Hotdog reigns supreme

Almost as important to any sporting event as the actual game itself is what stadium foods one can find behind the counter of a snack shack.

In my time as both a sports fan and journalist, I’ve been able to experience some pretty incredible food, but one will always reign supreme in my eyes: the traditional hotdog.

I’m not sure that there is a more classic stadium food in sports history than the traditional hotdog, and if there is, I have yet to experience it.

Not only are hotdogs delicious, but there are an unthinkable amount of creative combinations that one can make that completely change the taste of the dog.

Personally, I’m a chili-cheese dog kind of guy if I can get my hands on some good old-fashioned chili, but if not, I’m a mustard-only simpleton.

What I also enjoy about hotdogs is how sausage connoisseurs will come out of the woodwork to claim the one true “right way” to enjoy the American classic.

My personal favorite quote on the matter is the words of Clint Eastwood in Sudden Impact, “Nobody, I mean nobody, puts ketchup on a hotdog.”

Well, if that is the case, I am a reformed eater as I used to absolutely drown my hotdogs in ketchup.

Undoubtedly, my favorite memories associated with hotdogs come from my 12-year-old days as a winger on my local rugby team in California.

I know that most people associate hotdogs with ballparks on a sunny day or backyard grill-outs with the game on the radio, but my favorite time to have a dog was immediately following a rugby game.

As is traditional in rugby, both teams sit down for a post-game meal after a grueling 80-minute game.

In my opinion, no hotdog has ever tasted better than a fresh-off-the-grill hotdog after being physically battered and drained on a rugby pitch.

However, a close second to the post-rugby dog is by far and wide the ballpark hotdog.

A perfectly charred hotdog coupled with an ice-cold beer on a sunny day at the baseball diamond is enough to bring a tear to a grown man’s eye.

As local baseball games come to an end, you can be sure to find me at Twins and Saints games breaking the rules of my diet to get my summertime fix.

For those of you who have a strict hotdog opinion, I’m all ears to hear what the true “right way” to enjoy the classic American hotdog is.

Happy summer everyone!