Photo: Connor Raine
BY GANNON HORNING, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jacob Palmer stared down at a tinfoil pan full of 25 buffalo wings — mild sauce — with a bead of sweat dripping down his face. After a calming breath, he prepared to represent his school, St. Bonaventure University. Palmer stood on stage, sandwiched between burly men from Rochester Institute of Technology and the University at Buffalo. The stadium’s announcer, joined by a rowdy crowd, counted down from 10.
Labor Day weekend marked the 22nd National Chicken Wing Festival at Highmark Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park. The festival featured over 20 restaurants debuting experimental wing flavors and two wing-eating contests. Palmer, a senior accounting and finance double major at Bonaventure, participated in the College Wing Eating Championship.
Palmer earned second place in the contest by demolishing over 90% of 21 wings in five minutes. Palmer, the Executive Vice Board President of Bonaventure’s Student Government Association, discussed his nervousness for the competition in a post-competition interview with Bonaventure’s campus radio station, The Buzz.
“Backstage, getting ready, there were six of us walking up on stage,” said Palmer. “Nervous — nervous as I could be — but the first minute felt like nothing. I started to slow down for a little bit, but really after that it was smooth sailing. I had four wings left in my pan after, but I’ll take second place.”
Connor Raine, a senior sports management major and SGA’s President, was initially going to compete in the wing-eating contest. But citing his weak stomach, Raine decided to defer the opportunity to Palmer.
“I was screaming — extremely hyped,” said Raine. “Initially, I was asked to eat in the contest, but knowing that Jacob is a powerhouse, I decided it was in my best interest to pass the torch and serve as his PR [public relations] guy; I stood directly in front of the stage, watching him scarf down wings.”
Raine watched Palmer at the contest firsthand and accompanied him on the ride to the wing brawl. He felt Palmer was as prepared as he could be.
“Jake looked content and prepared,” said Raine “His adrenaline was cranking 120 volts, and he was focused on his strategy, which was well planned out.”
After the contest, Palmer described how he felt mid-contest.
“I think the first 10 or 12 went down easy, and a couple of times I thought I was going to throw up,” Palmer said.
Palmer did express some regret after the contest, specifically regarding how he took water breaks between wings.
“The wings weren’t too spicy, but I don’t know if the water was a waste of time,” said Palmer. “I should’ve just kept going, and I could’ve gotten 22 or 23.”
Palmer decided to get the full wing-fest experience he would eat from the vendors. Despite some stomach aches and with the help of six TUMS, Palmer powered through more than 30 chicken wings.
“My stomach was aching a little, and I couldn’t eat for the rest of the day.”
Palmer will not be participating in next year’s college wing-eating contest as he is set to graduate in May. However, Palmer encourages a current junior to participate in next year’s contest.
“Eat fast, eat a lot and go for the gold next year,” said Palmer.
horningl21@bonaventure.edu
