Stealth Fans to Cheer on Mac & Cheese Contest

By JOE KUKURA

Updated 10:44 AM PST, Sat, Feb 21, 2009

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San Jose must be so proud of its' hometown athletes -- the Sharks have the best record in the NHL Western Conference, and the best home record in hockey. And Saturday, a San Jose native will try to notch a world record at halftime of the San Jose Stealth lacrosse contest with Atlanta. Joey Chestnut will attempt to eat ten pounds of macaroni & cheese in seven minutes.

If that's not appetizing enough, the first 3,000 fans will get Joey Chestnut bobbleheads!

The San Jose Stealth are the professional lacrosse team who share HP Pavilion with the Sharks. Professional lacrosse may not have caught on with U.S. audiences yet, but that can't be blamed on lack of over-the-top marketing gimmicks.

Joey Chestnut is best known for dethroning world champion speed-eater Kobayashi at the 2007 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island, ending Kobayashi's six-year reign as eating champion and grabbing the hot dog-eating world record in the process. Chestnut now owns a whopping 18 world records for speed-eating enormous amounts of various foods.

Speed-eating fans worldwide can follow Chestnut's exploits on his blog, entitled "Chicks Dig Fast Eaters." Tonight will be Chestnut's first competition in his hometown of San Jose, and his first attempt at competitively eating macaroni & cheese. He's approaching the contest with an eye on the people who helped him make it to where he is today.

“I’ve never eaten [macaroni and cheese] competitively, but my mom used to make it for me,” he told the Stealth. He adds on his blog, "Mac N Cheese is one of my favorite foods, so I am looking forward to throwing down some serious poundage."

Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who is already burdened with soime serious poundage.