Fourth of July Hot Dog Madness In Coney Island Is Just Around the Corner

Bookmakers Give Japanese Champ and American Contender Even Odds

It's been called a a gluttonfest, a national obsession or just plain bizarre.

Call it what you want, last year 30,000 fanatics crowded into Coney Island to witness the famous Nathan's hot dog eating contest. On top of that, roughly 1.5 million households tuned in to the contest’s live broadcast on ESPN.

Maximum eater Takeru Kobayashi (known as The Tsunami) took the event for the sixth time, eating 53.75 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes.

The madness continues this July 4 at noon. Bookmakers are giving roughly even odds to Kobayashi and last year's second-place finisher Joey Chestnut.

To help Brooklynites prepare for the big event, McBrooklyn is passing along Nathan's buy-one-get-one-free hot dog coupon. Just print it, cut it out and bring it with you to Nathan's. (You don't have to stuff your face unless you want to.)

The original is on the Nathan's web site right here.