It was labor day. Users stayed up the morning before to sit at their keyboards and labor at a product which was impossible to get for the average person so Sparkfun could get free advertising.
Did it work? They got their name out but I haven't bought from them since and haven't felt the need to buy from them ever again.
They haven't done anything for me so I don't owe them anything. Even people who told me about it didn't win anything and haven't talked about them since.