Kobayashi doesn’t save room for dessert

No matter how much you stuffed yourself on Thanksgiving, it was nothing compared to the amount of food consumed by competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi, who set a world record Wednesday by inhaling 7.5 pounds of turkey in 10 minutes.

The 5-foot-8-inch, 128-pound Kobayashi shattered the record set the previous day by 105-pound Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas, who feasted on 5.25 pounds of fowl to easily filet 400-pound Eric "Badlands" Booker.

"I left only bone," Thomas crowed after her victory. "I'm so happy."

Booker, who holds the world record for pumpkin-pie eating -- polishing off 4 3/8 pies in 12 minutes -- was impressed.

"I'm definitely in awe of her abilities, to be so small and eat so much," he said.

Faulty strategy led to Booker's downfall. While Thomas methodically stripped off handfuls of meat to eat, Booker borrowed a page from Cousin Eddie of "Christmas Vacation," who reminded Clark Griswold to "save me the neck."

"I just ripped the bird apart and ate the innards," Booker said. "I think I ate the wishbone by accident."

Based on the reaction of Dan Rollman of Recordsetter.com, watching Kobayashi burrow his way through a bird was akin to watching Picasso paint.

"Never in my life have I witnessed food disappear like that," said Rollman, who obviously never has been to a Del Taco drive-thru at 4 a.m. "The man is a true culinary Houdini. It was a true honor to be so close to such a legend as he showed off his skills."

Rolling his eyes nearby was Abe Froman, the "Sausage King of Chicago."

■ WORLD PEACE ON HOLD -- Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace this year, but Mental Health Please would be more fitting for the Lakers forward.

Artest, who thanked his psychiatrist after helping Los Angeles win the 2010 NBA title, has posted a series of bizarre, albeit entertaining, tweets about the lockout.

Here's a sampling of what he misses about the NBA: "I miss Kobe taking shot after shot."

"I miss shooting airballs and dribbling off my leg and Kobe saying, "Ronny stop!"

"I miss the LA times telling me how sucky I am. That's the best. End the lock out."

"I miss zen phil not giving Luke and Adam Morrison playing time! I miss the bald headed Espn announcers. I miss the going bald TNT announcers."

"I miss the supersonics."

Artest tweeted a way Tuesday to end the lockout, challenging Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan to a game of one-on-one: "I'll spot you 20 and a bag of cheetos If I win end lockout Keep the cheetos.

"Michael I would beat u blind folded with a subway sandwich in one hand with headphones on listening to Bon Jovi remix featÖ Mobb deep."

Artest tweeted Thursday that his request was rejected.

"Mj didn't accept my offer I guess we still locked out," he wrote. "I'll try to get the league started back really soon."

So we've got that going for us. Which is nice.

COMPILED BY TODD DEWEY
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL