By Megan Almon
The Times-Herald
Loren "Bubba" Yarbrough was less than two Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs shy of clinching a seat at this year's Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, N.Y.
Yarbrough, who officially downed 18.5 dogs at the end of Saturday's Georgia Hot Dog Eating Contest at Lenox Square Mall -- a qualifier for the world-famous Nathan's eat-off on July 4 -- was one-and-a-quarter hot dogs shy of Massachusetts' Pete Davekos' 19.25. Yarbrough thought he'd clinched the win but was deducted one-and-a-half dogs because his eating area was excessively "messy," said a Major League Eating official.
Yarbrough was followed by fellow Newnan resident and competitive eater Larry "Legend" McNeil, whose 17 hot dogs took third place.
Yarbrough and McNeil entered the competitive eating circuit in 2005. The two have chowed down together since then, their repertoire stretching from hot dogs to pizza, Krystal burgers, pulled pork, ribs, meatballs, keylime pie, chili-cheese fries, bratwurst and jalapenos -- for which Yarbrough recently broke a record.
The Nathan's contest -- aired annually on ESPN -- is "the Super Bowl of competitive eating, as big as it gets," Yarbrough said.
Not only does the winner receive the coveted Yellow Mustard Belt, but a $20,000 check.
Eating a Nathan's Famous Hot Dog is no easy feat. For those familiar with the dogs, their origin traceable to a vendor cart at Coney Island in 1916, Nathan's dogs are not your average wieners.
"There's an audible snap when you bite into one," Yarbrough said.
The thick sausage and spiced meat is wrapped in a thick casing.
"After about 10, the spices and the thickness get to you," he added.
Yarbrough's personal record is set at 20. According to Yarbrough, the trick is to "build a rhythm."
His training regimen for such an event isn't as gruesome as some may picture. Like other competitive eaters, Yarbrough builds up his stomach's stretch-ability as a competition approaches. He opts for low-calorie solutions. Every day last week, he ate his lunch, set the timer on his watch, and did his best to guzzle a gallon of water in less than a minute.
He and McNeil also train with filling, high-water foods like watermelon. Occasional trips to local buffets are on the agenda as well, just to keep them conditioned.
The pals, both Atlanta city employees, are members of the International Federation of Competitive Eating who enjoy the extra money that comes with wins.
"We like it," Yarbrough said. "It's something fun to do."
To read more about competitive eating, or about Yarbrough and McNeil, visit www.ifoce.com.
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