NEW YORK - JULY 4: A crowd gathers before the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest begins on July 4, 2009 in Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Joey Chestnut of San Jose ...

Joey Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., defending champion of the Nathan's Famous July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest, closes in on the world record during Coney Island's annual hot dog eating contest Saturday, July 4, 2009, in New ...

Eric "Badlands" Brooker, 40, left, and Juliet Lee, 43, two of the three competitors at the first-ever Elephants & Humans six-minute hot dog bun eating competition are shown at Nathan's Famous at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, Friday July ...

The trunks of two Asian elephants that are competing in the first-ever Elephants & Humans six-minute hot dog bun eating competition held at Nathan's Famous in Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y., are shown on Friday July 3, 2009. The ...