Chestnut Opens 2017 Season With Victory!

Orlando, FL Major League Eating opened its 2017 season of sanctioned eating championships in Orlando, FL, with the fifth annual installment of the World Chili Eating Championship. This year's result was the same as it has been in each and every one of the years preceding it: Chestnut, J: Winner. The greatest eater in the history of the world opened his 2017 account with a powerful showing of his trademark simple, disciplined eating. His 8.5 32oz bowls of chili in six minutes was good enough for victory.

The win, however, was the closest one yet at the event for Chestnut. He edged second-place finisher Carmen Cincotti by just eight ounces. Chestnut put it best in a post-match tweet, when he said: "First contest of 2017 was close. I won by only 8 ounces." He then permitted himself a quick glimpse of the coming months when he continued on the popular social media platform, "@carmencincotti and @mattstonie are going to push me to new limits." The mind can only boggle as to what those limits may look like. They will be beautiful and terrifying all at once, one imagines. More hot dog and buns? More chicken wings? More of everything? Yes. More. More, more, more. More will be required from all to ascend the heights of competitive eating greatness in 2017.

Geoffrey Esper ate well for third; Gideon Oji finished fourth; Miki Sudo's brief pause to compose herself at the four-minute mark relegated her to fifth; Badlands owned sixth; brave local college student Carlos Gonzalez disappointed himself and his family for a distant last place.

And that's that. The 2017 World Chili Eating Challenge is in the books/The Internet. Chestnut is 1-0 and no one else is. That's how he likes it. Gauntlet thrown, people.

Here's to a prosperous, fun and history-making season ahead. Do join us.

FULL RESULTS! 1st - Joey Chestnut, 8.5 32oz bowls of chili in 6 min 2nd - Carmen Cincotti, 8.25 3rd - Geoffrey Esper, 7.25 4th - Gideon Oji, 6.25 5th - Miki Sudo, 6 6th - Badlands Booker, 3.25 7th - Carlos Gonzalez, 0.75