The 4th of July means one thing in my apartment – The Hot Dog Eating Contest. Every year my roommate and I sit in front of the television and gawk at the ridiculous scene surrounding the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Championship. Hundreds of thousands of people swarm to Coney Island to watch people eat hot dogs. Heck, it could be millions. I don’t know. I don’t work for the Census Bureau.

Every year, around 12:03pm (Coverage starts at Noon.) my roommate or I will say, “We should go down next year,” and the person that didn’t say it quickly agrees. Why either of us would ever willingly go to Coney Island is beyond even me. However, talking about this is almost as proud a tradition as the contest itself.

Last year, we watch and cheered as American-born, Joey Chestnut devoured a record 66 hot dogs and defeated 6-time consecutive champion, Takeru Kobayashi. It was probably the most proud I’ve ever been to be an American.

I think the reason that the hot dog eating contest is so… enchanting… is in large part, due to the fact that the announcers do such a great job selling it as a real sporting event – the most important sporting event ever broadcast. The hour-long broadcast is filled with the most hyperbole you have ever heard. Ever. There isn’t a drop of irony in their voices when they compare Kobayashi to Michael Jordan or Babe Ruth. (Some comparisons may be more apt than others.)

Here are this year’s entrants. I even threw in a link for each eater so you could get to know them and have a rooting interest.

Joey “Jaws” Chestnut – The Champ!

Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi – The Living Legend.

Tim ” Eater X” Janus-

Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas -

“Humble” Bob Shoudt

Hall “Hoover” Hunt

Tim “Gravy” Brown

Rich “The Locust” LeFevre

Patrick “Vandam” Vandam (Great nickname)

“The Lovely” Juliet Lee

Juris “Dr. Bigtime” Shibayama (Best nickname ever)

Eric “Badlands” Booker

“Double-0″ Kevin Ross

Erik “The Red” Denmark

Arturo Rios “Grande”

Pat “From Moonachie” Philbin

Allen “Shredder” Goldstein

Crazy Legs Conti

“Nasty” Nate Biller

“Pretty Boy” Pete Davekos

Happy Holiday everybody!

Kobayashi illustration by Todd Umbarger.