Wing Bowl at 20: A Philly Tradition Like No Other

It's not the Super Bowl, but for many Philadelphia-area residents, it's become a bigger tradition than the game that will air this Sunday here on NBC10 between the Patriots and Giants. It's Sportsradio WIP’s Wing Bowl 20, aptly described by The Atlantic as "a 6 a.m. Mardi Gras-type atmosphere full of beer, bare breasts, big personalities, and about 3,000 Buffalo wings."

Make no mistake: this is a big deal in Philadelphia. 20,000 people will be in attendance (some tailgating all night) before they pack the sold-out Wells Fargo Center at 6 a.m. for all of the above. That's quite a change from the event's humble beginnings, when in 1993 local sports radio hosts Angelo Cataldi and Al Morganti hosted an eating competition at a local hotel to fill the long void of the Eagles not making the Super Bowl. About 10 people attended. Since that time, it's become one of the preeminent events for competitive eaters, celebrities and more.

The rules are fairly simple: Contestants eats as many wings as possible in as short a time frame as possible. As participants drop out, the last person still eating furiously wins. And this year pits two locals against an international star looking to make a comeback.

The most interesting showdown: local legend Bill "El Wingador" Simmons squares off against the internationally acclaimed Takeru Kobayashi. Simmons says he has one more Wing Bowl left in him after eating 254 wings last year and losing by one bone. Kobayashi is making a bit of a WWE-like comeback for Wing Bowl after a contract spat that has seen him miss many big eating events the past two years (which has concurrently led to the rise of one Joey Chestnut). Oh, and don't forget three-time defending champion Jonathan "Super" Squibb, who will look to continue his reign of supremacy by becoming the first to win the Wing Bowl in four consecutive years. That's in addition to 21 other competitors.

How does one become a Wing Bowl competitor, you may ask? More from The Atlantic: “One veteran ate four pounds of lasagna in five minutes. Another vet ate 6 feet, 9 inches of sushi off Wingettes, the bikini-clad assistants who escort the Wing Bowl competitors to the stage. One rookie scarfed two pounds of pasta and one pound of rabbit (yes, rabbit) in 10 minutes. Another rookie, the only female in the competition, standing all of 5-feet tall, ate 10 feet of sausage in under five minutes.”

But it’s more than the wings and the eating. Folks will be in their seats by 5:30, ready to watch the eaters enter the arena with WWE-like entourages, full of friends, erotic dancers and more. Oh, and many will certainly be in attendance to check out porn queen Jenna Jameson, adult film sensation turned politician and reality star Mary Carey and the aforementioned Wingettes.

For the latest developments live from Wing Bowl 20, follow NBC10 reporter Tim Furlong and social media editor Lou Dubois on Twitter (it will be his first Wing Bowl). You can also tune to NBC10 News beginning at 5am and check back on NBCPhiladelphia.com tomorrow for galleries, results and more.
 

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