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The real question coming into the 4th of July Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Competition is not necessarily who will win but whether six time champion Takeru Kobayashi will compete.
The competitive eater has refused to sign a contract that would prohibit him from participating in other similar events not sanctioned by The International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE).
"I really want to compete in the event," Kobayashi said this week, "but I cannot agree to the conditions."
"We have never stopped negotiating with Kobayashi to bring him here," IFOCE executive director George Shea said at a press conference on Friday. "We want him here. Nathan's wants him here. The fans want him here. And he himself has said he wants to be here. So why won't he work out [a contract] with us that will bring him here?"
Without Kobayashi there is little competition.
"This has the feel of an NFL game where we wait until the last minute to see if the top player comes off the injury list," observed Payton O'Brien, Senior Editor of the Gambling911.com website.
Some online gambling sites were still offering odds on Kobayashi.
His presence may not even have an impact as Joey Chestnut has won the event the past three years.
At press time Sportsbetting.com opted for Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest betting props that included the OVER/UNDER on number of franks consumed by the winner: That number being 67 ½.
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Jordan Bach, Gambling911.com
