The Irish Mafia – a father/son team of avid Red Wavers, John & Timothy O’Rourke from Fresno – won the first Fresno State Hot Dog Eating Contest this morning at the university’s annual Farm Festival now under way at the Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market.
About 350 visitors saw the O’Rourkes beat out six other two-person teams (full list below) by eating 5 and-a-half “Bulldogs” all beef hot dog links smoked and cooked by animal science students in the Fresno State Meats Lab. The links are approximately 7-8 inches long and weigh about a fifth of a pound each.
Second place went to the Maya Munchies team of Larry Porricelli, vice president of neighboring Maya Cinemas, and Marcos Cotton. Third place went to the Ragin Cajuns team of Joseph Rodrigues and Myles Scott.
In addition to a first place medal, Irish Mafia won two Gibson Farm Market gift baskets, a Maya Cinema gift basket and a succulent plant each. John O’Rourke, co-owner of RJO Produce in Fresno, is a 1993 Fresno State grad with a BS in Ag Business. The contest was emceed by Gnarly Charley of KISS Country 93.7 FM.
The festival ends at 4 p.m. including a wine tasting. Visitors can taste free samples of foods produced by Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology students on Fresno State’s 1,000-acre University Agriculture Laboratory.
Gibson Farm Market Hot Dog Eating Contest 2015
Team Names Contestants
CHAMPS – Irish Mafia: John and Timothy O’Rourke
2nd – Maya Munchies: Larry Porricelli and Marcus Cotton
3rd – The Ragin Cajuns: Joseph Rodrigues and Myles Scott
Las Tortugas: Andrew Crookshanks and Johnny Kitong
Corn Doggers: Riley Fielder and Tate Sandborg
Team Cream: Janae Azevedo and Marcos
Team Weiner: Melissa Jacobs and Alec Le May
Related links
