Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 1, 1993 TAG: 9305030297
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ED SHAMY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Hager said he would yield to his family's advice and take a year, maybe two, off from the contest.
"I wanted to retire on top of my game," said Hager. It's an uncommon strategy among world-class athletes.
At his zenith, Hager was a formidable foe, outchewing opponents every year at the hot-pepper eating contest that is a high noon feature of today's Virginia Chili Cook-Off in downtown Roanoke.
A groundskeeper for the Roanoke Parks Department, Hager said he'd be at the pepper eat-off as an elder statesman, offering pepper-eating tips to rookies and helping run the contest.
It was a melancholic flourish Friday when Hager stuck true to his day-before training regimen, lunching on a steak sandwich smothered in hot peppers.
With Hager's withdrawal, the focus turns to Keith Johnson of Moneta.
Twice Hager's runner-up, Johnson has been installed as the odds-on favorite to eat more raw jalapeno peppers in 15 minutes than other contestants.
He claims he won last year, when Hager chowed down 23 peppers and Johnson was credited with 18. Johnson wanted to appeal, claiming that some of his stems were counted with Hager's, but there was no one to whom he could appeal.
Johnson sees a dark motive in Hager's retirement.
"I wanted him there," said Johnson. "I beat him last year and I wanted to beat him this year. He's afraid he'll lose."
Johnson, 33, who doesn't train for the event, was reluctant to accept front-runner acclaim.
"You don't know if some 300- or 350-pound guy is going to show up and wolf down a whole bunch," he said. "But I'll be there."
by CNB