We've got a winner. Jorge Cruz, 26, outlasted defending champ Stan Friedman and two other contestants to become ESPN Zone's 2010 Ultimate Couch Potato Competition champ.
Four participants, including Cruz, took to their seats at 11 a.m. on Jan. 1 to see who could watch the most continuous hours of televised sports at ESPN Zone in Times Square. They could eat and drink as much as they wanted for free, but were only allowed to go to the bathroom every eight hours and couldn't sleep at all.
Cruz lasted 48 hours, 15 minutes and 1 second. Earlier Sunday, he was sitting in his chair, proudly displaying his trophy, gearing up for today's football games and also going for city bragging rights, attempting to outlast the final two Couch Potatoes still sitting at ESPN Zone Chicago.
"This competition was challenging, but lots of fun!" Cruz said. "This is something I would pay to do but ESPN Zone made an event out of it for great prizes."
For his couch potato accomplishments, the Washington Heights resident, who works as a public affairs assistant and loves the Yankees, wins a grand prize package worth more than $4,000, including a $1,000 Best Buy card for a brand new HD-TV, a high-tech recliner, free cable or satellite service for a year, and, of course, the Ultimate Couch Potato Champion's trophy complete with a real live spud.
As for his new claim to fame, "I get a great sense of pride in that," Cruz said.
Runner-up was Kendra Scheer, who outlasted her husband, John, to be this year's 2nd place couch potato. She lasted 45 hours, 5 minutes and 1 second. John Scheer, who only made it five hours at last year's event before having to go to the bathroom, conceded at 44 hours, 40 minutes and 13 seconds.
At 41 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds, two-time Ultimate Couch Potato Champ Friedman threw in the towel.
Last year, Friedman waited out his opponents and won after being a couch potato for 19 hours and 48 minutes. The year before he had stiffer competition and ended up lasting 29 hours. He helped this year’s competitors set the record for longest time for all four contestants to remain sitting in the history of the competition.
