From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Best Glutton

October 18 2006

Jammin' Joe LaRue

The challenge for any star athlete isn't how well he performs when things are going well but how well he recovers from gut-wrenching defeat, especially when he loses on a technicality. In April, competitive eater and local chef LaRue showed what he was made of (based on his résumé, it's hot dogs, sweet corn, conch fritters, barbecued pork, chicken wings, pancakes and doughnuts) after losing a Nathan's Famous Hot Dog regional qualifier in Sunrise. Nathan's Florida champion the previous three years, Jammin' Joe lost to Crazy Legs Conti, a New Yorker, in overtime when, according to an International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) report, "Detritus was analyzed, and Conti came away the victor." The bitter aftertaste didn't dissuade Jammin' Joe, even though it meant he wouldn't compete in Nathan's Fourth of July contest in Coney Island for the first time since 2003. Two weeks after having his detritus ruled insufficient in Sunrise, the 6-foot-8, 270-pound LaRue took his posse of fans to the Sweet Corn Fiesta in West Palm Beach, where he set a world record by devouring 34 ears in 12 minutes. The IFOCE reported Joe "appeared satisfied and a tad jaunty during the awards ceremony." And who could blame him after all he and his stomach had just been through?