Hot dog watch: 8 days and counting

Regular readers of Passport know that we are avid followers of the world of competitive eating. Last year, we posted a Seven Questions with George Shea, the head of the International Federation of Competitive Eating. And just a few weeks ago, we blogged about how American upstart Joey Chestnut shattered the world record set by Japan's Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi by eating an astonishing 59 1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes. So we were really looking forward to this year's Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest, with Chestnut challenging Kobayashi in head-to-head competition, trying to put a halt to the tsunami's unbroken string of five victories in a row.

Alas, our hopes may be dashed, just like Kobayashi's chances for defending his title. It turns out that the scrappy competitor has been diagnosed with jaw arthritis brought on by overtraining for the event. He still hopes to compete despite his pain. But for now, his playing status is unknown. Get well, Kobayashi-san!