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Saturday, July 19, 2008
July 19, 2008Recommend (1)
BY GUY TRIDGELL Staff writer
Even at 5 foot 4 inches, Michael Derong always has been a big eater.
The Evergreen Park college student leisurely can pack away 3-foot-long Subway sandwiches or an entire bucket of chicken with no problem. His prodigious appetite has inspired awe at family gatherings as he slowly moves up and down the buffet line.
» Click to enlarge image
Mark 'The Looper' Mullan (seated left) of Tinley Park, Illinois competes in the annual Bartolini's meatball eating contest Friday night at St. Christopher Church in Midlothian, Illinois.
(Art Vassy/STNG)
But after trading bite for bite Friday night with some of the world's biggest eaters at Bartolini's American Meatball Eating Championship in Midlothian, Derong learned competitive eating is more of a sprint than a marathon.
"I'm just not used to eating that many meatballs," he said. "It's harder than it looks."
Derong finished nine meatballs in five minutes - not good enough to advance to the championship "speed" round of two minutes.
The event's winner was Pete Czerwinski, a strapping Canadian who put down 43 meatballs during his seven minutes of competition at St. Christopher Church's annual summer Fiesta. He takes home $3,000.
Dominic Bartolini, co-owner of Bartolini's restaurant in Midlothian, said the competition originally was started to generate a little good will in the community. All proceeds go to local food pantries.
Once sponsors got involved, the prize money grew and the event took off. It's billed as the country's only meatball-eating contest, drawing ringers on the competitive eating circuit.
"I just thought it would be fun to start something like this," Bartolini said. "The growth of the contest has been amazing. It's the money that brings them in."
Among the 20 combatants this year was Joe Menchetti, a 350-pound New Yorker known for gulping 89 cicadas in one minute. Another contestant, Tom "Goose" Gilbert, once sucked down 46 boiled eggs in five minutes.
This year's champ, Czerwinski, once inhaled a 72-ounce steak in seven minutes.
The contest's smallest entrant, Derong came with a strategy.
He brought a gallon of water with him on stage to better down the large meatballs, which were about the size of billiard balls. He also attacked the meatballs standing up, while everyone else sat.
But with one minute left in his round, a look of nausea passed over Derong's face. Pellets of sweat formed on his forehead. He exited the stage when the clock expired, waiting with the other eaters so the judges could make sure they didn't puke.
The competitive juices - and zesty hunks of meat - still flowing inside him, he couldn't wait to step up to the plate again.
"Get me pizza or something, and I could do better," Derong said. "Give me rice, and I'll kill you."
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