“The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest is the crucible through which greatness is forged,” George Shea likes to say.
It’s not bluster: Shea is the co-founder and chairman of Major League Eating, the organization that holds about 70 eating competitions throughout the year, including the July Fourth hot dog eating contest in Coney Island.
Shea’s performance as emcee of that contest has turned him into an American legend. Every Fourth of July at Nathan’s Famous, Shea goes viral for his intros that whip a crowd of 35,000 people (and millions more watching at home) into a frenzy to cheer on the most prolific competitive eaters of our time.
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