The heartbreaker
0.0232
points from the title
Came within 0.0232 points of the Grand Championship at Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) (Jun 12, 2026).
Bad company cookers
Bad company cookers is a competition barbecue team with 18 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2016 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 32 at the Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) (2026), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #2948 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BADCOMPANY COOKERS”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1507
peak 1509 · rated over 8 contests7 invitational or side-series contests not counted
Contests
18
in the data
First seen
Nov 11, 2016
latest Jun 12, 2026 · 9.6 years on the trail
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
0
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
4
22% of 18 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight overall top-10s, still running
Avg finish
top 49%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
2 🔥
Walk rate
33%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±11.41
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 168.42 · weakest Brisket (159.95)
Road miles
1,591
across 18 mapped stops · furthest 399 mi
Schedule strength
68%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1586)
Purse competed for
$81K
listed at 14 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
won from 4 state-championship entries
Master avg
658.32 / 720
3 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
332.92 / 360
4 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
499.35 / 540
1 Backyard (3-meat) contest · 0 GCs
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Bad company cookers, each with one reason worth a look.
120 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2,928 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 10%
- Peak
- 1509
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to Bad company cookers)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Bad company cookers has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#2,941 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1507
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#2,934 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 13%
- Peak
- 1507
Fewer contests behind them than Bad company cookers has cooked, 8 to 18, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.
⚔ Compare careers#2,954 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1509
Level with Bad company cookers on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careers#2,951 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1508
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 8 years before Bad company cookers's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#2,921 of the rated field
- Contests
- 8
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 25%
- Peak
- 1510
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTQue | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| Pig Destroyer | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BLAZERS | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| LEE LA Q | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Blinkys Offset BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| VanBand BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| WestNash BBQ | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | ⚔ compare |
| Big B BBQ Company | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Hogs B Hatin' | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Holy Smoke | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| The BBQ Asylum | 6 | 3 | 3 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| Smoke a Fatty BBQ Nashville | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Big James Kitchen | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Barking Pig BBQ | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| MANOS AL FUEGO | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 180 🔥 | 157.0744 | 168.42 | top 47% |
| Pork Ribs | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 175.4056 | 146.2288 | 164.76 | top 56% |
| Pork | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 180 🔥 | 149.0512 | 165.98 | top 51% |
| Brisket | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 177.7028 | 145.6572 | 159.95 | top 73% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
By field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 59% |
| Medium (20–39) | 9 | 0 | top 45% |
| Large (40+) | 5 | 0 | top 56% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 23% | Jun 12, 2026 |
| Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | 3 | 27 | 0 | top 47% | Mar 20, 2026 |
| Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 2 | 7 | 0 | top 51% | May 1, 2026 |
| The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 66% | Jun 10, 2022 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2024
5 contests
Contests a season
2.3
across 8 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
TN
16 of 18 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
9
4 of them more than once
Opponents faced
514
finished ahead 391 times, behind 514
Longest layoff
3 yrs
Nov 11, 2016 → Oct 25, 2019
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20265 milestones
- Career-best overall score689.0400 Smoke on the Falls
- First overall podium Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- First Reserve Championship Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- First perfect 180 (Chicken) Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- Most recent contest Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES)
20251 milestone
- Peak power rating (1509) Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship
20242 milestones
- First overall top-10 Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- 10th tracked contest Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES)
20192 milestones
- First call Jack Daniel's World Championship Shade Tree Contest (BACKYARD) (JUDGES FULL)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score499.3488 Jack Daniel's World Championship Shade Tree Contest (BACKYARD) (JUDGES FULL)
20151 milestone
- First tracked contest High on the Hog Festival
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +8.8 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 14, 2025 |
| +5.5 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Shade Tree Contest (BACKYARD) (JUDGES FULL) | Oct 25, 2019 |
| +2.9 | The High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | May 17, 2024 |
| +2.2 | Smoke on the Falls | Apr 3, 2026 |
| +1.7 | The Art of the 'Cue (BACKYARD ONLY) | Jul 12, 2024 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -10.7 | World Barbecue Championship | Nov 11, 2016 |
| -4.3 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship | Mar 20, 2026 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score — tap a meat to add it)
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 75% | top 38% | 99.1% | 96.1% |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 49% | 94.3% | 93.2% |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40% | top 42% | 95.9% | 92.9% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 77% | 89.7% | 89.7% |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 55% | 92.3% | 92.3% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 38% | 92.5% | 92.5% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 99% | 84.7% | 84.7% |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 2026 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 2 / 32 (535.4056) | 2 (180) | 5 (175.4056) | 2 (180) | — |
| May 1, 2026 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 7 / 23 (517.6572) | 8 (169.6800) | 14 (167.9772) | — | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Smoke on the Falls 🏅 Gadsden, AL | 18 / 36 (689.0400) | 31 (167.3828) | 14 (173.1200) | 19 (170.8344) | 9 (177.7028) |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 84 / 125 (675.8628) | 32 (175.4172) | 82 (167.3828) | 20 (176.5600) | 120 (156.5028) |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 18 / 36 (502.1712) | 20 (166.2284) | 23 (165.0856) | 14 (170.8572) | — |
| Apr 25, 2025 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Murfreesboro, TN | 22 / 31 (498.6852) | 18 (166.2284) | 21 (163.9312) | — | — |
| Mar 14, 2025 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 27 / 100 (339.3600) | 35 (166.2400) | 15 (173.1200) | 29 (167.3828) | — |
| Jul 12, 2024 | The Art of the 'Cue (BACKYARD ONLY) Shelbyville, TN | 10 / 17 (342.8116) | 10 (171.9772) | 7 (170.8344) | 14 (164.5256) | — |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 4 / 33 (517.6456) | 2 (177.7028) | 10 (171.4056) | 18 (168.5372) | — |
| May 17, 2024 | The High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Winchester, TN | 20 / 39 (335.9084) | 25 (167.3828) | 20 (168.5256) | 18 (162.8000) | — |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship 🏅 Lebanon, TN | 44 / 93 (313.6116) | 42 (157.0744) | 38 (156.5372) | 47 (149.0512) | — |
| Mar 15, 2024 | Smoke on the Shores BBQ Championship (ONE MEAT RIBS) Lebanon, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 10, 2022 | The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 20 / 26 (646.0220) | 16 (162.7768) | 23 (153.6112) | 21 (158.8228) | — |
| Jun 11, 2021 | The Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITORS SERIES) unrated Springfield, TN | 11 / 20 (664.4344) | 12 (163.9656) | 14 (161.6804) | 16 (161.6456) | — |
| Oct 25, 2019 | Jack Daniel's World Championship Shade Tree Contest (BACKYARD) (JUDGES FULL) Lynchburg, TN | 16 / 42 (499.3488) | 8 (173.1544) | 36 (156.5144) | 14 (169.6800) | — |
| Nov 11, 2016 | World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL | 88 / 89 (610.0688) | 78 (161.0856) | 88 (146.2288) | 81 (157.0972) | 86 (145.6572) |
| Apr 15, 2016 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 17, 2015 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.