And That’s Not “Erupt” Figuratively Like They Say After One Of Your Garden-Variety 30-Point Performances, He Means Literally “Erupt”

In an interview with Metro New York, competitive eating expert and Horsemen of the Esophagus author Jason Fagone guesses that Kobayashi’s jaw arthritis is probably for real though he does seem to suggest while answering a question about the potential for other repetitive injuries through competitive eating that deep down, spectators have a perverse sort of White Bronco infatuation with the sport:

I’m waiting for Joey Chestnut to erupt. I’m waiting for the first stomach rupture. It probably won’t happen with one of the top eaters, because they’ve brought their capacity up so gradually. It certainly can happen with an eater who is doing it for the first time or second time or third time and just overdoes it.