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New eater must step up to the hot dog plate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta’s bigger-than-life, trash-talkin’ Dale Boone won’t be scarfing hot dogs this Saturday at Lenox Square mall for the Nathan’s Famous regional contest.
Why not? George Shea, a spokesman for Major League Eating, a world governing body for competitive eating, said Boone left the federation after being punished one too many times for participating in “nonsanctioned” food-eating contests. Boone couldn’t be reached for comment, but in the past, he has told Buzz he felt constrained by the league’s rules.
Boone made it to the national televised eating contest in Coney Island at least three times, including last year, but has never come close to winning. (The regional winner is guaranteed a trip to New York on July 4.)
Three ranked competitive eaters from metro Atlanta are hoping to take Boone’s spot at 1 p.m. in the Lenox food court: Loren “Bubba” Yarbrough of Newnan (No. 33), “SuperPaul” Barlow of Kennesaw (No. 34) and Larry McNeil of Atlanta (No. 38).
The favored local is Yarbrough, a city of Atlanta sewer plant manager who came in second behind Boone last year in the regionals with 21 hot dogs consumed. The battle has been cut from 12 to 10 minutes, but he thinks he can still break 20. “I fill up quickly,” Yarbrough said. “Hopefully I can get a jump on whoever I’m up against.”
Yarbrough’s biggest competitor may be Pete Davekos (No. 25), who’s flying in from Cambridge, Mass. His 2007 hot-dog total? 17. “I lost last year,” Davekos said. “I feel I need a little retribution.”
A likely wild-card participant? SuperPhat Mikey, the morning co-host on Star 94, who’s known for prodigious eating binges. (UPDATED: Davekos won Saturday afternoon with 19.25 dogs eaten and will be going to Coney Island, just beating out Yarbrough, who was penalized for leaving too much bun detritus on his plate and credited with 18.5. SuperPhat Mikey finished with seven in his first try in this competition.)
‘IDOL’ FINALIST TO SING ALONGSIDE GREATS
Paris Bennett, season five “American Idol” finalist and (briefly) a Fayetteville resident, comes back to Atlanta as a duet partner with her grandmother Ann Nesby tonight at Philips Arena for a diva-licious concert sponsored by AARP.
Bennett — who last spoke with Buzz at Noodle in Midtown 16 months ago wearing sunglasses indoors and acting blasé — was more engaged via phone this week.
She’s psyched to be on stage with the likes of Dionne Warwick, CeCe Winans and Shirley Caesar, many of whom are friends with Nesby.
And though her first album last year failed to generate much traction (about 20,000 sold), she’s planning a Christmas album and a jazz-flavored release. She’s also acting in two upcoming films: “Mama, I Want To Sing,” in which she plays Ciara’s younger sister, and “Baby O,” a musical.
“I like the movie thing,” Bennett said.
USHER’S CRIB PRICED TO SELL AT $2 MILLION
Psst … real estate bargain hunters, Usher’s got a deal for you!
According to the Wall Street Journal, the R&B star’s Alpharetta home at Country Club of the South (home to the likes of Jeff Foxworthy and John Smoltz) has been marked down to $2 million from $2.3 million last fall.
The five bedroom home, featured in an episode of MTV’s “Cribs,” includes a salon, guest house, pool and recording studio. Usher purchased it in 1998 for $1.2 million.”
“We’re trying to price it to sell,” listing agent Lisa Robinson of Robinson Realty Group told the Journal. “We’re competing with brand-new construction, and the market is relatively slow here.”
2ND DANIEL MAY ADDS IDENTIFIER
Daniel Thomas May — the actor playing Orlando in Georgia Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” — is the same guy who’s been performing around town for years as Daniel May.
“I was tossing and turning last night trying to think up a good story to try to make it more exciting than it actually is,” said the popular Atlanta actor, who recently decided to use his middle name in all references.
Why the change? Two years after May joined Actors’ Equity Association in 2003, the union informed him that there was another Daniel May on its roster and suggested he alter his name to avoid a mix-up. May began using his full name on contracts but only recently made the change publicly.
“I hadn’t expected it to be so controversial!” he joked in an e-mail.
HIGH FIVE
Hot 107.9
For the week of June 10
1. “Put On” Young Jeezy
2. “Lollipop” Lil Wayne
3. “A Milli” Lil Wayne
4. “Bust It Baby (Part 2)” Plies
5. “Donk” Soulja Boy
— Mediabase 24/7
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Jane Russell is 87. Actor Bernie Kopell (“The Love Boat”) is 75. Musician Ray Davies of The Kinks is 64. Actress Meredith Baxter (“Family Ties”) is 61. Actor Michael Gross (“Family Ties”) is 61. Guitarist Nils Lofgren is 57. Cartoonist Berke Breathed (“Opus,” “Bloom County,”) is 51. Actor Doug Savant (“Desperate Housewives,” “Melrose Place”) is 44. Actress Juliette Lewis is 35. Singer Brandon Flowers of The Killers is 27.
Contributing: Wendell Brock and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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