756

Barry did it. He hit 756. He's the new home run king. But that's not what this post is about. I've been hearing several reporters and talking heads saying how this is the greatest sports moments of all time. They are saying how this is one of the most hallowed records in American sports. Well, make up your mind. Jeni and I already watched that record be broken, back on July 4th. The Nathans's Hot Dog Eating Contest. I will include a couple quotes from that broadcast. "world wide celebrity acclaim just seconds away", "this would be the greatest moment in the history of American sports if Joey Chestnet can bring the belt home", he may have changed the course of this nation with that, he has righted the course with that victory", "a true American hero". Really? I haven't heard anyone call Barry a true American hero. Has Barry righted the course of history? I don't think so. He's helped us doubt the achievements of our superstar athletes if anything. What Joey Chestnut did was legendary. 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes. It took Barry 22 years to hit 756 home runs. 22 years! You can do a lot of things if you have 22 years to achieve them. I'm starting to believe the announcers, maybe Chestnut does own the greatest moment in the history of American sports. Seriously, what is the competition? The 1980 "Miracle on Ice" gold medal win. Ali vs. Frazier. The shot heard around the world. Jesse Owens winning 4 gold medals in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Super Bowl III. 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes. All those other achievements pale in comparison to 66 hot dogs. Congratulations Barry, you are now the answer to a trivia question, you hold a record that every respectable sports fan knows the answer to. But what Chestnut did -- epic.