Major League Eating Hoping To Resolve Joey Chestnut Issue Before July 4 Contest | TMZ Live
Don't give up hope just yet, America -- there's still a chance Joey Chestnut could take the stage and devour dozens of hot dogs this Fourth of July ... with sources telling TMZ Sports event organizers are keeping the door open for the greatest eater of all time.
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00:00Welcome back to TMZ Sports, Mike and Mojo.
00:07Mojo, the sports world is still devastated over the news that broke yesterday that Joey
00:13Chess, not the greatest competitive eater ever, ever, ever, ever, is out of the Nathan's
00:19famous hot dog eating competition on July 4th.
00:23Mojo, they are trying to get Jaws back.
00:27Major League Eating, we have talked to them, Mojo, they are not trying to ban Joey Chestnut
00:33and in fact they explicitly told us that they want Joey at that competition on July 4th
00:40when this thing goes off on Coney Island like it does every single year.
00:44It all comes down to Mojo, whether or not Joey essentially disavows a deal that he
00:50has made with a competitor and think of like an impossible food, like a plant-based hot
00:58dog company that Joey has arranged to promote.
01:03They don't want him doing that, Mojo.
01:04Major League Eating believes that they have an exclusive deal with him, that he is not
01:08allowed to have a deal like this and as long as he basically says, hey, I can't work with
01:12you guys, impossible foods, he will be there on the 4th.
01:16The question is, does that happen and as we sit here today, it doesn't seem like it.
01:21Controversy in the professional eating world, Babcock.
01:26We were due for a scandal in pro eating.
01:30We have them in all other sports but not often do we have drama in this category so it's
01:36about time we're getting some.
01:38My thoughts on this one, this is ridiculous.
01:42I absolutely understand how sponsorships work and how exclusivities work and all that stuff
01:49but are we really talking about blankets selling the category of food in general?
01:56Let's look at it when we talk about drinks, Babcock.
01:59The same person can have a water sponsorship, an energy drink sponsorship, a soda sponsorship.
02:08A kombucha sponsorship.
02:10These are all different things and you can have one of each but are they trying to say
02:15my man can only get paid by one food brand and then from there, we're talking about a
02:21vegetarian brand, an impossible brand versus a carnivorous brand.
02:27These are just totally-
02:28Different products.
02:29What are we doing here right now, Babcock?
02:32What's happening is we're depriving the American people of our greatest, our most noble July
02:414th tradition in the hot dog eating contest.
02:46There are no winners in this decision, Babcock.
02:47No, there is not and you can hear, we'll read a statement from Joey Chestnut here, Mojo.
02:53You can hear how upset he is about all this.
02:55So Joey Chestnut says, I was gutted to learn from the media that after 19 years, I'm banned
03:02from the Nathan's July 4th hot dog eating contest.
03:05I love competing in that event.
03:07I love celebrating America with my fans all over this great country on the 4th and I have
03:12been training to defend my title, to set the record straight.
03:17I do not have a contract with MLE or Nathan's and they are looking to change the rules from
03:23past years as it relates to other partners I can work with.
03:27This is apparently the basis on which I'm being banned and it doesn't impact the July
03:314th event.
03:32For me, this is a decision Nathan's and Major League Eating are making and it will deprive
03:37the great fans of the holidays, usual joy and entertainment.
03:41To my fans, I love you and appreciate you.
03:44Rest assured that you'll see me eat again soon.
03:47Stay hungry.
03:49Right now, I think the bottom line Mojo, it appears we have a face off.
03:52Major League Eating and Nathan's are saying we want you, but not if you have the other
03:56sponsorship.
03:57It seems very clear, at least right now, that Joey is not willing to part with the other
04:01deal he has with Impossible.
04:04We've got three weeks, Mojo, until the contest kicks off.
04:09For all our sakes, let's hope they find a way to make this thing happen.
04:13Rest assured you'll see him eat again soon.