The Hot Dog Eating Competition Drama Continues With Competitor Accused Of Cheating

In all my years of watching the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, I never thought we'd see a year as drama-filled as this with the banning of competitive eating great Joey Chestnut.

However, I thought the drama would be over once the dogs were eaten, champion Patrick Bertoletti was given the mustard-yellow belt, and the handfuls of TUMS were popped, but the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest would like all of us to hold its cup of gross-ass hot dog bun water because we've got more drama with accusations that one of the event's big dogs may have cheated.

According to The New York Post, eater Nick Wehry — who is engaged to women's champ Miki Sudo — has been accused of using sleight-of-hand techniques to bolster his dog count during the annual Independence Day event.

Wehry finished in fourth place with 46.75 dogs eaten. That's backed up by video evidence. But what's odd is that on the Major League Eating website, he's credited with 51.75. 

That's… carry the one… add them together… That's five more hot dogs and buns.

I really hope this isn't true, otherwise it'd be my 1919 White Sox "Say it ain't so, Joe" moment.

Although… how does that work, exactly?

I know how some sleight-of-hand works, but I can't imagine that someone would wear one of those fake thumbs. Those are for hiding handkerchiefs, not both hot dogs and buns.

I guess you could do a little move where you drop them in your own pocket, but again, I can't imagine anyone could walk off the stage with one hot dog let alone a dozen without someone saying, "Hey, that guy has hot dogs in his pockets!"

But that's the thing: the alleged sleight-of-hand didn't have to do with hot dogs, it had to do with the plates that they're served on.

Nick Wehry and his fiance, Miki Sudo 10-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champ... imagine getting invited to their place for dinner. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

Plates — Not Dogs — Are At The Center Of These Accusations

Each plate served to the competitors comes with five dogs on it, and that's how the results are tabulated. It's alleged that Wehry swiped a plate from another competitor's pile to boost him over the 50-dog threshold.

"If MLE determines I was miscounted then fix my number. My placing did not change if this was the case. I would never want to take a placing or number I didn’t earn," Wehry told The Post in a text message. "I would never cheat at a contest, regardless of why. People that know me know that."

I think Wehry has been in the game long enough to know trying something like this — on competitive eating's biggest stage — would be a wild move. 

Cheating at a pork tenderloin eating contest in Des Moines would be one thing. Cheating at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest? That would be insane.

However, I'm sure it will be investigated to the fullest extent that a company that makes hot dogs can.