When I tracked down Jed Donahue at an exhibition game in Arizona, he pointed out that it's spring training not only for major league baseball players but for major league eaters, such as himself.
Donahue, of Huntington Beach, a finalist in the 2006 world hot dog eating championships, said he's slowly wending into gobbling shape. Though he's eaten as many as 25 dogs at a 12-minute sitting, he confined himself to five at the game he was attending. "Five filled me up," he said, "especially with the beer."
Donahue's sampling, though limited, showed his fans that he's going to change his strategy for the competition this July 4 at Coney Island, in which several thousand dollars in prizes will be offered. Last year, when the winning mark was 53 hot dogs, Donahue ate a total of ... one.
"It was the perfect hot dog," he said. "I saw no reason to eat another."
A spokesman for the International Federation of Competitive Eating, the ruling body, said at the time: "I think he knew he wasn't going to win."
Donahue, 34, won't admit that, but he did say he's approaching retirement, and this year at Coney, "I'd like to give my all for maybe the last time." He thinks downing 25 hot dogs wouldn't leave a bad taste in his mouth.
After all, gone are the days when he could wolf down 30 doughnuts in eight minutes or 152 jalapenos in 15 minutes (though not at the same meal).
"Once you hit 35, you're pretty much retired" from competition eating, he said. "The body can't take it."
Odd that Donahue should say that. It seems to me I began to eat more after 35.
More food for thought: I asked Donahue about the new plan at Dodger Stadium whereby fans can buy $35 tickets for the right-field pavilion and eat all the hot dogs and peanuts they want. Donahue laughed. "We [his fellow competitors] could go out there and when we were through they'd reverse the policy," he said. "They'd cut us off after seven innings."
Speaking of eating challenges: Peter Frey found a Valley restaurant that apparently dares diners to consume one item (see accompanying) and walk under their own power.
Check your drums at the door: Judy Jenkins of Lake Arrowhead noticed that a religious site in Vietnam was fronted by a sign with some unusual prohibitions (see photo).
Honest, officer, I was only doing 12 1/2 ! In Hemet, Pete Kohl chanced upon a traffic sign that would require a driver to use a magnifying glass on the speedometer (see photo).
