They came, they ate, and they probably are just going to go lie down after this.

ESPN (yes, it was on there) broadcasted the biggest professional eating event of the year, the Nathan’s 4th of July Hot Dog Eating contest today and it was quite the spectacle. We will not spoil the video above which shows the entire thing including American favorite Joey Chestnut’s introduction who declares with no hesitation that he is “a bead of light floating in the dark oil of night, the very vessel of our freedom”. Yes, they take this very seriously.

Chestnut has been in the game for a while now. Here is his infamous scarfdown with feared Japanese rival Kobayashi from 12 years ago.