Bison to the Bone: Wing Eating Contest

The lower level of the Blackburn Center buzzed with curiosity and anticipation as participants and spectators awaited Thursday’s “RedHot Chicken Wing” eating contest.

Sponsored by Frank’s RedHot Sauce and National Lampoons film franchise, the wing-eating competition consisted of three preliminary rounds and a final eat-off portion for the $500 prize.

The event began unceremoniously due to apparent miscommunication between the DJ and Rob Bardunias, president of National Lampoons. The music was stopped and started a few times because of confusion about the rules.

Throughout the event, announcements were fumbled and a general disorganization was evident. However, that did not hinder the excitement for the audience once the contest got underway. Once the actual eating began, some students cheered for their friends and danced to the tunes being spun on the turntables. Others looked on, outwardly unemotional.

Two winners from each of the first three rounds were chosen to advance to the finals. One of the two from round one, freshman business management major John Cameron, who vomited halfway through the finals, said after his victory. “I’m [trying to] get this $500.”

He also said he would enter even if there was not a cash prize, and did not give much credence to the suggestion that the event promoted a negative stereotype. “That’s when people get too serious. It’s fun.”

As rapid chicken eating continued and the atmosphere intensified, senior radio-television-film major Cefis Johnson made no bones about his feelings toward the contest. “[I'm not going to] play myself to look like the dude scarfing down chicken wings for the h–l of it. [Isn't] that just some stereotypical stuff for a black college?”

RedHot picked up momentum as the rounds went on. Students showed more enthusiasm when current radio hits like “‘Nolia Clap” and “Go DJ” were played. The different contestants in each round also seemed to pick up steam, some feverishly ripping chicken meat from the bones splattering hot sauce everywhere.