|
[[File:SaltineCrackerEatingContest ThreeForTracy.jpg|thumb|Office workers competing against the clock |alt=A man and a woman with their mouths full of crackers, seated at a table with piles of crackers]]
ForThe one-minutechallenge challenges,is thegenerally given as eating five-saltine barriersaltines isin widelya attestedsingle minute, butalthough the challengetarget is sometimes posedset usingat fivesix or seven.<ref>{{cite news |title=A MINOR LEAGUE SOJOURN | Against all odds | Class A vet still clings to baseball dreams |first=Kevin |last=Acee |date=1999-07-25 |work=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]] |page=C.1 |id=Factiva SDU0000020070617dv7p00dca |quote=The attraction is third baseman Kevin Eberwein, who has taken the challenge of trying to eat six saltine crackers in 60 seconds without the aid of water. }}</ref><ref name="Lantern">{{cite news |work=[[The Lantern]] |title=Drowning the sorrow |date=2003-11-24 |first=Erik |last=Bussa |url=http://www.thelantern.com/2.1346/drowning-the-sorrow-1.89742 |accessdate=2009-10-23}}</ref> Most people are able to eat at least two saltines without water, although patients affected by [[Sjögren's syndrome]] lack the saliva necessary for even this many. Doctors may use this test, the "cracker test" or "cracker sign", to help diagnose the disorder.<ref>{{cite book |title=The hypochondriac's guide to life and death |first=Gene |last=Weingarten |authorlink=Gene Weingarten |page=71 |year=2001 |isbn=0-684-85648-4 |publisher=[[Fireside Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Cecil textbook of medicine |volume=2 |year=1996 |edition=20th |author=Russell La Fayette Cecil, J. Claude Bennett, [[Fred Plum]] |page=1488}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Kelley's textbook of rheumatology |volume=2 |year=2005 |edition=7th |author=Edward D. Harris, Shaun Ruddy, William N. Kelley |page=1109}}</ref>
A 1996 [[Associated Press|AP]] story used the challenge to illustrate the competitive nature and persistence of [[Tennessee Volunteers]] quarterback [[Peyton Manning]]. Having been bet that he couldn'tcould not eat the six saltines, Manning attempted them one by one and failed; trying again, he stacked them on top of each other and succeeded. His roommate concluded, "Even something that was a joke, he was out to prove he can do it. He can eat six saltine crackers, and he did. He works out techniques he can do on everything."<ref>{{cite news |title=Manning Seeks a Way to Succeed |agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |date=1996-08-11 |edition=First |page=C06 |first=Teresa M. |last=Walker |id=Factiva por0000020011015ds8b014cg |quote=Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning eats the saltine crackers one at a time, trying to scarf down six in 60 seconds.}}</ref> Before the 2001–2002 season, [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State]] [[Penn State Nittany Lions|Lady Lions]] basketball coach [[Rene Portland]]'s cracker-eating ability helped her land star players [[Tanisha Wright]] and [[Jess Strom]]. During a recruiting trip, the high schoolers' [[Amateur Athletic Union]] coach mentioned the cracker challenge; Wright failed but Portland succeeded. Portland didn'tdid not reveal her technique, but she did comment on the competitive drive: "Obviously, there's a competitor in an old coach to say that 'I can do this.' If I can do childbirth three times, six crackers can't be that hard."<ref>{{cite news |title=Portland passes cracker test and gets two quality recruits |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=2002-01-28 |first=Paul |last=Zeise |page=B-9 |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZuwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=7069%2C4628533 |accessdate=2009-10-22}} Base reference: {{cite news |title=SHOES ADD SHINE TO LADY LION UNIFORMS |work=[[Centre Daily Times]] |date=2002-01-18 |page=1B}}</ref> Other athletes connected with the challenge include baseball coach [[Brad Fischer]]<ref>{{cite news |title=A'S CLUBHOUSE / No Bellyaching From Coach Whose Binges Bring Dollars |first=Susan |last=Slusser |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=2000-07-18 |page=D.6 |id=ProQuest 56519161}}</ref> and [[Derek Jeter]]; a photographer challenged by Jeter observed, "Being competitive has become his way to relax."<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Men's Health (magazine)|Men's Health]] |year=2008 |month=April |page=24 |first=Patrik |last=Giardino |title=Contributors |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=2scDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24 |accessdate=2009-10-23}}</ref>
The challenge has been televised on [[Breakfast television|morning]] news [[talk show]]s. In a 2001 ''[[The Early Show]]'' episode, [[Tom Bergeron]] took a bet that he couldn'tcould not eat four saltines in a minute, and after attempting them all at once, he lost $40. [[Jane Clayson Johnson|Jane Clayson]] asked the staff member who had started the bet how she knew the challenge, to which she replied, "College."<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Filler: Co-op time |series=CBS News: The Early Show |serieslink=The Early Show |airdate=2001-11-19 |id=Factiva CBST000020070818dxcj00do2}} See also the buildup: {{Cite episode |title=Sign-off: The Early Show |series=CBS News: The Early Show |serieslink=The Early Show |airdate=2001-11-18 |id=Factiva CBST000020070818dxci00dnb}} See also the followup: {{Cite episode |title=Leads: The Early Show, 8:30 AM |series=CBS News: The Early Show |serieslink=The Early Show |airdate=2001-11-19 |id=Factiva CBST000020070818dxcj00do3}}</ref> Indeed, several college newspapers have noted the phenomenon on campus.<ref name="Lantern" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Summer slumbers |date=2005-07-13 |work=[[Technician (newspaper)|Technician]] |first=Kenneth |last=Ball |id=Factiva UWIR000020050714e17d0004g}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Facebook makes for some good friends |date=2005-09-20 |work=[[Columbia Daily Spectator]] |first=Fernanda |last=Diaz |id=Factiva UWIR000020050921e19k000as}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Mirthful breaks from mind-numbing studying |work=[[Student Life (newspaper)|Student Life]] |date=2006-12-22 |first=Yarden |last=Maoz |id=Factiva UWIR000020061222e2cm0002l |url=http://www.studlife.com/archives/Scene/2006/12/08/Mirthfulbreaksfrommindnumbingstudying/ |accessdate=2009-10-22}}</ref>
In a July 2008 episode of ''[[Good Morning America]]'', [[Ted Allen]] revealed that the ''[[Food Detectives]]'' techs were unable to eat six saltines in a minute. All four anchors then tried it themselves—and failed. Weather anchor [[Sam Champion]] compared the moisture absorption with [[lake-effect snow]]. Allen allowed his contestants to eat the crackers in any order, even crushed up, but when [[Chris Cuomo]] wanted to "load up with water" beforehand, Allen disallowed the tactic, asconsidering it to unfairly bypassesbypass the central problem. The group observed of the challenge's social context:.
<blockquote>
''Ted Allen:'' "I'm surprised that we're testing this myth here, because it's normally done in the lunchroom of a grade school but..."
<br />
''Chris Cuomo:'' "Close enough."
<br />
''Sam Champion:'' "It's a similar environment, Ted."
<br />
''Ted Allen:'' "It sort of is."<ref>{{cite episode |title=Five Food Myths No Kitchen Tall Tales |series=Good Morning America |serieslink=Good Morning America |credits=[[Ted Allen]], [[Christopher Cuomo|Chris Cuomo]] |network=ABC |airdate=2008-07-28 |id=Factiva GMA0000020080730e47t0000m}}</ref></blockquote> The ''Food Detectives'' episode, number 6, aired in September 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Poppy Seed Drug Test : Food Detectives : Food Network |work=FoodNetwork.com |url=http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-detectives/the-poppy-seed-drug-test/index.html |accessdate=2009-10-25}}</ref>
==Competitive races==
{{main|Competitive eating}}
A closesimilar relativetest is the "[[cinnamon challenge|challenge]]", toin which a person must eat a [[tablespoon]] of [[cinnamon]]. Again, this is a small amount of a familiar food, but it quickly dries out the mouth's saliva, making the powder hard to swallow. Some challengeeswho attempt this challenge report that the cinnamon is especially unpleasant, and that its dust is comparable to [[pepper spray]].<ref name="Joplin" />
At the other end of the volume spectrum, anotherAnother related challenge is to "[[milk chugging|drink a gallon of milk]]", in onewhich hour—andthe refrainperson frommust [[vomiting]].drink a Onegallon student columnist described the saltines, cinnamon, andof milk asin the "collegespace tripleof crown".<ref>{{citeone newshour, |title=Dukeand Preview:refrain Afrom 10-step program for wiggling your way into the Duke game |work=[[The Heights (newspaper)|The Heightsvomiting]] |first=Kevin |last=Alloca |url=http://media.www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2006/01/30/Sports/Duke-Preview.A.10Step.Program.For.Wiggling.Your.Way.Into.The.Duke.Game-1520919.shtml |accessdate=2009-10-24}}</ref> The main barrier for the milk challenge is [[stomach]] capacity; milk is also more difficult than water because [[fat]] and [[protein (nutrient)|protein]] inhibit release into the [[small intestine]].<ref>{{cite news |title=N.C. State students test milk chugging theory |first=Luke |last=Young |date=2006-08-29 |work=[[Technician (newspaper)|Technician]] |id=Factiva UWIR000020060830e28t00012}}</ref> AlsoA similar stomach capacity challenge is the "[[Banana Sprite challenge]]" in which the person must eat two bananas and drink two large bottles of the soft drink [[Sprite (soft drink)|Sprite]].
One student columnist described the saltines, cinnamon, and milk challenges as the "college triple crown".<ref>{{cite news |title=Duke Preview: A 10-step program for wiggling your way into the Duke game |work=[[The Heights (newspaper)|The Heights]] |first=Kevin |last=Alloca |url=http://media.www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2006/01/30/Sports/Duke-Preview.A.10Step.Program.For.Wiggling.Your.Way.Into.The.Duke.Game-1520919.shtml |accessdate=2009-10-24}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saltine Cracker Challenge}}
[[Category:Challenges]]
[[Category:Competitive eating]]
| 