Sunday, June 10, 2007

For the record books

Almost every budding guitarist learns to play one these two songs, Proud Mary or Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water". Tanna Guthrie, a morning show host for KYYS (99.7FM) in Kansas City, Kansas came up with the idea of breaking the world record for the most people playing the same song simultaneously. That record had been held since 1994 by Vancouver, British Columbia with 1,323 people playing the Deep Purple classic.

Guthrie said that her radio station would sens participant sign-up lists, photos, videos and copies of the media coverage to Guinness seeking official recognition for having 1,683 people play that same song simultaneously. Some people had come from as far away as Clifornia and Germany to participate on June 3 2007 in the attempt to break the record and bring it home to the US from our northern neighbors.

I haven't heard the recording yet of the mass of guitarists playing at CommunityAmerica Ballpark there but somehow I think however dreadful it may have sounded, it still would have brought back memories of those summers in the 70's when everyone could "air guitar" that song along with the radio.

In another bid to bring home another record, June 3rd in Tempe AZ found Joey Chestnut 22 of San Jose CA won the Southwest Regional Hot Dog Eating Championship by setting a world record by eating 59 1/2 hot dogs in twelve minutes. This shattered the record held by Takeru Kobayashi of Japan for eating 53 3/4 last July 4th at the Coney Island NY championships. Kobayashi has won the past six years and Chestnut has been chasing him for several years by finishing second.

"I always thought there was a limit-limit to the human stomach and a limit to human willpower-but I guess not," said Ryan Nerz, employee of a world governing board for all stomach-centric sports, Major League Eating.

If you need to get a better picture of what Joey "Jaws" Chestnut crammed into his gullet in twelve minutes, here's a little math so you can gain a visual next time you are grocery shopping. That would be six packages of hotdog buns, go ahead and stack them next time you are looking at a loaf of bread. Now add to that eight packages of hotdogs, minus a few and not only did he down what would outfit a family picnic, he did it in twelve minutes. I am sure I won't look at a hotdog the same now with that visual.

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