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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > July > 12
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Champion ATL eater wings it for win
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta’s best competitive eater, Dale Boone, lost the regional Nathan’s hot dog eating competition last month for the second year in a row, but he took a consolation prize Saturday. He won a local Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo chicken wing competition, gulping 30 wings in less than four minutes.
Boone was barely recognizable to fans who lined up at Atlantic Station for the wingding because in the past year he’s lost more than 100 pounds, trimming down to a fighting weight of 220. He said too much fat around his stomach has limited his performances in the past.
Always a great “sprint” eater, he hopes he can now better compete in the 12-minute endurance matches like the Nathan’s contest. (Boone has never eaten more than 20 hot dogs in such contests, while the record is nearly 54, set this year by the master Takeru Kobayashi.)
Boone saw his rank among competitive eaters drop from 12th a year ago to 18th this year, according to the International Federation of Competitive Eating, during a period when Boone was in India directing films. But he’s back, and hungry. He won a ribs-chomping contest July 3 in Memphis, devouring 3 pounds in eight minutes.
And he hopes to rock the Krystal burger-eating competition later this year. “Everything,” he told Buzz, “is falling into place.”
‘Idol’ hopefuls, go west
“American Idol” won’t stage auditions in Atlanta in its search for fresh meat for the upcoming sixth season. “Idol” held auditions here for the first three seasons. Would-be Georgia contestants will have to drive a couple of hours west to Birmingham for auditions on Aug. 21.
Surprisingly, this is the first time Birmingham will be host for the auditions, despite the fact it has already generated two winners — Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard — and two runners-up in Bo Bice and Diana DeGarmo (who was born there but was raised in Snellville).
Other audition cities are Los Angeles (Aug. 8); San Antonio (Aug. 11); East Rutherford, N.J., near New York City (Aug. 14); Memphis (Sept. 3); Minneapolis (Sept. 8); and Seattle (Sept. 19). Age qualifications remain the same: 16 to 28.
Memphis was scheduled as an audition site last year, but Hurricane Katrina forced the show producers to move to Greensboro, N.C. That wasn’t a bad deal because the city helped the show land finalists Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler and Bucky Covington.
In other “Idol” news, Daughtry, the rocker who finished in fourth place, has signed a record deal with 19 Recordings/RCA Records.
Further study needed?
Timothy Leary would probably make something out of the synchronicity of the two events, but, as the Moody Blues told us (somewhat ahead of the fact), Timothy Leary’s dead. His spirit is alive and well, however, at Johns Hopkins, where researchers gave volunteers doses of the vital extract from psilocybin mushrooms to test their “mystical” effects. The results of the study were announced Tuesday, on the same day family members confirmed the death of Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett, widely considered a casualty of psychedelic drugs.
Directors of the Johns Hopkins study claimed they took great pains to avoid giving any of their subjects a “bad trip” and hailed the salutary results for most: 60 percent enjoyed the “full mystical experience” (according to the language of the paper), and months later most reported “moderately to greatly increased” well-being or life satisfaction.
The study was criticized vigorously by various government entities, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which footed part of the bill. Critics pointed out that it is still illegal to possess magic mushrooms in every state except Florida and New Mexico.
Dubious duet
Jackie Chan tried some impromptu live karaoke Monday night but drew less than pleasant reviews from his Hong Kong audience, according to the Ming Pao Daily News. Jumping onstage during a concert by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jonathan Lee, the chop-socky film star demanded a duet with Lee. Chan then tried to conduct the band but stopped and restarted the music several times, the newspaper reported.
During the ensuing awkward pause, audience members started to heckle Chan, who replied with an insult, according to the report.
A spokesman for Chan, Solon So, told The Associated Press he hadn’t seen Chan since the incident and had no immediate comment.
Reality bites
A cast member on MTV’s “The Real World” was arraigned Monday on a misdemeanor assault charge after police said she bit her boyfriend during a domestic dispute.
Paula Ann Meronek, 25, allegedly bit her boyfriend, John Alyward, several times when he refused to let her into their home early Sunday morning, police said.
“I think it was an argument that led to one thing then another,” said Cromwell, Conn., Police Chief Anthony Salvatore.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Topher Grace (“That 70s Show”) is 28; one-time Charlie’s Angel Cheryl Ladd is 55; Fleetwood Mac singer/keyboardist Christine McVie is 63; comedian, philanthropist and newly minted curmudgeon Bill Cosby is 69.
Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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