BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#3416

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1495

peak 1513 · rated over 12 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-09-13

latest 2019-05-31

Best ToY finish

#1007

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 58%

overall standings

Best overall

657.6228 / 720

Master · Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest

Perfect 180s

Current form

645.23 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 644.62 (+0.61)

Walk rate

17%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

174.2628

Pork · Laurie Hillbilly BBQ

Consistency

±9.96

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork Ribs

avg 162.88 · weakest Chicken (157.08)

Road miles

888

mi across 12 mapped stops · furthest 228 mi

Schedule strength

46%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1559)

Purse competed for

$10K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 2 state-championship entries

Master avg

644.62 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (6 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

Flower of the Flames has finished one call ahead of BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

7–0 behind in the head-to-head

BURNT FINGER BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

BURNT FINGER BBQ has come out ahead in 7 of their 7 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.8 points behind their best meat

Chicken is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.80 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 0% of the time against 8%.

Chicken avg 157.08
Pork Ribs avg 162.88
0 calls in 12 entries

A strong matchup

4–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Brewski and Barbeque in 4 of their 4 shared contests.

Pork Ribs nemesis

5 of 7 shared pork ribs entries lost

BURNT FINGER BBQ ahead 71% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BURNT FINGER BBQ has out-cooked them in 5 of 7 shared pork ribs entries.

The metronome

±1.38% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.38% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 89.5% of a perfect score
12 contests

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

126 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

NAISMITH BBQ

#3425 of the rated field

1495 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1510

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2023-09-27

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKING JOE'S BARBERQ

#3397 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1523

2–2 in 4 shared contests (50% to BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE)

A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 27 contests to 12.

rated over 27 contests
last seen 2025-09-26

⚔ Head-to-head

T'S SMOKIN PIT

#3399 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 70
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1531

2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to BOYS IN BLUE BARBECUE)

They've been 1531 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 70 contests
last seen 2025-09-26

⚔ Head-to-head

BANG BANG BBQ

#3410 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 18%
Peak: 1507

No shared contest yet.

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2019-06-07

⚔ Head-to-head

ZWARTE HAND

#3405 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1505

No shared contest yet.

14 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 14% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 14 contests
last seen 2017-09-09

⚔ Head-to-head

CUMBIA BBQ TEAM

#3398 of the rated field

1495 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 90%
Peak: 1495

No shared contest yet.

7 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2025-08-02

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HUNKA HUNKA BURNIN' RUB	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
BURNT FINGER BBQ	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SQUEAL OF APPROVAL	6	4	2	67%	⚔ compare
PB&J SMOKIN OLD MEN	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
Theslabs.com	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
BADASS BBQ TEAM	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
WOODBROTHERS BBQ	5	3	2	60%	⚔ compare
BROWNIES BBQ	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ	5	2	3	40%	⚔ compare
PARK AVENUE PORK	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
PIG NEWTON	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
B & C SMOKERS	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKE THIS BBQ MO	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	12	0	0	169.7144	141.7140	157.08	top 71%
Pork Ribs	12	1	0	171.4400	152.5028	162.88	top 47%
Pork	12	1	1	174.2628	146.2628	162.36	top 52%
Brisket	12	1	0	170.2744	151.9316	162.30	top 47%

“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 state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MO	7	top 66%
KS	4	top 46%
OK	1	top 47%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	3	0	top 74%
Large (40+)	9	0	top 52%

The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.7 yrs 2013-09-13 → 2019-05-31

Busiest season 2014 4 contests

Contests a season 1.7 across 7 seasons in the data

Cooks most in MO 7 of 12 contests · 3 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 12 0 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 12 entries · 0 wins · 0 calls

Strongest meat Pork Ribs averages 162.88 · weakest Chicken (157.08)

Walk rate 17% a top-10 call in 2 of 12 contests

Overall top-10 rate 0% 0 of 12 contests

Master average 644.62 out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 1,399 848–1,320 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 888 12 mapped stops · furthest 228 mi

Schedule strength 1559 average field rating faced — tougher than 46% of rated contests

Purse competed for $10,000 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 2 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.1 yrs 2016-04-08 → 2017-05-05

Power rating 1495 peak 1513 · #3416 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2013
Sep 13 First tracked contest Battle of the Brisket
Sep 13 First overall past 90% of a perfect score652.4800 Battle of the Brisket
2014
Jun 6 Career-best overall score657.6228 Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest
Jun 27 Peak power rating (1513) Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship
Jul 24 First call ACF - GKCCA BBQ Competition
2018
Aug 3 10th tracked contest Laurie Hillbilly BBQ
Aug 3 Career-best single call (Pork)174.2628 Laurie Hillbilly BBQ
2019
May 31 Most recent contest Kelly Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+6.1	Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship	2014-06-27
+4.2	Battle of the Brisket	2013-09-13
+2.7	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest	2014-06-06
+2.6	*Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival(JUDGES FULL)	2017-05-05
+2	Laurie Hillbilly BBQ	2018-08-03

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-6	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2017-09-08
-5.5	ACF - GKCCA BBQ Competition	2014-07-24
-3.8	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open	2015-10-03
-3.5	The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake	2016-04-08
-2.1	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open	2014-10-02

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2019	1	0%	top 55%	90%	90%
2018	2	50%	top 62%	91.3%	90.7%
2017	2	0%	top 70%	88.5%	88.4%
2016	1	0%	top 70%	89%	89%
2015	1	0%	top 54%	90.3%	90.3%
2014	4	25%	top 53%	91.3%	89.1%
2013	1	0%	top 40%	90.6%	90.6%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2019-05-31	Kelly Wilson BBQ (KWBBQ) 🏅 Kansas City, MO	31 / 56 (647.9084)	18 (169.6912)	23 (163.4172)	44 (156.0000)	32 (158.8000)
2018-09-15	39th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	311 / 467 (647.8288)	155 (169.7144)	118 (170.8228)	386 (155.3600)	396 (151.9316)
2018-08-03	Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO	20 / 35 (657.5772)	31 (157.0972)	7 (171.4400)	3 (174.2628)	25 (154.7772)
2017-09-08	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Kansas City, MO	26 / 28 (635.8740)	28 (147.9772)	23 (159.9656)	16 (168.5484)	26 (159.3828)
2017-05-05	*Bixby BBQ'n Blues Festival(JUDGES FULL) Bixby, OK	32 / 68 (636.9596)	53 (153.6344)	36 (157.6912)	31 (163.9656)	27 (161.6684)
2016-04-08	The Best Damn BBQ Contest at Smithville Lake Smithville, MO	37 / 53 (640.5140)	25 (165.1428)	22 (165.1200)	50 (153.1312)	36 (157.1200)
2015-10-03	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	325 / 606 (650.2056)	570 (146.2400)	257 (165.6800)	127 (169.7028)	152 (168.5828)
2014-10-02	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	339 / 552 (645.6572)	379 (160.0572)	476 (152.5028)	301 (162.8228)	105 (170.2744)
2014-07-24	ACF - GKCCA BBQ Competition Kansas City, MO	18 / 25 (620.5028)	19 (154.2856)	11 (157.6916)	25 (146.2628)	9 (162.2628)
2014-06-27	Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship 🏅 Lenexa, KS	57 / 184 (642.3084)	178 (141.7140)	44 (165.1316)	35 (165.7256)	15 (169.7372)
2014-06-06	Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS	25 / 54 (657.6228)	45 (158.2400)	30 (161.1200)	14 (168.5484)	12 (169.7144)
2013-09-13	Battle of the Brisket Mission, KS	21 / 53 (652.4800)	27 (161.1316)	23 (163.9772)	20 (163.9656)	18 (163.4056)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2015 ↗	Master	#2158 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2209 (60 pts)	#2225 (60 pts)	#2214 (60 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1007 (310 pts)	#1086 (305 pts)	#995 (345 pts)	#1030 (330 pts)	#763 (475 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1867 (95 pts)	#2073 (75 pts)	#1979 (85 pts)	#1942 (100 pts)	#1833 (110 pts)