Joey Chestnut vs. Usain Bolt.
At least one of them is ready for a showdown.
“Of course I’d do it,’’ Chestnut told USA TODAY Sports.
The PGA Tour recently revived the idea when they asked golfers who would win a head-to-head competition with this format: Chestnut, the 17-time champion at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, and Bolt, the eight-time gold medal-winning sprinter, each would have to eat a hot dog before starting the race.
Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala predicted the winner would be Chestnut. Jordan Spieth and Maverick McNealy predicted Bolt would win.
And what does Chestnut think?
“It could be really close,’’ he said.
Chestnut said he’d be less concerned with how fast the 38-year-old Jamaican can run than how fast Bolt can eat a hot dog.
Chestnut, who recently won the Nathan’s contest on July 4 by eating 70.5 hot dogs and buns during the 10-minute competition, said he can eat a hot dog in about 2.5 seconds and likely would need it to take Bolt about 12 seconds.
“It’s possible,’’ Chestnut said. “I forget that some people aren’t the fastest eaters. So if there was a judge that didn’t let him start until he swallowed the hot dog…’’
One problem: Chestnut said he has plates and screws in his right leg after breaking it two years and his left leg is a half inch longer than his right leg. “It’s not ideal,’’ he said, adding, “Every once in a while, I jog a little bit with the dog.’’
Another hitch: Chestnut said the idea was broached a year or two ago and “it didn’t seem like he was interested.’’
Nevertheless, Chestnut said he might start training for the hot-dog-and-100-meters race.
“I’m going to try it,’’ he said. “We have a long straightaway not too far from my house. I’m only going to get faster unless I hurt myself.’’
