PHILADELPHIA -- Joey Chestnut twisted his final chicken wings with his nimble fingers, chomping on the saucy delicacies like they were ears of corn. His chin was stained by barbecue red streaks, sweat trickling down his brow as the final seconds of Wing Bowl were counted down.
The boos were louder now, the Philly food fanatics bellyaching again that this outsider and gastrointestinal god was about to become a three-time champ of their famed decadent chicken wing contest.
The rest of the country can have the Super Bowl. Philadelphia loves the homegrown Wing Bowl, a savory chicken wing eating contest where it's hard to tell if the fat guys or the busty babes are the real main attraction.
When Chestnut devoured his record 241st and final chicken wing over a 30-minute span, the last thing the competitive eater cared about was the crowd. He wanted the crown -- the one adorned with rubber chickens and blinking lights that showed he truly was the King of the Wing.
"I could wear this all day," said Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif. "A lot of hard work went into this."
Chestnut, who inhaled 66 hot dogs to win the world's hot dog eating championship last July, ate no solid food since Monday. He sustained himself on protein supplements and liquids, proving this is one event you really do have to be hungry to win.
Most entrants swallowed more than their pride to take a belchy, bloated attempt at glory. Although some, such as Chestnut, are professional eaters, the rest subjected themselves to stunts on WIP-AM, the all-sports station that created the event and airs it live, to earn a spot in the 30-person field.
Wing Kong ate five pounds of SpaghettiOs in 1 minute, 14 seconds. Humble Bob finished 53 hardboiled eggs in 15 minutes, and Steakbellie super-sized his 220-pound frame by eating McDonald's entire $1 menu in 5:30.
Someone pass the Rolaids.
More than 9,000 mild sauce wings were prepared with 20 wings piled per plate. The wings didn't have to be eaten clean to the bone, but most of the meat needed to be chewed off and swallowed.
There were two 14-minute periods and another 2-minute period. Not exactly the kind of 30-minute meal Rachael Ray would suggest.
Each competitor was accompanied by "Wingettes," mostly plucked from Philadelphia's finer adult establishments. About four of the slender Wingettes could hide behind the 375-pound frame of someone such as "Gentleman Jerry."
Chestnut devoured 124 wings in the first period, 224 through two and won the event with 241 overall.
