On the 4th of July, while I was lounging around munching on cold lamb kibbeh for breakfast and samosas for lunch, our native son Joey Chestnut set a new world record at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, polishing off 66 dogs in twelve minutes and defeating six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi of Japan. Chestnut brings the champion’s coveted mustard-yellow belt back to the United States. Kobayashi, who set a new personal record on the 4th despite a jaw injury, gets an admiring salute as well.

I was surprised to discover that watching this contest caused in me the same swell of national pride that I feel every Olympics year. I mean, this isn’t about being hungry, or gluttonous; it’s about sport, and Country. The first Nathan’s Famous contest took place on July 4, 1916, allegedly to settle an argument among four immigrants over who was the most patriotic. Irishman James Mullen won: he ate 13 hot dogs in buns in 12 minutes, the same time limit faced by our 2007 eaters. You’ve come a long way, Joey!

Read more about the wild and ketchup-stained history of competitive eating: