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Joey Chestnut’s exit from Nathan’s Hot Dog contest opens up spotlight for a new star joey,chestnut,s,exit,from,nathan,s,hot,dog,contest,opens,up,spotlight,for,a,new,star,sbnation,com,front-page,everything-is-sports,draftkings

On: July 3, 2024 By: admin

The news that Joey Chestnut was out of the 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest rocked the world of competitive eating. Chestnut, who has claimed victory at the eight previous Nathan’s contests, still holds the record with 76 hot dogs eaten at the event and won the contest in 2020 by a whopping 33-hot dog margin.

But due to his partnership with Impossible Foods, Chestnut is out this year.

Who can emerge from the rest of the field to pick up the mantle?

It might be none other than Geoffrey Esper.

Esper has finished second to Chestnut in the last three years, including in 2023 when he finished second with 49 hot dogs consumed, 13 behind Chestnut. That was an improvement from his performance in 2022 when he finished second to Chestnut with 47 hot dogs consumed.

Esper, who teaches electronics at Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton, Massachusetts, is the second-ranked competitive eater in the world. His list of records and accomplishments in the world of competitive eating includes some incredible feats, including eating:

9.75 pounds of SPAM at “SPAMARAMA at the Circuit of the Americas during the 2021 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in eight minutes;
95 two-ounce Market Street Tamales at the Lewisville Western Days Festival in ten minutes;
17.75 bagels with cream cheese in eight minutes, and;
23.75 pounds of strawberry shortcake at the Mattituck Lions Club Strawberry Festival in eight minutes, which he accomplished last month.

Esper remains the world record holder in the strawberry shortcake category but in his mind, the Nathan’s contest is a much bigger challenge because it takes more than just a big stomach. “This isn’t as easy as other races like strawberry shortcakes where whoever has the biggest stomach wins,” he said recently. “You have to concentrate on what you are doing to eat so much.”

With Chestnut sidelined, Esper believes he finally has a shot at the title.“I definitely have a shot this year,” said Esper recently. But he knows the field is wide open without the returning champion.

“[With Chesnut] not there, it changes the dynamics of everything. It’s going to be a tight battle for first,” said Esper.

Perhaps finally the bridesmaid will get a chance to be the bride on Thursday.

5 NFL coaches who deserve to be on the hot seat before the 2024 season even starts nfl,coaches,who,deserve,to,be,on,the,hot,seat,before,the,season,even,starts,sbnation,com,front-page,nfl,dot-com-grid-coverage

On: June 28, 2024 By: admin

The 2024 NFL season is nearly upon us, and it’s shaping up to be an exciting one. While we’re all looking ahead to how our teams will look and hopefully improve this year, it’s important to remember one of the constants of the NFL: While some teams will get better, others will regress. Not everyone will be taking the anticipated step forward, and some will be taking a step back.

On that note, it’s a good opportunity to check in on some of the most volatile coaching situations in the NFL. I delved through the 32 head coaches to come up with my top-five hottest seats in the league heading into 2024. Many of these names won’t be terribly surprising, as several were considered candidates to be let go this offseason, but a couple were a little more challenging than others.

Mike McCarthy

I think I speak for most NFL fans when I say that we were shocked when Mike McCarthy wasn’t fired after the Dallas Cowboys’ most recent playoff defeat. He’s back for 2024, coming off the loss of another key coordinator in Dan Quinn and a thoroughly disappointing offseason marred by a failure to take action on quarterback Dak Prescott’s contract. To put it simply, the Cowboys have been suspiciously lax in addressing veteran departures and the multiple holes on the roster.

While I think the draft class has the potential to be good, it’s a tough assignment for any rookie offensive lineman to come in and play right away. Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe could be thrust into the spotlight immediately to plug holes, and I’m not sure that will produce great results — at least, not right away. The receiving corps is incredibly thin after CeeDee Lamb, and the lack of urgency to address running back led to an uninspiring reunion with late-career Ezekiel Elliott.

I’m not sure any of these things are explicitly McCarthy’s fault, but we all know who will get the blame if Dallas regresses in 2024.

Matt Eberflus

Matt Eberflus is in a strange situation with the Chicago Bears. In many ways, it would’ve made sense for the Bears to make a clean break and start fresh with a new head coach in 2024. The team is very much in the midst of what feels like a perpetually ongoing rebuild, and Eberflus’ abysmal 10-24 record through two seasons doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. At the same time, the roster has been far from competitive and Eberflus can argue that he didn’t get any say in the previous quarterback decision. Sure, fair enough.

All that being said, expectations will be through the roof for Chicago in 2024 thanks to an aggressive offseason headlined by the addition of No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at quarterback. If things don’t take off quite as fast as hoped and the Bears are once again picking near the top of the NFL Draft, the pitchforks will come out — and Eberflus will be the one on the pointy end.

Dennis Allen

Have you noticed a theme so far? The first three coaches on this list, Dennis Allen included, are all guys who were in danger of being fired at the end of the 2023 season. Allen has been a largely uninspiring coach for the New Orleans Saints, clawing his way to an under-.500 record over two seasons despite possessing one of the oldest and most expensive rosters in the NFL and playing in a division that has been pretty much wide open for the taking.

The expensive acquisition of Derek Carr was supposed to be the necessary move to get the Saints back on top in the NFC South, but the team ultimately fell short once again. Allen likely has a Week 18 Falcons collapse to thank for keeping his job heading into 2024, but things are looking considerably more dire for the Saints this season. The roster has continued to age and thin out thanks to years of cap shenanigans. New Orleans has an even tougher path to the playoffs this season, and three straight misses would almost certainly mean the end for Allen.

Robert Saleh

It seems like the signing of Aaron Rodgers, and his subsequent injury, probably saved Robert Saleh’s job in 2023. Perhaps Rodgers really would have lifted the New York Jets to playoff contention and renewed faith in Saleh’s leadership, but his injury essentially gave Saleh a free pass. While it’s clear Saleh is a great defensive mind and he’s put together a top unit in New York over the past two seasons, the offense has continuously held the team back.

Saleh is an abysmal 18-33 over his three seasons, and you’d expect pretty much any other coach to be shown the door in that situation. That means that 2024 is probably “playoffs or bust” time for both Saleh and the entire regime in New York. The Jets will obviously be better with a healthy Aaron Rodgers, but can they really compete with the top contenders in the AFC? Are they a better team than the Chiefs, Ravens, Bills, or Texans? Can Aaron Rodgers actually stay healthy? Will he retire mid-season to do ayahuasca and go on darkness retreats? A playoff berth alone may not be enough to save Saleh’s job given the expectations around the team.

Brian Daboll

It’s pretty unusual to see a coach coming off an AP Coach of Year award just two seasons prior entering the season on the hot seat, but the New York Giants are an unusual team. Brian Daboll worked magic in New York to get the team to a 9-7-1 record, playoff berth, and upset victory over the Vikings in 2022, but things completely fell apart in 2023. The Giants were among the league’s worst offenses and were near the bottom defensively as well, with Daniel Jones performing poorly coming off his extension before spending the majority of the season on IR.

New York is in a difficult spot heading into 2024, as the team chose to pass on a quarterback upgrade for another huge need, a wide receiver upgrade. That might have been the best choice for the team, but it probably wasn’t the best choice for Daboll’s job security. I still believe Daboll is a good coach and wouldn’t be shocked if he bounces back this season, but he’ll have to pull out some more of that 2022 magic to overtake the Eagles or Cowboys in the playoff race.

Presidents Cup: An early look at Team USA, one epic hot take presidents,cup,an,early,look,at,team,usa,one,epic,hot,take,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,presidents-cup-golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 26, 2024 By: admin

Welcome to Playing Through’s new morning ritual: Golf Talk Today.

Each morning will feature a Golf Talk Today, in which the crew will discuss various elements of the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and other professional golf tournaments.

Today begins a way too early discussion about the 2024 Presidents Cup. Team USA will travel to the Royal Montreal Golf Club from Sept. 24 to 29 to take on Team International.

Professional golf will get another trip to Canada in 2024 after a widely successful RBC Canadian Open. The golf fans in the Great White North do not disappoint, but will it be too much of a home event for the Americans?

In 2022, Team USA won its ninth consecutive Presidents Cup 17.5-12.5, improving to 12-1-1 all-time in this competition. While the Presidents Cup does not have as long a history as its fellow biennial Ryder Cup event, it still draws in crowds.

This year’s Team USA captain is Jim Furyk, and the International captain is Mike Weir.

There are six American PGA Tour players that qualify through points, per the Presidents Cup website. It did not mention LIV golf players because they were denied qualification last year. Various events receive points in the qualifying standings. Furyk will also get six captain picks.

Current Team USA Presidents Cup standings

*as of June 26, 2024, (points)

1: Scottie Scheffler: 12,734
2: Xander Schauffele: 7,142
3: Collin Morikawa: 5,513
4: Wyndham Clark: 5,121
5: Patrick Cantlay: 4,356
6: Sahith Theegala: 4,235

*On the outside looking in:

7: Tony Finau: 3,780
8: Max Homa: 3,772
9: Brian Harman: 3,669
10: Chris Kirk: 3,265
11: Russell Henley: 3,235
12: Sam Burns: 3,160
13: Akshay Bhatia: 3,102
14: Justin Thomas: 2,918

Scottie Scheffler holds a commanding lead in the standings. After six PGA Tour victories this season, he has all but officially secured his spot.

Many of the Ryder Cup team members from Rome could see themselves in Canada.

However, will Furyk take a similar approach to Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson?

A later Golf Talk Today will feature a more detailed discussion about who Furyk should have on his team.

Team USA Presidents Cup hot take

This take will be short and sweet.

Bryson DeChambeau should easily be on Team USA for the Presidents Cup.

Despite playing for LIV Golf, DeChambeau finished inside the top 10 in two majors and won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. He is playing phenomenally right now, and the former SMU golfer will be a great addition.

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Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

Wyndham Clark’s unexpected hot take on the Olympics over the Ryder Cup wyndham,clark,s,unexpected,hot,take,on,the,olympics,over,the,ryder,cup,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,olympics,ryder-cup-golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 22, 2024 By: admin

Wyndham Clark likes to give his opinion, even if the majority does not like it.

Last year, he attempted to call out Rory McIlroy and Team Europe before the Ryder Cup in Rome. He also missed the cut at The Masters earlier this year after calling out LIV Golf for its 54-hole tournaments.

However, his comment about the Olympics may be the hottest take ever.

Clark is one of the four Americans who will represent the United States in the Olympic golf tournament. He joins Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele.

“The Ryder Cup in golf is kind of the biggest thing, but now that golf’s in the Olympics, it’s probably even bigger than that because you’re representing your country at such a bigger level,” Clark said.

“Hopefully, all four of us can try to snag some podium spots and give medals to the U.S. to win that total medal count. But, yeah, it’s pretty awesome. This probably ranks as the coolest team I’ve ever made, for sure.”

The 2023 U.S. Open winner is entitled to his opinion. However, to call the Olympics a bigger country representation than the Ryder Cup as a professional golfer is quite interesting.

Clark made his Ryder Cup debut last September. Team Europe embarrassed Team USA in Rome. He scored 1.5 points for the Americans at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

“It is a nice weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that I made the team versus feeling like if I was trying to hold on,” he said. “So now that I made it, it doesn’t matter if you’re the No.1 guy or the fourth guy, as long as you make the team. So, it’s pretty awesome that I finally made it.”

Becoming an Olympian is quite an honor, so it makes sense for him to be this excited. Clark could also just be enthusiastic about wearing those patriotic J. Lindeberg outfits.

It is still odd to see a professional golfer rank any team over the Ryder Cup because it is one of the only times a golfer can play for his country alongside teammates.

Maybe Clark is just different, and becoming an Olympian is that special to him.

Is the Olympics a bigger deal than the Ryder Cup? Let us know in the comments.

U.S. Open: Tiger Woods starts hot, teases fans, then falters u,s,open,tiger,woods,starts,hot,teases,fans,then,falters,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 13, 2024 By: admin

Tiger Woods got off to a roaring start on Thursday at Pinehurst No. 2, making birdie to begin the championship at the par-5 10th. He briefly held a share of the lead.

Some clutch par putts followed at the 12th and 13th holes, but then the train began to veer off the tracks at the challenging par-4 16th.

Four bogies over the next six holes followed, and suddenly, Woods went from 1-under to 3-over at the drop of the dime. He ultimately carded a 4-over 74.

The 15-time major winner blamed it on his poor ball striking and putting afterward.

“I didn’t hit my irons particularly well. Didn’t putt that great,” Woods assessed.

“Drove it on the string all day. Unfortunately, I just didn’t capitalize on it.”

Woods hit 12 of 14 fairways but only nine greens in regulation. He lost more than two strokes on approach and missed plenty of irons to the right. But he did not try to play aggressively and attack flag sticks, which is a necessity for success at Pinehurst No. 2.

“I was somewhat conservative in some of my endpoints,” Woods said.

“Then again, I didn’t hit the ball very well either. It added up to quite a bit of distance away from the flag. It’s not where I wanted to be on a lot of the holes. It just ended up being that far away because I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be.”

Because Woods left himself plenty of real estate between his ball and the hole, he three-putted on a few occasions—an easy way to drop strokes.

“This golf course is all about the greens. The complexes are just so difficult and so severe that, I think 1-under par is only in fifth [right now]. There aren’t that many scores that are low. It’s hard to get the ball close,” Woods explained.

“In most golf courses you play, you hit shots into where it’s feeding off of slopes into flags, whereas collecting. Here everything is repelling. It’s just hard to get the ball on top of the shelves. If you miss it short side, it’s an auto bogey or higher. Being aggressive to a conservative line is I think how you need to play this particular golf course.”

Woods did get cheeky on the dogleg right par-4 7th but wound up short-siding himself into the greenside bunker. He then hit his third shot 18 feet past the hole, as another bogey stared him right in the face. But he drained the comebacker to save par. He made a few of those momentum-saving putts on Thursday and still shot 74.

But then, he dropped another shot on the challenging par-4 8th, his 17th hole of the day.

As for how he feels after the round, Woods said his mobility is improving.

“I’m physically getting better as the year has gone on,” Woods said.

Tiger Woods, U.S. Open — Tiger Woods on the 9th green during the first round of the 2024 U.S. Open.

“I just haven’t been able to play as much because I just don’t want to hurt myself, so I won’t be able to play in the major championships. It’s pick your poison, right? Play a lot with the potential of not playing, or not playing, and fight being not as sharp.”

He now has 24 hours to prepare for his second round, which will begin at 1:14 p.m. ET on Friday. But instead of heading to the recovery room, Woods said he would like to go to the putting green to work on some things. Perhaps his son Charlie can lend a helping hand.

“I’d like to hit a few putts. My speed was not quite there,” Woods said.

“If I clean that up, if I get a couple of iron shots not as loose as I did, I’m right there at even par. It can go so far the other way here, the wrong way. It’s just so hard to get back. This is a golf course that doesn’t give up a whole lot of birdies. It gives up a lot of bogeys and higher.”

If he can clean up those mistakes, Woods will play the weekend. But if he fails to figure out the pace of Pinehurst’s famed ‘Turtleback Greens,’ Woods will miss the cut, just as he did in his last U.S. Open appearance at Winged Foot in 2020.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.