SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
It's time for sports.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: Upsets at Wimbledon. Gold Cup final. And the hot dog king sits back at the table. Michele Steele of ESPN joins us. Michele, thanks so much for being with us.
MICHELE STEELE: You bet, Scott.
SIMON: Bad week to be an American tennis player at Wimbledon, wasn't it?
STEELE: Yeah.
SIMON: Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Francis Tiafoe, Tommy Paul - all out first two rounds of play. What's going on?
STEELE: Yeah, in Coco Gauff's case especially, Scott. We just saw her win the French Open. But she told reporters later, you know, she felt mentally overwhelmed. She didn't have time to adjust after having just made a really deep run, of course, on clay courts to the grass at Wimbledon. Now, making that transition is famously not easy, but it's not easy for anyone. So if there's a rash of American stars who ended their run early, you got to give some credit to the opponents, as well.
SIMON: And four out of the top five seeded women were eliminated in the first two rounds, weren't they? And same goes...
STEELE: Yeah.
SIMON: ...For five of the top 10 men. What do you think we're seeing?
STEELE: Well, we're seeing an upset fest is what we're seeing. It's not just the...
SIMON: Oh, I know that. But why?
STEELE: (Laughter) Well, I just mentioned the transition...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...Is a little tricky - right? - going from clay to grass. But I think - personally, I think this just speaks to the depth on the men's and the women's sides. The players outside the top 20 these days, they're in better shape. They're better coached.
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: And remember, those lower-ranked seeds are coming in with nothing to lose, so there's some freedom in that. It makes for some exciting viewing.
SIMON: Gold Cup soccer final is tomorrow in Houston, the U.S. versus Mexico. Diego Luna's been the best player for the U.S. so far this tournament. Quite a backstory, doesn't he?
STEELE: Yeah. Sou know, he was born and raised in California to parents of Mexican descent, so he was eligible to play for the U.S. or Mexico. But after he committed to the U.S. team - last year he got the call up to the U.S. team. He talked about wanting to give back to the country that he was born in, and guess what? Now, we've got a breakout performance from him. In the current Gold Cup, they face Mexico tomorrow - Sunday - in Houston. It's going to be essentially an away game for the U.S. team because those Mexican fans always come out. And the U.S. is going to be - going to need to be very disciplined 'cause they're going to be focused on Diego Luna and limiting his chances. It's going to be a fun game, physical game, and a lot of emotion on both sides.
SIMON: U.S. is slightly favored, I have read.
STEELE: Yeah. And you know what? And that comes to some consternation, I'd say, to the Mexican fans and certainly the Mexican team because normally, historically, this Mexican squad has dominated the U.S., but not as of late.
SIMON: And, Michele, some people might not consider this a sport, but we made room for it this week, the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Miki Sudo won her 11th title in the women's division. She ate 33 hot dogs. (Imitates burp sound) excuse me.
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: Joey Chestnut reclaimed the mustard belt. He ate 70 1/2 hot dogs in 10 minutes. I gather this is not his best performance...
STEELE: Yeah.
SIMON: ...But was good enough to win.
STEELE: An off year.
SIMON: An off year for him. So - and he could not participate last year, right? Was this a triumphant return?
STEELE: Yeah, I think it was for him. You know, he still ate 70 1/2 hot dogs in 10 minutes. That was...
SIMON: Do they get charged? That just occurred to me.
STEELE: (Laughter) Yeah. Maybe they do.
SIMON: How do you tip? But go ahead. Yeah.
STEELE: I'm pretty sure they're comped on those. Nathan's is pretty happy to get that kind of publicity. But he ate, Scott, 20 more hot dogs than the next guy. And, you know, for these hot dog contest enthusiasts out there, they were waiting for Joey Chestnut to come back because he missed the tournament last year. He had signed a sponsorship deal with a plant-based hot dog company, and that's a big no-no, you know, for the Nathan's Hot Dog Contest organizers. But let's give some credit here, also, to Miki Sudo on the women's side.
SIMON: Right.
STEELE: It's not just about Joey Chestnut. She ate 33 hot dogs. I interviewed her recently. Guess what? Her husband is also a competitive eater, and they practice all week eating things like cabbage to help expand their stomachs. And, Scott, it shivers my timbers to think about their household the week before...
SIMON: (Laughter).
STEELE: ...You know, the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. But talk about a match made in hot dog heaven.
SIMON: Oh, my gosh. Michele Steele of ESPN, thanks so much.
STEELE: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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