Netflix on Thursday announced rules for the hot dog eating showdown between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi. None of them will improve the relationship between the competitive eating rivals who will go head-to-head for the first time in 15 years.

Billed as ‘Unfinished Beef,’ the contest set to be livestreamed by Netflix on Monday appears to have yet more beef.

‘Yeah, he sounded upset,’ Chestnut said, referring to what he said he discovered Thursday morning.

It’s an Aug. 20 post from Kobayashi’s account on X, formerly Twitter, about their joint appearance on the TODAY Show Aug. 19 to promote Netflix event.

Kobayashi, apparently trying to respond, grew tongue-tied. A translation of the post indicates Kobayashi wrote of Chestnut, ‘He knew that I was not good at English and it would be difficult for me to refute him. His cowardly and vulgar personality hasn’t changed.’

Said Chestnut, ‘I don’t think I was vulgar or cowardly. … I genuinely felt bad when he was having a hard time talking and moved the conversation.’

Kobayashi did not immediately respond to a request for comment submitted to his publicist by email.

In July, Chestnut said Kobayashi did not talk to him when they met twice with Netflix for promotional purposes. Kobayashi addressed the situation in an interview with USA TODAY Sports.

‘I had time to look back at how he treated me during the days that we competed together, the discriminatory, derogatory comments that he made about me,’ he said.

Also, Kobayashi said he watched ‘The Good, The Bad, The Hungry,’ an ESPN 30-for-30 documentary about their rivalry and that ‘also made me conjure up many feelings towards him.

‘So to just act like buddy buddy with him after having not seen him for a long time was not really something that I could do..’

Chestnut said he had no idea what Kobayashi was talking about regarding the alleged discriminatory and derogatory comments. But of a relationship Chestnut said began to fall apart in 2010, Chestnut said: ‘I could have handled things differently. Probably should have.’

Joey Chestnut, Takeru Kobayashi divided on rules

Kobayashi said he requested one of the special rules because of potential cheating.

Dunking hot dog buns in water will not be allowed during the 10-minute contest in Las Vegas, even though it’s a staple of the contests that turned Chestnut and Kobayashi into competitive eating stars.

‘There are a lot of athletes (who) through the dunking process managed to disintegrate, melt the bun in the water and a lot of cheating can occur,’ the Japanese eater told USA TODAY Sports through a translator.

Kobayashi said he is not accusing Chestnut of cheating.

Chestnut speculated Kobayashi is trying to gain an edge because he last beat Chestnut at a contest without dunking – hamburgers at the 2009 Krystal Square Off. He also said Kobayashi demanded rules – which also prohibit separation of the hot dog from the bun and pouring water on the hot dog – and suggested he agreed to keep the contest from falling through.

Kobayashi said he merely proposed the rules, but Netflix has referred to them as Kobayashi’s rules.

Of the dunking issue, Chestnut said, ‘Years ago there was a problem with slower eaters dunking for a long time and letting food fall apart in their cups. The faster eaters were moving too fast to make it an issue. (Major League Eating) added a rule that limited how long you can dunk the buns. A 5-second dunk rule.’

Chestnut said he offered to reduce the time allowed for dunking for the Netflix contest, but Kobayashi declined.

Both men dunked liberally at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contests. Of the five contests in which they both competed, Chestnut won three and Kobayashi won two.

Among the special rules for the Joey Chestnut-Takeru Kobayashi hot dog eating contest Monday is no dunking hot dog buns in water.

But it’s another rule that has prompted concern from Chestnut.

Neither he nor Kobayashi will be permitted to separate the hot dog from the bun to pour water on the hot dog.

‘It worries me a little,’ Chestnut told USA TODAY Sports. ‘Sometimes the (hot dog) rolls out of the bun. It’s not clear if I have to put in back in or I can just grab ’em both at the same time.’

Although Chestnut tried to preserve dunking, he said he generally likes the rules.

In a news release Thursday, Netflix said penalties may be issued for breaking of rules, or regurgitation. It’s unclear what those penalties will be.

Though he lost the negotiations over dunking, Chestnut said he prevailed elsewhere. Such as the height of the table, which will be 36 inches rather than 30 inches when the competition takes place at HyperX Arena Las Vegas inside Luxor Hotel & Casino.

‘Instead of eating off a normal shorter table, I got counter height,’ said Chestnut, who at 6-1 is five inches taller than the 5-8 Kobayashi. ‘I won’t have to bend over as much.’

On the metaphorical table once sat a curious rule: The winner would be the first to eat 80 hot dogs rather the person who at the most hot dogs in 10 minutes. Kobayashi said he rejected it.

‘My managers pitched it to Netflix before asking me about it,’ Chestnut said. ‘They knew my goal was to eat 80 on the Fourth (before he was banned from competing at Nathan’s).’

They’re actually in agreement about something, too. The contest will be less messy than the other times they’ve devoured hot dogs.

Kobayashi said dunking hot dogs is ‘messy and filthy’ and he also had the viewers in mind with the rule barring it.

‘It is a lot cleaner,’ Chestnut said. ‘My fiancee says it’s less gross to watch.’

Joey Chestnut vs. Takeru Kobayashi undercard

Matt Stonie, who beat Chestnut at Nathan’s in 2015 and remains the last person to beat Chestnut there, will compete against a trio of medal-winning Olympians.

The trio is Ryan Lochte, a 12-time medalist with six golds; Ryan Murphy, a five-time gold medalist; and Max Irving, who won a bronze at the Paris Olympics.

They’ll be eating chicken wings. Which probably suits Lochte well.

In 2016, he told bonappetit.com that wings and pizza were two of his favorite foods when he was training and eating 7,500 to 8,000 calories a day.

But here’s what the swimmers should know: In 2015, Stonie ate 241 Hooters wings in 10 minutes. Best of luck, swimmers.

It’ll be watermelon for Leah Shutkever, a speed eater who will attempt to set a world record for watermelon consumed in three minutes.

When you’ve lived with tigers, tattooed your face and bitten off a piece of another man’s ear in the boxing ring, it’s hard to shock anyone.

But Mike Tyson generated buzz during a recent appearance on Logan Paul’s podcast when he said he consumes mushrooms of the psychedelic variety while he’s training for his fight against Jake Paul on Nov. 15.

‘It takes me to heaven, baby,” Tyson said.

The former heavyweight champion is not alone when it comes to the use of ‘magic” mushrooms during high-performance training.

According to athletes and those familiar with the practice, a number of professional hockey players, professional golfers and MMA fighters are using psilocybin, which is the naturally occurring psychedelic drug also known as “magic mushrooms,’ during training and in some cases during competition.

Heightened awareness and faster recovery are among reported benefits from “microdosing’’– taking a fraction of the regular dose of the drug and experiencing no psychoactive effect. (That does not appear to be the case with Tyson.)

“It makes you feel much more present,’’ said Ara Suppiah, a physician who has worked with Ryder Cup teams and estimated 4% to 5% of pro golfers are microdosing mushrooms. He declined to name the golfers but said they were not any he works with.

Pro golfer D.J. Trahan, who won PGA Tour events in 2006 and 2008, said the use of psychedelics starting in 2019 profoundly improved his well-being. He said his golf career has struggled despite microdosing off and on since 2021. But Trahan told USA TODAY Sports, ‘I know quite a few guys that are microdosing, and they have had tremendous success doing it, really. And I’m not at liberty to say anybody’s names, nor would I, because it’s not my place.’

Riley Cote, a retired NHL player, said he knows at least a dozen active NHL players microdosing mushrooms. He declined to name the players. Known as an enforcer, Cote has said he suffered concussions during on-ice fights and started using psilocybin after his NHL career ended in 2010 for physical and mental health issues.

“This is not even about just the hockey performance or sports performance, it’s just life performance,’’ said Cote, who played in 156 games for the Philadelphia Flyers between 2006 and 2010. “And I think it just extends to all of these different crafts because naturally high-end performers are always going to try and find an edge.’’

Rashad Evans, a former UFC light heavyweight champion who fought last in 2022, said he knows at least 30 UFC fighters who microdose regularly. He said he used mushrooms while training for his fight in 2022 and the drugs reduced soreness after sparring.

“The next day I feel totally rebooted and ready to do it again,’’ said Evans, who at 42 beat 35-year-old Gabriel Checco by unanimous decision.

When did athletes start using mushrooms?

It was eight years ago when Suppiah first heard of microdosing mushrooms in the world of golf, the physician said.

That was the same time PGA Tour player Morgan Hoffman disappeared into the Costa Rican jungle after being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and emerged a vocal advocate of psychedelics. He rejoined the Tour in 2022.

Also, Suppiah said, podcasts such as ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ helped spread the word.

“They had guests on who started talking about microdosing,’’ Suppiah said. “Joe Rogan talked about microdosing. And those things are, podcasts, generally are very popular among golfers.’’

With a connection to Riley, Bramlage said he began working with hockey players six years ago.

Ian McCall, a retired MMA fighter, said he began working with other fighters five years ago. “But I didn’t see it take off until two years ago,’’ he said. One of his clients is Mark Irwin, a 36-year-old bareknuckle brawler from Southern California who said he took 7.5 grams of mushrooms the night he won the BYB Extreme lightweight title in 2023 – and was on mushrooms again when he lost the title later in the year.

Ultrarunner Michael Versteeg has talked about using mushrooms in training and in competition.

But it was Tyson whose open use of the drug raised its profile in the world of athletics. He credited psychedelics for turning around his life and said he used mushrooms while training for his exhibition fight with Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.

Adam Bramlage, who specializes in microdosing and said he works with a dozen NHL players and two snowboarders, said the average dosage for microdosing is 100 to 150 milligrams. He said it’s ingested an hour or two before training or performance and lasts four to six hours.

A two-month supply costs $100 to $200, according to Bramlage.

‘Whether it’s Mike Tyson or it’s my NHL athletes, they get into a flow state where they’re no longer thinking about what they have to do later or what they did yesterday or the stressors of their life,” he said. ‘They’re just in the present moment.”

What are the risks?

Psychedelic mushrooms are not approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and, classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, they’re illegal under federal law.

In Oregon and Colorado, however, residents voted to make the supervised use of psilocybin legal. There’s a push to legalize the drug elsewhere, with one of several studies showing benefits such as treating addiction, depression and end-of-life mood disorders.

There’s no risk of a positive drug test for those athletes because it is not on the World Anti-Doping Agency list of prohibited substances. But Suppiah said he thinks that could change..

“The only question I have is are they going to look at it and say, is this an unfair advantage?’’ he said. “Is this performance enhancing and is it Adderall where you need a (Therapeutic Use Exemption) to say, ‘I have an attention deficit disorder, therefore I’m allowed to take this medication?’ ’’

WADA’s Prohibited List, according to communications manager Andrew Maggio, may include any substance or method that satisfies two of the following three criteria:

It has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance.
It represents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete.
It violates the spirit of sport (this term is defined in the World Anti-Doping Code).

Based on current knowledge, Maggio said, psychedelics, including psilocybin, do not fulfill two of the three criteria to be considered for inclusion on the list.

The use of mushrooms does have potential health risks, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which lists the following health risks: increased heart rate and blood pressure; nausea and vomiting; extreme fear, panic and paranoia; and flashbacks.

How mushrooms have impacted Tyson

There is no evidence mushrooms are a performance-enhancing drug, said Matt Johnson, a senior researcher for the Center of Excellence for Psilocybin Research and Treatment at Sheppard Pratt’s Institute for Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics in Maryland. Previously at John Hopkins, Johnson’s clinical trials have explored the effects of psychedelics on mystical experience, personality change, cancer distress treatment and depression treatment, according to his bio at Sheppard Pratt’s Institute. 

But Johnson said he is open to the possibility based on Tyson reporting benefits. “I don’t dismiss it out of hand,’’ Johnson said. “If Mike Tyson says something enhances his performance, I’d weigh that. Again, not as proof, but I’d weigh that with serious consideration.

“I think the guy knows something about what affects his performance most likely. It doesn’t mean that he’s not susceptible to a placebo effect, but again, pretty open and it’s plausible. So yeah, I am curious about the whole situation for sure.’’

A publicist for Tyson, 58, did not respond to a request for comment submitted by USA TODAY Sports by email and text message.

Tyson’s recent appearance on the Logan Paul show was not the first time he’s discussed using mushrooms. Three years earlier, also on Paul’s podcast, he shoved a fistful of dry mushrooms in his mouth. Johnson, the researcher, noted that most people would not be able to train on high doses of mushrooms.

Tyson has credited the drug with helping him lose 100 pounds, give up cocaine and alcohol and improve his relationships with his wife and children. And for his return to boxing.

Last month, Tyson launched an at-home mushroom grow kit as part of a business collaboration featuring TYSON 2.0, the boxer’s cannabis brand.

But, in an interview that took place after Tyson experienced what his representatives described as an ulcer flareup that forced the fight to be postponed, he indicated he would have to speak to his doctor before using mushrooms. Based on his comments on Paul’s podcast, he appeared to have gotten approval.

‘And he’s not saying, ‘I’m punching harder,’ ‘ said James Fadiman, a researcher of psychedelics and author of The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys. ‘But he is saying, ‘I can get in touch with that particular part of myself more easily.’ ‘

Actually, when Logan Paul asked Tyson why he uses mushrooms during his workouts, this is exactly what he said:

“Because I feel beautiful.”

Follow Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11

The UEFA Champions League draw was held Thursday in Monaco, the first year of the tournament’s new format that features 36 teams playing in one ‘league’ rather than the traditional eight groups of four.

Every team was seeded and divided into four pots of nine, and will play two games (one home and one away) against randomly-drawn clubs from each pot.

All 36 teams compete in a single ‘league’ with the top eight advancing directly to the Round of 16. Those who finish Nos. 9-16 move on as seeded teams into the knockout phase playoffs, while Nos. 17-24 advance to the playoff unseeded, with a two-legged tie to determine who reaches the Round of 16.

Real Madrid is the defending champion, winning its 15th title with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in last season’s final.

This season’s Champions League final is scheduled for May 31, 2025 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

Here’s a look at every team’s draw for the 2024-25 edition of the tournament:

Real Madrid (Spain)

Home games: Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Salzburg, Stuttgart
Away games: Liverpool, Atalanta, Lille, Brest

Manchester City (England)

Home games: Inter Milan, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Sparta Prague
Away games: PSG, Juventus, Sporting CP, Bratislava

Bayern Munich (Germany)

Home games: PSG, Benfica, Dinamo Zagreb, Bratislava
Away games: Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord, Aston Villa

Paris Saint-Germain (France)

Home games: Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, PSV, Girona
Away games: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Salzburg, Stuttgart

Liverpool (England)

Home games: Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Bologna
Away games: RB Leipzig, AC Milan, PSV, Girona

Inter Milan (Italy)

Home games: RB Leipzig, Arsenal, Red Star Belgrade, Monaco
Away games: Manchester City, Bayer Leverkusen, Young Boys, Sparta Prague

Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

Home games: Barcelona, Shakhstar Donetsk, Celtic, Sturm Graz
Away games: Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb, Bologna

RB Leipzig (Germany)

Home games: Liverpool, Juventus, Sporting CP, Aston Villa
Away games: Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Celtic, Sturm Graz

Barcelona (Spain)

Home games: Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Young Boys, Brest
Away games: Borussia Dortmund, Benfica, Red Star Belgrade, Monaco

Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)

Home games: Inter Milan, AC Milan, Salzburg, Sparta Prague
Away games: Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Feyenoord, Brest

Atlético Madrid (Spain)

Home games: RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Bratislava
Away games: PSG, Benfica, Salzburg, Sparta Prague

Atalanta (Italy)

Home games: Real Madrid, Arsenal, Celtic, Sturm Graz
Away games: Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk, Young Boys, Stuttgart

Juventus (Italy)

Home games: Manchester City, Benfica, PSV, Stuttgart
Away games: RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, Lille, Aston Villa

Benfica (Portugal)

Home games: Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Feyenoord, Bologna
Away games: Bayern Munich, Juventus, Red Star Belgrade, Monaco

Arsenal (England)

Home games: PSG, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb, Monaco
Away games: Inter Milan, Atalanta, Sporting CP, Girona

Club Brugge (Belgium)

Home games: Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Sporting CP, Aston Villa
Away games: Manchester City, AC Milan, Celtic, Sturm Graz

Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)

Home games: Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Young Boys, Brest
Away games: Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, PSV, Bologna

AC Milan (Italy)

Home games: Liverpool, Club Brugge, Red Star Belgrade, Girona
Away games: Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Dinamo Zagreb, Bratislava

Feyenoord (Netherlands)

Home games: Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Salcezburg, Sparta Prague
Away games: Manchester City, Benfica, Lille, Girona

Sporting CP (Portugal)

Home games: Manchester City, Arsenal, Lille, Bologna
Away games: RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, PSV, Sturm Graz

PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)

Home games: Liverpool, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting CP, Girona
Away games: PSG, Juventus, Red Star Belgrade, Brest

Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

Home games: Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Celtic, Monaco
Away games: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Salzburg, Bratislava

Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)

Home games: PSG, Atletico Madrid, Dinamo Zagreb, Brest
Away games: Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord, Sparta Prague

Lille (France)

Home games: Real Madrid, Juventus, Feyenoord, Sturm Graz
Away games: Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, Sporting CP, Bologna

Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)

Home games: Barcelona, Benfica, PSV, Stuttgart
Away games: Inter Milan, AC Milan, Young Boys, Monaco

Young Boys (Switzerland)

Home games: Inter Milan, Atalanta, Red Star Belgrade, Aston Villa
Away games: Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic, Stuttgart

Celtic (Scotland)

Home games: RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, Young Boys, Bratislava
Away games: Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Dinamo Zagreb, Aston Villa

Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)

Home games: Manchester City, AC Milan, Dinamo Zagreb, Stuttgart
Away games: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Celtic, Girona

Monaco (France)

Home games: Barcelona, Benfica, Red Star Belgrade, Aston Villa
Away games: Inter Milan, Arsenal, Dinamo Zagreb, Bologna

Sparta Prague (Czech Republic)

Home games: Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Salzburg, Brest
Away games: Manchester City, Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord, Stuttgart

Aston Villa (England)

Home games: Bayern Munich, Juventus, Celtic, Bologna
Away games: RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, Young Boys, Monaco

Bologna (Italy)

Home games: Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lille, Monaco
Away games: Liverpool, Benfica, Sporting CP, Aston Villa

Girona (Spain)

Home games: Liverpool, Arsenal, Feyenoord, Bratislava
Away games: PSG, AC Milan, PSV, Sturm Graz

VfB Stuttgart (Germany)

Home games: PSG, Atalanta, Young Boys, Sparta Prague
Away games: Real Madrid, Juventus, Red Star Belgrade, Bratislava

Sturm Graz (Austria)

Home games: RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, Sporting CP, Girona
Away games: Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta, Lille, Brest

Brest (France)

Home games: Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV, Sturm Graz
Away games: Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk, Salzburg, Sparta Prague

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MADISON, Wis. — Last winter, Luke Fickell talked about having his good friend Mike Vrabel, the former Tennessee Titans head coach, come to campus to help the Wisconsin Badgers football team in some capacity during spring practice.

That didn’t work out, but Fickell has enlisted the help of a former NFL head coach.

Jack Del Rio, who was a head coach with the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars will join the UW staff as a senior advisor to the head coach. He’ll help with the offense and defense in addition to assisting Fickell. The hire was first reported by the Athletic and then confirmed by a UW spokesperson.

Del Rio spent the past four seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders.

As a head coach he spent nine seasons at Jacksonville (2003-11), where his teams went 68-71 with two playoff appearances.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

He was the Raiders’ head coach from 2015-17, leading them to one playoff appearance and a 25-23 record.

Del Rio played linebacker for 11 seasons in the NFL with four teams. He made the Pro Bowl with the Minnesota Vikings in 1994, his second to last season.

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Legendary football coach Nick Saban has a new gig that involves hosting families during their vacation rentals, according to a new commercial he stars in.

Saban, who coached at the University of Alabama for 16 years and won six National Championships with the Crimson Tide, appeared in a commercial for Vrbo, an online marketplace for vacation rentals. The 72-year-old retired from head coaching in January.

In the 1-minute commercial, Saban welcomes a family of four to their rental vacation home. He treats the family like his players, including clocking their arrival time and game-planning their trip.

‘As your host, I have some rules,’ Saban says in the commercial. ‘No showers longer than five minutes, this isn’t a spa. No streaming, only cable television… no games, no fun, the kids aren’t even allowed in the house.’

‘Daddy time in the tub’

Saban is then seen in the commercial cutting the grass and yelling at the family’s two kids to vacate the home.

‘How’d you two get inside,’ the former coach asks the children.

Saban also institutes a ‘two-flush maximum per bathroom visit.’ While in the hot tub with the parents of the family, the former coach tells them they have 10 minutes because this is ‘Daddy time in the tub.’

What is Nick Saban doing now?

Saban’s retirement came unexpectedly to many as he signed an eight-year $93.6 million deal in 2022 to continue coaching at Alabama.

‘The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,’ Saban said in a statement in January. ‘We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community.’

‘It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program.’

In February, Saban announced he joined ESPN as a media analyst. He is expected to appear frequently on the network’s ‘College GameDay’ program.

“ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team. I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans,” Saban said in a news release.