Check out this footage from the 2007 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Championship. It's about 2 rows back, and really does capture the essence and excitement of the event. They even claim it's better than the ESPN coverage!
From: http://youtube.com/watch?v=NZYQQgLLybo
Possibly one of the greatest events in sports history, this is the view of the contest from a prime spot in the audience, much better than ESPN