Wing Bowl

Wing Bowl
Wing Bowl XV
StatusInactive
GenreCompetitive eating competition
Date(s)Friday before the Super Bowl
FrequencyEnded
VenueWells Fargo Center
Location(s)Philadelphia
CountryUnited States
InauguratedJanuary 29, 1993
FoundersAl Morganti, Angelo Cataldi
Most recentFebruary 2, 2018
Attendance20,000+
LeaderCommissioner - Jon Dorenbos
PeopleLast champion - Molly Schuyler
SponsorWTEL (AM)
Websitewingbowl.cbslocal.com

Wing Bowl was an annual eating contest founded in 1993 by Philadelphia talk-radio hosts Angelo Cataldi and Al Morganti. The contest was first broadcast on WIP.[1]

About 150 people attended Wing Bowl I (held in a hotel) in 1993 to see a competition between two contestants. The event pitted competitive eaters in a Buffalo wing eating contest. The Wing Bowl was traditionally held on the Friday before the Super Bowl. The event, which began as a radio promotion, grew to encompass television, the Internet, and a contest for women who were termed "the Wingettes."[2]

From 2000 to 2018, the event was held at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center, where they did live broadcasts on 94-WIP-FM. There were no television deals to broadcast the event live; however, a replay was usually shown on CW 57, Comcast SportsNet, or one of the other local stations within the following week. The Wing Bowl drew crowds of over 20,000.[3]

The final Wing Bowl, Wing Bowl XXVI was held on February 2, 2018, and the winner was Molly Schuyler, who devoured a record 501 wings in a half hour.[4]

  1. ^ Notte, Jason (2018-08-19). "To Reach Men, Advertisers Dial In to Sports Radio". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  2. ^ "Wing Bowl: How 11 national outlets covered Philly's 'gorge-puke-and-boobfest'". Billy Penn. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  3. ^ "Wing Bowl has officially been ended for good". RSN. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  4. ^ "Molly Schuyler downs record 501 wings to win Wing Bowl". The Seattle Times. 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2022-07-21.