Photo: Michael Nagle/Getty Images
Competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi blames the International Federation of Competitive Eating for blocking him from the Nathan’s hot-dog event on July 4. The eater says the Federation wants him only to compete in their events. Richard Shea, the federation’s Harold Hill–ish founder, told the News that Kobayashi has accepted this exclusivity clause for years: “His saying this is like Tom Brady saying he’d like to be in the Super Bowl, but not in the NFL.” Kobayashi is still in training (eating ten to fifteen hot dogs a day) in case he settles with the federation in time for Sunday’s contest.
Don’t Gag Me, Says Kobayashi [NYDN]
