This Guy Is Basically a Hot-Dog, to Be Frank

And the wiener is ... Takeru “the Tsunami” Kobayashi of Japan, for the fourth consecutive year. The 132-pounder out-swallowed the competition in Nathan’s Famous hot dog-eating contest Sunday at Coney Island, N.Y., and broke his record by downing 53 1/2 dogs in 12 minutes. He had set the record of 50 1/2 in 2002.

Another Japanese competitor, Nobuyuki Shirota, was second with 38 dogs.

Although an American, 105-pound Sonya “the Black Widow” Thomas of Alexandria, Va., won the women’s competition by eating 32 dogs in the allotted time, the American male competitors just couldn’t cut the mustard against the Japanese.

Eric “Badlands” Booker, a 400-pounder from Long Island, N.Y., who came in fifth with 27 dogs, promised, “We aren’t going to stop until we bring the belt back.”

Trivia time: Which major league baseball player had four undefeated seasons as a pitcher?

Taking it to the house: John McEnroe goes from announcing at Wimbledon to doing his nightly talk show on CBNC beginning Wednesday.

NBC colleague Ted Robinson, indicating this is a good omen, told McEnroe on the air Sunday that Wimbledon champion Roger Federer rented a home from Pete Sampras.

“And you own a home formerly owned by Johnny Carson,” Robinson said.

Ace negotiator: McEnroe recently talked with Bob Costas on HBO about acquiring Carson’s house.

“The deal was, I overpaid for it,” McEnroe said. “But that’s a given in Malibu on the beach.

“And I had to give him three free tennis lessons as part of the deal.”

Quick learner: McEnroe figured he could get out of giving Carson a full-hour lesson if he could tire him. But Carson figured out what McEnroe was up to.

“He would stop after five or 10 minutes and take a break because he wanted the full hour,” McEnroe told Costas. “So he was not only good at what he did, he was smart too.”

Time to go to work: Of his CNBC show, McEnroe told Keith Forman and Bob Berger of Portland radio station KXL: “This is going to be my first full-time job.”

Headlines: Maria Sharapova’s Wimbledon victory was perfect for the British tabloids.

“A Czar Is Born,” declared the News of the World.

“Ova the Top,” said the Daily Star.

Looking back: On this day in 1968, the Philadelphia 76ers traded Wilt Chamberlain to the Lakers.

Trivia answer: Babe Ruth. He was 1-0 in 1920, 2-0 in 1921, 1-0 in 1930 and 1-0 in 1933.

And finally: Clipper draft pick Shaun Livingston bench pressed only 135 pounds three times in physical testing. Said Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicles: “Livingston might be the player whose coach asked, ‘Why aren’t you working out with those weights you took home?’ And the guy said, ‘I can’t get ‘em out of my trunk.’ ”

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.