Hot Dog Contest competitor makes admission about Joey Chestnut

Jul 3, 2022; New York, New York, USA; American competitive eater Joey Chestnut ignited the smoke stacks before the game between New York City FC and Atlanta United at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

One might not expect Joey Chestnut’s would-be rivals to be hoping the competitive eating champion will take part in the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest, but that is the case for at least one of them.

Geoff Esper, who finished as the runner-up to Chestnut in the 2023 event, said any win would come with a “huge asterisk” if Chestnut were absent. In Esper’s eyes, a win would not be viewed as the same accomplishment if one did not beat Chestnut to get the victory.

“100% there’s gonna be a huge asterisk on that,” Esper told TMZ Sports. “Like two or three years ago, I said, ‘Well, even if I do win it because Joey’s not there, there’s gonna be an asterisk.’ I’ll admit that to anybody.”

To be clear, Esper thinks there is still plenty of reason to watch. He believes Chestnut’s potential absence might lead to a more competitive contest that goes down to the wire.

“I think it might be even more exciting this year because of how close the four of us are to the winning number,” Esper added. “The winning number is not going to be in the 70s, but it might come down to the last second.”

Reports have indicated that Chestnut is banned from the 2024 contest for endorsing a rival hot dog brand. Chestnut has made clear he would love to compete, but right now, that does not appear to be in the cards.