Their rule: who finished the season in the last position of the league had to spend 24 hours in a Waffle House. For each waffle eaten, one hour would be taken from the total time.
In trying to end as many waffles as he could on January 3, Carsley also found a way to turn punishment into a reward.
The challenge persisted, which was broadcast live among his friends, resulting in donations collected to the Waffle House server. In the end, she received more than $ 1,000.
“I would do it again,” Carsley told CNN in an interview. “The punishment was absolutely horrible, but it was more worth it than anything.”
The bet
Carsley, a 32-year-old salesman from Parsons Roofing, north of Atlanta, is part of a fervent group of 12 fantastic football players.
After finishing last, Carsley alerted his Facebook friends about his impending food challenge.
He listened to those who wanted to help with the bill, which he considered “kind of silly for people to throw money at me for a waffle.”
Instead, he felt it would be better to donate it to servers who struggled with fewer customers during the Covid-19 pandemic. He posted his account name on Venmo and offered friends to help.
Some offered to sit with him while he faced the challenge, including “degenerate” league member Mike Reich and Brett Hessler, who joined him throughout the period.
Carsley planned that if he could eat 21 waffles, the adventure would end in three hours. He could have spaced out the challenge for a longer period, he said, but he had no desire to spend the whole day there.
Never having eaten so much food at once, however, he soon discovered what it would entail.
The kickoff
Mosammat Shumi, a Waffle House server for 11 years, arrived to work that Sunday morning like any other. She is a constant presence in the morning shift, looking after new customers and regular customers.
Waffle House, the 24-hour snack bar chain loved throughout the Southeast and Midwest, is known for its breakfast runs on the weekends.
That Sunday was no exception, even during the pandemic. Acrylic dividers extend to the ceiling to separate each stand and masks are used whenever someone leaves your desk.
When Shumi approached Carsley and her friends, she quickly realized that their table would be different.
In an interview with CNN, Shumi remembers being surprised to learn of his day ahead.
“He said to me, ‘I need to eat 20 waffles.’ And I said, ‘Are you sure?’ “
Carsley wanted to assure Shumi that he would not fill the cabin all day, wasting his time, saying that he would be taken care of at the end of the challenge.
“I started to think, we might be able to raise 100, 200 dollars,” he said.
Carsley started with a set of seven waffles, which finished in less than 30 minutes. No syrup or flavoring was added to his waffles, he said, to make room in his stomach for the rest.
His live broadcast on Facebook captured the entire ordeal, witnessed remotely among his friends. As he ordered a second set of seven waffles, the audience was rising to dozens. Alerts from his Venmo account lit up as the money increased.
“It was growing exponentially. First it was $ 60, then $ 150, then $ 200, close to $ 300,” he said.
Donations ranged from a few dollars to double-digit amounts, accumulating similarly to the stacks of waffles in front of you.
The second part
The task of eating waffles soon came upon Carsley. He hit the proverbial wall in the middle of his ninth waffle.
“All hope, all hope is gone,” he said. “My confidence was at its maximum and, after my first seven years, I had no hope.”
The video from the live broadcast shows the agony on his face with each bite, while everyone online and at the table realizes that his ambitious 21 waffle brand would be almost impossible to reach.
Carsley’s pace stopped slowly. He ended up finishing the second set of waffles after almost four painful hours. The spectators and those present discussed whether it was worth creating an alternative bet and canceling the waffle challenge.
And yes, unlike most famous food challenges, he was allowed to use the bathroom.
“I felt bad for him,” said Shumi. When she realized he wasn’t kidding about the amount of food he planned to eat, she wished “she could have made some thin waffles for him” earlier.
However, as time went by decreasing the amount of waffles he needed to consume and with the finish line in sight, Carsley recovered.
“From there, we’ll get this over with,” he said.
The payment
News of the challenge soon spread through the cafeteria, and Carsley said other customers were finding out about the donation campaign, leaving larger tips.
“Many people started paying ahead after seeing what we were doing.”
Sometimes resorting to dipping waffles in water, like professional hot dog eaters, Carsley entered the home stretch.
“It was the most miserable thing I got my body through,” he said.
“I love waffles, especially from the Waffle House, but I don’t know if I’m going to have another waffle again,” he added.
In a moderate celebration, the obstacle was finally removed. The final score: 18 waffles consumed. Almost six hours of time. A $ 49 tab.
Most importantly, without Shumi’s knowledge, more than 90 donations totaling $ 1,040.
In the video of the live broadcast, Carsley shows the tip value for his friends to see. He signs the paper and hands it to Shumi, who said, “Oh my God! Really? Are you serious?”
They thanked themselves profusely, as Carsley told her: “We wanted to do something impactful for someone today.”
Overwhelmed with emotion, with her hands on her face, she says: “I can’t believe it! Thank you!”
Carsley told CNN that the moment for him was “remarkably moving” and said, “It’s priceless. One of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”
Days later, the appreciation and disbelief in Shumi’s voice matched what was heard on the live broadcast. “I’m still in shock, I talked to my family, to everyone.”
She talked about how difficult the past year had been, and it relieved her that things are starting to change for her.
Shumi has not yet received the tip, she said, as it is being processed and verified by the Waffle House. However, she has already made plans for her four-digit bonus.
She spoke warmly about her mother and family in Bangladesh, which she had not seen in three years. Your airline ticket, as well as the correct way to order cheese fries, is now covered.
“Once in a lifetime,” said Shumi, the smile under the mask still apparent. “I don’t know how to explain it. There is so much happiness.”
As for the upcoming fantasy football season and avoiding a repeat performance, Carsley laughed while brooding over what initially got him into trouble, being loyal to his hometown team when selecting players.
“If you’re in a fantasy league,” he said, “avoid summoning any of the Falcons.”