Competitive eating icon, Takeru Kobayashi is mired in contract negotiations that may result in him being absent from the annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest in Coney Island, New York.

Fanhouse.com reported the news today. The governing body in the U.S., for competitive eating contests,  Major League Eating, issued a statement from its president.

“Takeru Kobayashi is currently not scheduled to compete in the 2010 Nathan’s Famous July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest,” said Major League Eating President Richard Shea.

Kobayashi was knocked off his perch as the annual winner of the contest in 2007 by American Joey Chestnut, who has dominated the event since.  In 2008, the first ever “chew-off” occurred between Chestnut and Kobayashi

In 2009, a record 68 hot dogs and buns were consumed by Chestnut. Kobayashi couldn’t keep pace at the end but the two were neck and neck, or mouthful to mouthful if you prefer, until that point.

None of the other contestants were even close. Chestnut was caught on “chew-cam” as he set record.

It’s clear that Kobayashi pushed Chestnut to these heights and without him around it won’t be as exciting.

Kobayashi was a six- time winner until Chestnut appeared on the scene. Perhaps he’s being asked to take less of an appearance fee as a former champ and isn’t pleased about it.

Competitive eating is no longer limited to Nathan’s Famous hot dogs. There are foods as varied as curly fries, pizza, oysters and ribs which headline events now.

Stay tuned for more drama in the lead-up to the annual event.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC