Four-year-old Matthew Hoobler attended his first major league baseball game on August 14, sitting in the front row with his father and 2-year-old brother at Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field. According to Block Club Chicago, the family was there to watch Matthew’s dad’s favorite team, the Detroit Tigers, play against the Chicago White Sox.
During the TV broadcast, the cameras caught young Matthew enjoying a large hot dog when, in a surprising moment, the frankfurter slipped from its bun and fell to the ground. The boy’s reaction—a dramatic facepalm—was broadcast for all to see.
The announcers humorously commented on the incident, exclaiming “Oh, the horrors!” and “Oh, the humanity!” as the hot dog hit the floor. The video quickly went viral, amassing over 2.3 million views after the White Sox shared it.
Block Club Chicago later identified the family as residents of La Grange, Illinois. Following this, The Wiener’s Circle, a renowned hot dog stand on Chicago’s north side, extended an invitation to Matthew. The offer included all-you-can-eat hot dogs and a tutorial on how to hold a hot dog properly, taught by the stand’s famed staff.
Known for its lively atmosphere and its notorious “curbside abuse” where staff playfully hurl insults, The Wiener’s Circle also offers a $20 “chocolate shake” with a surprising twist. Matthew had the chance to learn from the best, even mastering the technique of holding a hot dog upside down.
Matthew’s father, Rob, told Block Club Chicago that despite his son’s dramatic facepalm, he wasn’t too upset about the mishap. “He’s more of a bun fan. He prefers the bun over the hot dog itself. So, when he started eating the bun, the hot dog couldn’t stay in place,” Rob explained. “I didn’t think about picking it up, even though a hot dog at the stadium costs $5.”
Rob also noted the humorous comments about the five-second rule. “Maybe at home, but not at a major league stadium,” he added.
In a related hot dog story, The Wiener’s Circle also highlighted another viral video that week. The video, which has nearly 10 million views, shows a man using a hot dog as a straw to drink his beer at a New York Yankees game. This controversial move has drawn mixed reactions. While some have celebrated the inventive use of the hot dog, others, including Nicolas Heller, known as newyorknico, have humorously suggested that the man should be arrested.
The Wiener’s Circle praised the creative use, calling the hot dog the “most environmentally friendly, edible straw known to man” and noting it tastes great with mustard.