A newspaper reporter, fantasy football and a Waffle House. All the ingredients for a viral story, of course.
The world was introduced to that combo Thursday afternoon by Lee Sanderlin of the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. He had chosen the day to do penance for finishing last in his league last season. It’s more fun if we let his tweet explain what he had to do:
I am coming to you live from a Brandon, Mississippi Waffle House. I, a total loser, came in last place in my fantasy football league. As punishment, I spend 24 hours in a Waffle House. Every waffle I eat shaves an hour off the clock. It’s 4:07 Central. pic.twitter.com/oRugzU7rQT
— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) June 17, 2021
Yes, that’s an entire calendar day in one Waffle House, minus the hours he could erase by eating plate-size waffles.
Let’s just say, he ran into a wall early.
Four waffles down. Been here for 1.5 hours, so that means I have 18.5 to go. I am already in immense discomfort. Please, somebody, launch me into the sun pic.twitter.com/LyyZObcmQ3
— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) June 17, 2021
As Sanderlin’s discomfort grew (one of his Twitter updates was for a late-evening trip to the bushes outside the restaurant for, um, getting sick), so did the crowd of online gawkers. By early Friday, the world was watching.
Been following all day from Australia. Hang in there brother!!
— Leedo (@Leedo4681) June 18, 2021
Following along from the newsroom as we prep SportsCenter.
We want to follow this as a developing story throughout the show, but the damn playoffs and U.S. Open and baseball keep getting in the way.— Randy Scott (@RandyScottESPN) June 18, 2021
Hang in there! East coast wakes up soon.
— Tracy O’Connell Novick (@TracyNovick) June 18, 2021
Good luck from mid-morning Bristol in the UK, intrigued to see photos of the inside of a waffle house. I’ve only heard about them from podcasts before.
— Nicola Tanner (@nicola_tanner) June 18, 2021
You got this! Awake here in Texas with you
— Trisha not Trish (@PriceForFlight) June 18, 2021
And the commitment to the bit was absolute.
Waffle 7 was easily the worst tasting one but I finally put it down. Maybe it’ll come back up soon. Who can say, 7ish hours to go pic.twitter.com/NJuKVZWoxf
— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) June 18, 2021
It’s 4:07 a.m., I have 5 hours to go and I’m out of @ShutdownFullcas episodes and the crossword I was doing is meh at best. At 6, I’m gonna order two (2) waffles and try and get them down. That would bring me up 9 and get me out of here by 7.
— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) June 18, 2021
Even one of the waffles jumped on Twitter.
Hey @LeeOSanderlin, your 6th Waffle here. Just wondering when you plan on finishing me off. The cook kinda scares me – you know he was once shot in the chest – and I wanna get in that belly.
— Lee’s 6th Waffle (@6thLee) June 18, 2021
So, was Sanderlin — whose Twitter bio shows Ivy League ties (Columbia) — the bottom-feeder in a league full of sharks? Based on this Week 8 lineup, we’d have to say no.
Finally, at 7:37 a.m. ET, Sanderlin finished the challenge. He accomplished his goal of eating nine waffles and spent 15 hours in the restaurant.
The sun is rising, it’s a new day and I’m never eating waffles again. That’s 9 waffles and 15 hours in this restaurant. S/o to the staff for letting me hang out on a slow night (I tipped them well don’t worry). This was horrible and I recommend no one ever do this. pic.twitter.com/PDGsuHYINf
— Lee Sanderlin (@LeeOSanderlin) June 18, 2021
What say you, at Waffle House? Free grub for this intrepid reporter/fantasy laggard once his stomach can handle it?
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