How Many Cheesesteaks Can You Eat in Ten Minutes?

Contestants in a previous cheesesteak-eating competition at Delco Steaks (photos courtesy Delco Steaks)

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Delco Steaks Hosts Cheesesteak-Eating Competition This Friday

New York has its famous hot dog-eating competition. New Orleans has a (barf) raw-oyster-eating competition. So here, in cheesesteak capital Philly, we naturally have a cheesesteak-eating competition, thanks to Best of Philly-winning Delco Steaks. It’s happening this Friday and, yes, you can still enter. Because you know you want to do this to yourself, right?

Forty contestants — some “professional” eating-competition folks, and some masochistic amateurs like you — will square off to see who can eat the most footlong cheesesteaks in 10 minutes. Each sandwich contains 10 ounces of sliced ribeye and some Cooper Sharp cheese, all stuffed into a chewy seeded roll from Carangi Baking Company in South Philly.

The consumption record at the Delco Steaks competition? Eight cheesesteaks in 10 minutes for the professionals. Two-and-a-half for the amateurs. Winners take home cash and trophies and, presumably, a voucher for a free bottle of Lipitor.

This all goes down at 6 p.m. at Marple Public House, the restaurant just behind the flagship location of Delco Steaks.

Godspeed, people.

Speaking of Competitions #1: Rebecca Rhynhart

I don’t know who is going to win the Democratic primary for mayor in May. But former city controller Rebecca Rhynhart just struck a big blow to her fellow candidates by launching a fantastic new commercial featuring former mayors Michael Nutter and John Street, both of whom recently endorsed her:

There’s also a longer version. But the 15-second one above takes the prize.

Speaking of Competitions #2: Melissa Klapper

Jeopardy host Ken Jennings with contestant Melissa Klapper (photo courtesy Jeopardy)

Congrats to Merion Station’s Melissa Klapper, who is the latest area Jeopardy contestant. The Rowan professor emerged victorious at her first Jeopardy appearance on Monday night, winning $24,801. You can read a detailed recap of the game (if you’re the type of person who reads detailed recaps of such things) here.

A Questionable Business Decision

Uniqlo decided to create a Philly-centric line of merch. And where did they find the artist to create said line of Philly merch? New York, of course. Not everybody is happy about this.

Cannabis Lounges Coming to Atlantic City

You’re technically not allowed to smoke marijuana in public in Atlantic City. And you’re not allowed to smoke it in casinos. So what’s a pot smoker to do? (I mean, other than what they’ve been doing for decades.) Head to a cannabis lounge, coming to Atlantic City this summer. This is all part of a plan to make Atlantic City a tourism destination for cannabis enthusiasts.

By the Numbers

$9.25 million: Amount the City of Philadelphia has agreed to pay some of the George Floyd protesters who sued the city over actions taken by law enforcement, like the tear-gassing on 676.

$53 million: Amount SEPTA had already spent on the long-promised KOP rail project when it announced last week that the project was dead.

135%: Increase in eviction filings in Philly so far this year compared to the same period last year.

35: Objections filed against those nominating petitions in the upcoming municipal primary, not including objections against petitions submitted regarding judicial candidates, which are handled differently. The ballot design can’t actually be finalized until all objections are resolved.

And from the Girls-Rule Sports Desk …

Maddy Siegrist and her Villanova teammates (fourth seed) took on Florida Gulf Coast (13th seed) last night in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Siegrist and her fellow Wildcats dominated the game, which the ’Cats won handily, 76-57. Way to go, ladies! On Friday in the Sweet 16, they’ll play nine-seed Miami, who beat one-seed Indiana in a thrilling squeaker last night, 70-68.

The Sixers finally came home from their road trip to play the Bulls last night, and this is getting ri-dunk-ulous: Look who’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week again! Starters: House, Embiid, Maxey, Harden, Harris. Not exactly a score-fest early on, but House, in his second straight start, looked crisp. End of the first: 22-17 Sixers. Just three minutes into the second, our guys already had eight turnovers, alas. The Bulls drew even and then pulled ahead on a 15-3 run, 34-29, halfway through the quarter.

A quiet first half in South Philly.

Sixers trailing by four. | @Kia pic.twitter.com/dYmVohvs77

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 21, 2023

The Sixers tied it back up in the third, then took the lead again, but they were looking shaky and were up to 14 turnovers. Guess who joined Kate and Alaa in the booth?

Doctor J is making an outstanding announcing cameo during the Sixers/Bulls game. He continues to be the single coolest retired star in any sport. What a legend.

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 21, 2023

But Philly was down, 69-68, at the end of the third and trailed through most of the fourth. Embiid picked up a fifth foul. Harden and Melton poured it on with four minutes left to regain the lead, barely, but man, there was a lot of foul-calling by the refs. With two minutes left, Joel landed a two to tie it at 89 and then got a big block, but the Sixers couldn’t convert. And they followed that up with a shot-clock violation with one minute left. DeMar DeRozan hit a two to make it 91-89 Bulls. Maxey drove and scored — tied again! Half a minute left. But though DeRozan uncharacteristically threw it away, the Sixers couldn’t score, and — overtime.

Which is when the Sixers went frigid. Luckily, the refs punished Patrick Beverley with some really dubious fouls, but it didn’t help; the Bulls went up three with one and a half to go. Tyrese hit a three from three miles away! Tied again, one minute left. Layup by Joel; DeRozan for the tie. And Harden lost the ball. Ten seconds left. Melton was called for a foul — five seconds to go. Three attempt by DeRozan was a clank — double overtime. The Sixers went up 101-99 — which was when Joel fouled out. Tied again. Maxey put us up, an easy steal for Melton, a two by Harris … damn, were they gonna pull this out?

Nope. Bulls win, 109-105. End of win streak. And we’re off on a four-game road trip that starts with a rematch against the Bulls on Wednesday.

Down in spring-training land, the Phils used a seven-run second and a four-run third, topped off by a three-run seventh, to make mincemeat of the Orioles, 14-6. Rhys Hoskins and Alec Bohm had homers in the 15-hit outing. They play the Pirates today at 1:05.

All Philly Today Sports Desk coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.