The Wing Bowl (66 images)
The Wing Bowl is an annual chicken wing eating contest held in Philadelphia, PA that can only be described as a dramatic step backwards in terms of the evolution of culture and humanity in general. Unsurprisingly it has a similarly enlightened origin, being the brainchild of talk radio hosts Angelo Cataldi and Al Morganti of WIP (AM) Philadelphia, who started the contest in 1993. While the original contest was attended by only 10 people (and in a hotel room), the event, sadly, has grown...
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The Wing Bowl is an annual chicken wing eating contest held in Philadelphia, PA that can only be described as a dramatic step backwards in terms of the evolution of culture and humanity in general. Unsurprisingly it has a similarly enlightened origin, being the brainchild of talk radio hosts Angelo Cataldi and Al Morganti of WIP (AM) Philadelphia, who started the contest in 1993. While the original contest was attended by only 10 people (and in a hotel room), the event, sadly, has grown into a behemoth of undeniable bad taste and possibly criminal behavior.
To truly understand the Wing Bowl one must, unfortunately, attend the Wing Bowl. But this will be an attempt to list its possible violations against humanity. Unlike most forms of entertainment, the show at the Wing Bowl is not confined to the stage. Considering the product being putting out on the main stage one is hesitant to say that the crowd at the Wing Bowl is the real show but it is a very close race. The Wing Bowl is attended annually by over 20,000 people, a number only that low because the Wells Fargo Center, home of the NHL Philadelphia Flyers, cannot accommodate more people. After the disastrous 2005 Wing Bowl (Wing Bowl XIII for those counting) in which rioting occurred outside when upwards of 10,000 people were denied entrance at 5 AM because the stadium had long since reached capacity, tickets began to be issued to the formerly ticketless event.
Yes, 5 AM. As WIP is in charge and Cataldi and company's main show is a morning sports talk show the Wing Bowl usually kicks off at around 6 AM. This necessitates crowds lining up outside of the Wells Fargo Center as early as 3 AM, where they either begin drinking or continue drinking, depending on their individual fortitude level. By around 5 AM it usually doesn't matter in any case and fights are common outside amongst the largely male crowds......
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