So, I received the latest issue of "The Gurgitator" earlier this
month...THE resource for fans of competitive eating. I'm pretty
sure I have a subscription. I kinda went on an online ordering
spree that sunny April day...but I digress.

The latest issue revolves around the Fourth of July event at
Nathan's, as evidenced by the cover, which features Kobayashi in a
classic "Yay, Me" pose. The cover picture is in the gallery, and
here's two of the short news items contained within:

Wailing Wall of Fame:

Complaints have been streaming in over the recently unveiled Wall of
Fame at Surf & Stillwell Avenues. The 70-foot hig 2D Mount Rushmore
of Eating includes images of Ed Krachie, Kobayashi, Jarvis, Lipsitz,
Mike DeVito, The Frankster and a host of other eating greats. Not
enough greats, however, to please everyone. Curtis Sliwa, Gersh
Kurtzman, Steve Keiner and numerous other grumblers have made their
disapproval heard. One Web site posting said: Kid Cary DeGrossa is
up there and not Dellarosa...? What a disgrace. When reached for
comment, Nathan's spokesperson George Shea said: "Kid Cary may only
have eaten 13 hot dogs and buns in competition, but he opened up the
sport to groupies, an enormously positive advancement for all
involved."

Giselle's note: We have a couple of pictures of the wall in
question
in the gallery, sent to us by none other than Kevin Lipsitz himself
(eeeee!).

Paul is Dead, Kobayashi is Not:

Rumors swirled this week when a national radio station erroneously
reported that eating superstar Takeru Kobayashi was dead. Phone
calls--ranging from the bemused to the concerned--flooded IFOCE HQ,
prompting officials to issue a statement calming fans. "Kobayashi
is alive and he will compete on Sunday," said IFOCE president
Richard Shea. "This may have started after he was photographed
competing barefoot in an eating contest."

Giselle's note: I may be young, but even I get the joke here. This
article is referencing the "Paul is Dead" rumour that plagued the
Cute Beatle in the 60's. Crazed fans uncovered all sorts
of "evidence." Look at the cover of Abbey Road, and you'll see that
Paul is walking barefoot--supposedly a clue. Read all about it in
the nifty book "The Walrus was Paul," by R. Gary Patterson.




That's all I'm going to post for now...you can subscribe to the
newsletter here:
http://www.ifoce.bigstep.com/item.html;$sessionid$2RLSXVAAAAEG3TZENUG
JPQWPERWRJPX0?PRID=1146773.

It's mailed in a plain white wrapper, hilariously enough.