And the City Undoes the Top Button

If you weren’t there, you missed “a critical turning point in our culture,” not to mention an early morning buzz and heartburn. The results are in from Wing Bowl 16, and two-time defending champ Joey Chestnut defeated the mighty El Wingador, who came in third. Chestnut downed 241 wings, setting a new Bowl record. El Wingador was the favorite (at least crowd favorite) to win, and the disappointment was made worse by his announcement that he is retiring from competitive eating. It is truly a dark day. Chestnut had previously said that win or lose this would be his last Wing Bowl, but apparently the thrill of victory reminded him why he got into the sport in the first place (or something), and we may be seeing him again.

You can get a play-by-play here, and more video than you ever thought you'd need here and here. If your heart’s already broken at the thought of 12 long months sans Wing Bowl, relive the glorious run-up by watching the audition tapes, and plot a way to get El Wingador back for one more try. Maybe a petition… or a trail of hot sauce…

Image Credit: Flickr user Losttrekker