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Have you ever been pissed at your mobile phone?
I mean really pissed, to the point where you just want to take it throw it across a room.
Apparently the Finnish get that way some times, in fact it occurs so much that they started the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championship. The competition has been going on since 2000 and has 3 different categories in both men and women’s divisions, as well as a junior category.
In a FAQ about the competition the question is asked Why do People Throw[the phones]?:
Finland is known as the home country of the mobile phones and Finns have always been very fashion-conscious about the phones. Many Europeans wonder why the Finns buy brand new phones when the old one is still working. For the interpreters and translators who work globally the mobile phone is a common tool when working and a part of accessory in the freetime.
Mobile phone is an essential part of us that connects us to nearly anywhere in the world but when you most need it the battery runs out or your sweetheart doesn’t answer or some one doesn’t return your call. Hope, anticipation, passion and frustration concentrates on mobile phone.
So, wind up your throwing arm, get it in shape and get your ticket to the Finlan for the 2007 World Championships, held at the end of August.
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So, in case you haven’t quite figured it out yet, none of us here at American Madness are huge sports fans. This is especially true with the main stream sports: Football, Hockey, Baseball. Eh, whatever.
Though when it comes to alternative sports we’ve got them covered: Competitive Eating, Soccer (okay, a bit of a low blow to the MLS, but still) and now Roller Derby. Read more »
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Have you been reading some of the competitive eating articles I’ve posted and thought: “I bet I could do that. How hard can it be?”
I think that every now and then while watching competitive eaters. I know I can eat a lot if I have an appetite or not, and if they are eating the right food there are times where I think I could be a competitor, like with Buffalo Wings or Sushi. The I’ll watch something like the Glutton Bowl where the winners ate things like 7 sticks (almost 2lbs) of butter or 128 oz of mayonaisse (about 8lbs worth) and I my gag reflex is triggered just considering it.
But anyway, that is beyond the point, for those of you who think you could be a viable competitor in the world of Competitive Eating and live in the New York area (or are willing to travel to test your chops) there is the 4th Annual Dumpling Eating Contest on August 5th during the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival held in Flushing Meadows. Contestant will have 2 minutes to eat as many dumplings as the possibly can, trying to beat the record of 49 dumplings for men or 33 for women. Even if you can’t stuff that 50th dumpling into your mouth to beat the record, if you make a good showing and place in the top 3 there are cash prizes. The registration deadline is July 31st, so call to enter now!
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As I have been blogging on it for the last two weeks I figured it was only fitting to follow up as well with the finally:
In an incredible competition last week Joey Chestnut downed 66 Nathan’s Hot Dogs in 12 minutes (or about 1 every 11 seconds), beating out the odds on favorite Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi and breaking his own record of 59 1/2, set only last month.
Kobasyashi made a nice showing putting away a total of 63 hot dogs even with a “reversal” at the end (which ESPN has the good grace of repeating in slow motion once or twice, not counting what may have appeared on SportsCenter).
Thus ends Kobayashi’s reign, though he vowed to return for the 2008 competition.
New York Roomates Eater X and Crazy Legs Conti ate 43.5 (4th) and 23.5 (13th) hot dogs a piece.
You can watch the full competition in all it’s glory on YouTube:
First Half
Second Half
(Also, you know it was a slow sports week since ESPN showed the Hot Dog Eating Competition, followed by the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee and then on Saturday had the Rock Paper Scissors Championship*)
*Evan O’Dorney, 13, from CA won the Spelling Bee (which actually occurred on May 31st) and I couldn’t find much info on the Rock Paper Scissors Championship, but the 2007 championship will be held on Oct 13th in Ontario Canada, tickets are on sale now.
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So you may have noticed that I reported yesterday that The Tsunami, Kobayashi, might not compete in this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest on July 4th.
Well, I was wrong, he is competing. According to his manager, Kobayashi will definitely be competing in the competition. He wants to honor his mother, who passed away in March. During his trip to the U.S. he will also be the draw in the Pizza Hut P’Zone Challenge, where folks get the honor of going head-to-head against The Tsunami in a pizza eating competition, as long as they can explain in 50 words or less why they feel that they should be chosen to go up against him.
Kobayashi has big plans while he is here, let’s hope that the rehab he has done with his jaw this week will be enough to make him a real competitor this year so we can see some serious records broken in the match-up between him and Joey Chestnut. There still remain the skeptics who question whether Kobayashi actually had any jaw injury or not and was just making an excuse in case he looses to Chestnut.
Seriously though, how do you become a competitive eater and still maintain six-pack abs?