JAPANESE eating machine Takeru Kobayashi will not take part
in the Nathan's
Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest,
according to Major League Eating, which means that Royersford's Bob
"Notorious B.O.B." Shoudt has his sights set squarely on reigning
champ Joey Chestnut.
Kobayashi, who held the coveted Mustard Yellow Belt from 2001 to
2006, was unseated by Chestnut, a three-time winner of 610 WIP's Wing
Bowl in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Competitive-eating sources say Kobayashi
may have backed out due to fear of losing again to Chestnut, but
Chestnut isn't so sure. "I'm fully expecting him to compete," Chestnut
said. "I think he's trying to pull a sneak attack the same way he did
with the fake jaw injury a few years ago," Chestnut, who chomped a
record 68 hot dogs in the 10-minute contest last summer, told us
yesterday.
Shoudt, who's a friend of Chestnut's, said yesterday that he's "gonna
need some luck" to outeat him, even though "I've annihilated him in
ribs, grits, chili spaghetti. He's a beatable guy."
Shoudt, a computer-systems administrator by day, is hoping for the
city's support. "I do feel a little pressure coming from Philadelphia
. The Flyers put on a good show. Maybe I can help erase some of the
sting of the Stanley Cup loss
by bringing home the belt," he says. Let's hope so.
Major League Eating president Richard Shea says the league
"sought to arrive at an agreement with Kobayashi, but contract
negotiations have reached an impasse." He hopes Kobayaski will change
his mind and compete against Chestnut.
Tiger Woods here,
mistress tooLeave it to Damon Feldman to lure one of Tiger
Woods ' legions of former mistresses to the area while the golf
great will be playing in the AT&T National
at Aronimink in Newtown Square this weekend. Feldman, the embattled
Celebrity Boxing promoter, is bringing Devon James to the area
Friday for a news conference in South Jersey.
He's booked James for a July 30 bout in Atlantic City
in what's called a wrestling match but is a boxing card with
cartoonishly oversize padded gloves.
Any women interested in taking on James may e-mail celebritywrestlingfederation@gmail.com.
Ronnie Spector
recording hereRonnie Spector is in town this week
recording with Bobby Eli at Studio E (8498 Lansdowne Ave.) in
Upper Darby. The "Be My Baby" singer and husband Jonathan
Greenfield came from Connecticut to
work with Eli. The Ronettes front woman is recording four tracks for
now - two Christmas songs and two pop songs - but Eli hopes they'll
continue to collaborate later this year.
Local gal's song on 'SYTYCD'Singer/songwriter Christina
Perri , of Bensalem, has a song to be heard on tomorrow's "So You
Think You Can Dance ." A choreographer picked Perri's
"Jar Full of Hearts" for a performance, and Perri was invited to be a
guest at the taping in Las Vegas.
After the 8 p.m. show, which airs on Fox, her song will be sold on iTunes.
And speaking of songs . . . Steve
Johnson Jr., grandson of former Police Commissioner
Sylvester Johnson, also known as S-Five, just signed a
contract with 29 Entertainment, which produces Randy Jackson
's "America's Best Dance Crew" on MTV.
The pact is for airing rights/release of his song "Let's Dance," which
you can hear online at hiphopinternational.com.
On Aug. 1 S-Five is off to the Hip Hop Dance Championship Battles in
Las Vegas, where his mentor, KRS-One, who took S-Five on tour
from 2005-2007, will receive an award. S-Five, formerly a deputy
sergeant at arms in City Council, is recording an album for D.O.G.
Records based out of the Golden Tower (632 South) jewelry store.
Venus here
next weekVenus Williams, who's kicking ass again at
Wimbledon, signs copies of her new book "Come to Win," at 12:30 p.m.
July 8 at Borders (Broad & Chestnut).
Tourism marketer gets sudsyThe Greater Philadelphia Tourism
Marketing Corp. has added Mac's Tavern (226 Market) to its "It's Always
Sunny in Philadelphia" itinerary, available at
visitphilly.com/alwayssunny. The GPTMC enlisted local Victory Brewing
Co.'s Summer Love Ale to sponsor the bar's grand- opening party last
week.