"25 words or less” – Against all odds, a
down-on-his-luck, recently unemployed man joins Major League Eating in hopes of
winning the Nathan’s 4th of July hot dog eating contest
Full Summary:
Billy Henderson is a ne’er do well that never did. A portly, frustrated, incompetent but kind-hearted native Brooklynite living in Bay Ridge, Billy was recently laid off from his job as a video store clerk. After going on interview after interview, he soon realizes that he possesses no discernible skills needed in today’s work environment that make him attractive to a prospective employer.
Full Summary:
Billy Henderson is a ne’er do well that never did. A portly, frustrated, incompetent but kind-hearted native Brooklynite living in Bay Ridge, Billy was recently laid off from his job as a video store clerk. After going on interview after interview, he soon realizes that he possesses no discernible skills needed in today’s work environment that make him attractive to a prospective employer.
After multiple job rejections, his childhood friends from the neighborhood – Dennis, Gary and Lori - take him out to the local Buffalo Wild Wings in an effort to cheer him up. While there they stumble upon a wing eating contest that’s looking for competitors from the crowd to participate so the friends encourage Billy to enter. After initially rebuffing them, he begrudgingly accepts. Billy ends up winning so impressively that Donald Gorge, an over-the-top, loud, abrasive representative from Major League Eating who was present to watch the competition, approaches to talk to him about joining the circuit.
With so little confidence, he initially declines his offer saying that it wasn’t for him but does agree to take the gentleman’s business card. After Donald leaves, his female friend, Lori, begs him to reconsider. Lori, who’s currently dating a guy that everyone except for her knows is a douchebag, is oblivious to Billy’s secret crush on her and thus unaware of the power that her words hold over him. Billy promises her, and the rest of his friends, that he will take the night to think the offer over.
The next morning, he calls Donald and accepts his offer to join Major League Eating. He’s immediately thrust into a surprisingly intense training camp that concentrates on both the physical and mental aspects, the stomach and the mind, of competitive eating. Not only does he learn how to eat, swallow properly and work out his jaw muscles but he also runs sprints and long distances and does push-ups and sit-ups along with other calisthenics to raise his stamina and get into some sort of physical shape.
Deemed ready by MLE, Billy is quickly thrust into competition – an all-you-can-eat shrimp battle at Red Lobster, a never ending bowl of pasta race at Olive Gardens, a Bloomin’ Onion free-for-all at Outback Steakhouse, a dumpling feast at a small place in Chinatown, a pizza challenge under the Brooklyn Bridge, and even an all-you-can-eat tongue contest on a farm in Kansas. However, he soon learns that competing in a local neighborhood wing eating competition is much more challenging than going up again the world’s best when he loses his first several competitions.
His arch nemesis is the seven-time Nathan’s Famous 4th of July hot dog eating defending champion, Haruto “The Typhoon” Matsusaka, a man that never misses an opportunity to belittle and besmirch the new guy at every stop on the circuit. The outrageous cast of MLE superstars is rounded out colorful characters including Tommy “The Hungry, Hungry Hippo” Potamus, Nancy “The Real Slim Lady” Bitterman, “The Spearmint Rhinoceros” Joey Spearmint, “The Glutton From Sutton” Charles Chesterfield and “The Praying Mantis;” all with much more experience than the newbie, Billy Henderson.
Filled with self-doubt, Billy begins to question what he’s doing as a competitor in the MLE. A job offer to become a lumberjack in Maine soon arises so he needs to decide whether to escape the clutches of his iron-clad contract with the MLE and take another dead-end job for low pay or press forward, against all odds, with his newfound dream and a shot at immortality by entering the final qualifying event, the “Fenway Frank Battle” held outside Fenway Park, in order to join the field for the Nathan’s Famous 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Will Billy win the qualifying event to move onto the famed Nathan’s hot dog eating contest? Does he have a shot of overthrowing the near invincible seven-time defending Nathan’s hot dog eating champion, Haruto “The Typhoon” Matasusaka? What will become of him and his close friend, Lori? It’s a real David and Goliath story if ever there was one.
