PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Thousands of Philadelphia Eagles fans will be heading to a sports arena for a popular contest started years ago to make up for the fact their team was unlikely to appear in the Super Bowl.
Only this year, Philadelphia will be in the big game — so the chicken wing-eating competition known as the Wing Bowl also will be a rally for the Eagles.
Wing Bowl 26 takes place Friday at the Wells Fargo Center and is expected to draw nearly 20,000 spectators.
Bob “Notorious B.O.B.” Shoudt won last year by gnawing his way through 409 wings.
The event was started in the 1990s by local sports radio hosts. It’s turned into a huge and boozy spectacle with a parade of flamboyant contestants and a competition for women called “Wingettes.”