25th Slugburger fest brings new pro eating rules - Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

CORINTH, Miss. (AP) - It was the 25th Slugburger Festival in Corinth, Miss., but the first in which the slugburger-eating contest was part of the Major League Eating competitive circuit. That meant new rules for old-timers, and last year's champion lost to a pro.

Mat "Megatoad" Stonie of San Jose downed 30 buns enclosing deep-fried meat & soy patties.

According to a book quoted on the festival's website, possible explanations for "slugburger" include "slug" as slang for a nickel, the burger's original cost.

Until this year, the winner was the fastest to down six burgers. Saturday, contestants got 10 minutes and plate after plate holding five burgers - about 1.2 pounds per plate.

Last year's winner, Jeremy Smith of Corinth, told The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (http://bit.ly/LjtjDM) he felt like a sprinter in a marathon.

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