Food is the passion of two Gonzaga seniors Liam Passey and Wyatt Croog. One March day, their passions met and formed a rivalry.
Passey, conqueror of pink Starbucks drinks, proposed a competition to decide not simply who eats burritos faster but which of them is truly deserving to be the King of Foodies. Croog took him up on his challenge, and the date was set; March 15 would be the decisive day.
The two set off on their quest to obtain the oversized burritos they would use in their contest from the Chipotle at Union Station. It was evident that both parties were nervous; both were incredibly eager to be victorious. Both were so confident in their abilities that they underestimated each other.
“My whole life has been training for this. Nothing can stop me,” Croog said.
Upon their return to the Gonzaga campus, the rivals were completely locked in on the upcoming faceoff. Both unleashed their burritos from their tinfoil cages, as well as their monster appetites.
Passey and Croog stood on opposite sides of a desk, stared each other down and waited for the countdown to end to dig into their burritos. Passey recalls this moment well, sharing that the steady gaze he shared with Croog revealed “our excitement and fear to conquer the beasts in front of us. For a moment, we were united, even though we both wanted to win.”
As soon as the countdown concluded and the boys heard “Go,” they dug in. Passey and Croog both started by eating as fast as possible but slowed down quickly, as the magnitude of the challenge they faced set in. BAs the competition wore on, both continued to slow down.
The victor was ultimately determined by burrito gripping technique. Passey held his very loosely, causing it to crumble, leaking chicken, corn and lettuce that he still had to eat or face disqualification.
“My burrito was poorly wrapped and falling apart from the beginning. I was at a disadvantage,” contested Passey.
After a grueling two minutes and 54 seconds, Croog emerged victorious, having consumed his burrito in its entirety. Croog won in style, flashing his last fistful of burrito to Passey, before eating it. However, Passey was close to winning, as he had a mere one-fith of his burrito remaining.
Following the competition, the two made it clear that they were full but not satisfied.
“I need a second round, so I can win again,” Croog said .
The two were focused on a potential rematch, but for different reasons. Croog was ready to continue his success, while Passey was hoping for redemption.
“I’m a worthy challenger, it just wasn’t a worthy challenge. I will be back,” retorted Passey.
It sounds like the result this competition produced is not a conclusion but merely a beginning to the Liam Passey and Wyatt Croog, men versus food, showdowns.
Wyatt Croog • Apr 18, 2023 at 12:52 pm
Mr. Mickney, I think this article should be in the Gonzaga journalism Hall Of Fame. Personally, I believe that I am the greatest, the GOAT, the Man, the Myth, and the Legend of eating at Gonzaga, yet non-believers such as Mr. Passey have the audacity to question my abilities because of my genetics. I look forward to many more articles such as this one.
Blessings,
Wyatt “Champ” Croog