the kosher meat and meat-like vegan products purveyor from Maspeth, Alle Processing; White’s Coffee from Long Island City; and a pair of spice companies, Auria’s Malaysian Kitchen from Astoria, and Burlap and Barrel from Jackson Heights.
Elmhurst Milked, which started as Elmhurst Dairy before the real estate in that neighborhood became too pricey for the space it needed (hence a move upstate), is celebrating its centennial this year. It switched to producing plant and nut milks exclusively a few years ago.
Hale & Hearty was a popular New York City soup chain before it ran into financial problems. The company was taken out of bankruptcy by new owners. They had a booth at Javits Center to make the industry aware of their comeback. Chief operating officer Marty Levin told me Hale & Hearty will open a store in the East Village before the end of the year, and they are looking to expand into Queens.
The “in” food item at the show was “Dubai chocolates” which are cocoa pieces with crushed pistachios as a filling. I did not care for its grainy texture. I will take Reese’s peanut butter cups any day.
A visit to Steel Pier in Atlantic City
I visited the Steel Pier in Atlantic City last week for the first time since I was a kid. Located across from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, the Steel Pier, which was built at the end of the 19th century, is a compact amusement park which juts out into the Atlantic.
Image Credit: TripAdvisor
In a world of too many modern corporate theme parks, it is nice to go back in time to places where games of eye-hand coordination can win oversized stuffed animals, and roller coasters and Ferris wheels generate joyful excitement.
NBC’s Annual Fourth of July Macy’s Firework Show
The weather for the Fourth of July was perfect for the Macy’s annual fireworks broadcast on NBC. I am glad the producers paid tribute to the late Sly Stone by playing his band’s first big hit, “Dane to the Music” during the pyrotechnics.
The Beach Boys return to Washington D.C.
The Beach Boys returned to Washington D.C. for PBS’s “A Capitol Fourth.” I must give 84-year-old Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love credit for still being able to flawlessly list the names of all those California beach towns in rapid-fire fashion on “Surfin’ USA.”
You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.
