WHO'S NUMBER THREE?

While Koby and Joey battle it out for the top two spots in the soon to be released MLE eater rankings, the next position up for grabs is, according to my math, number three. That spot currently belongs to Pat Bertoletti and, when the rankings are announced later this month, it will continue to belong to the mohawked man they call Deep Dish.

Hear that? That's the sound of no one arguing because out of all 50 names on the MLE eater rankings list, Bertoletti's position as the third best eater in the world is the easiest to call. But here's something worth chewing on: I wouldn't be surprised if Bertoletti is ranked #2 come judgment day. Here's why:

Most people think Joey Chestnut will be ranked number one. He wins 8 out of 10 contests he enters, demolishes records at every table he steps up to and, oh yeah, he beat the once invinceable Takeru Kobayashi in a little contest called Nathan's. But guess who Joey Chestnut's last two losses came from? That's right, Pat Bertoletti. Including a 98 to 75 beat down in the final jalepeno pepper round of the Saint Patrick's Day Showdown. (And don't say Joey isn't a "jalepeno guy" because he narrowly beat Bertoletti earlier in 2006 in the GoldenPalace.net Jalepeno Popper Contest.)

So if Joey is number one because of his nagging habit of winning so often, shouldn't the man who beat the man who beat "the man" have a shot at #2? I'm not saying it'll happen. But if it does, you can say I told you so.