Nagano Japan

For the fifth straight year, it was a victory Takeru Kobayashi could relish. Kobayashi, 27, captured the Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest on Coney Island, gobbling 49 hot dogs in 12 minutes -- but missing his own world record of 53 1/2 hot dogs, set at last year's Fourth of July competition. Kobayashi, of Nagano, Japan, weighs 144 pounds. The runner-up was Sonya Thomas of Alexandria, Va., who ate 37 hot dogs.

The NHL's investigation into the vandalism of three rooms at the Olympic Village last week in Nagano, Japan, by members of the U.S. men's hockey team continues. League spokesman Arthur Pincus said he did not know when the inquiry would be completed and said no one has been eliminated, even though several players have proclaimed themselves cleared and although sources say various players--including Gary Suter and Chris Chelios--have alibis.

Unsigned restricted free agent Paul Kariya told two Canadian television networks Saturday he will join the Canadian national team for workouts beginning Monday in Calgary. And that could delay his return to the Ducks until after the Olympics, which begin Feb. 8 in Nagano, Japan. Kariya, selected to play on the Canadian Olympic team, plans to practice and play with the national team well into January to prepare for the Games.

Following are dates and sites of upcoming multisport competitions. U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVALS 1993: July 23- Aug. 1, San Antonio 1994: July 1-10 or 8-17, St. Louis 1995: July 21-30, Denver Pan America Games 1991 Aug 2-18, Havana Cuba 1995 TBA, Mar Del Plata, Argentina World University Games 1993 Winter - Feb. 6-14 Zakopane, Poland 1993 Summer - July 8-19, Buffalo, New York Olympics 1992 Winter - Feb. 8-23, Albertville, France 1992 Summer - July 26-Aug. 9, Barcelona, Spain 1994 Winter - Feb.

McDonald's Corp.'s latest bid to help revive stalled sales will debut today with a new national advertising campaign using the slogan "Did somebody say McDonald's?" The new campaign was created by DDB Needham Chicago. New advertising aimed at black and Latino consumers, crafted by Chicago-based Burrell Communications and Coral Gables, Fla.-based Del Rivero Messianu Advertising, respectively, also will debut today. McDonald's also said it would promote its December expansion into Walt Disney Co.

IBM Corp. pulled its sponsorship of the Olympic Games, ending a 38-year relationship, saying the costs of providing technical expertise for the international event became too high. IBM, whose technology handled everything from keeping scores to posting results on the Internet, said it will continue its sponsorship through the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia.

American jingoism continues, as you make fun of other country's traditional sports [1,000 Words' Worth, March 3]. Curling has a much longer and more interesting history than any phony U.S. sport, from beach volleyball to lacrosse, from Clipper basketball to L.A. NFL football. Jack Monderer Los Angeles While we as Canadians may joke a little about the national sport of curling, it is not a sport that has little or no following ... which rebuts your comment that "no reason was given as to why people are in the stands watching."