BADGER BBQ

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

Power ranking

#6009

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1432

peak 1432 · rated over 15 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-03

latest 2022-05-28

Best ToY finish

#958

Master 2014

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 15 contests

Avg finish

top 74%

overall standings

Best overall

674.2056 / 720

Master · Deaths Door Barbecue

Perfect 180s

Current form

616.80 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 620.57 (-3.78)

Walk rate

40%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.7028

Pork · Deaths Door Barbecue

Consistency

±23.47

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 159.83 · weakest Brisket (149.25)

Road miles

1,432

mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 171 mi

Schedule strength

24%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1532)

Purse competed for

$1K

listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

Master avg

620.57 / 720

14 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

321.10 / 360

1 Backyard contest · 0 GCs

Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), 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.

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (8 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.

High-water mark

674.2056 career-best overall

93.6% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 674.2056 at Deaths Door Barbecue — 93.6% of a perfect 720.

Master
2014-08-22

Their season

2014 their best year

2014 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 58%.

4 contests
1 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 58%

A tough matchup

11–1 behind in the head-to-head

Freeman Brothers BBQ ahead in 92% of their meetings

Freeman Brothers BBQ has come out ahead in 11 of their 12 shared contests.

The weak link

−10.6 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 10.58 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 27%.

Brisket avg 149.25
Chicken avg 159.83
1 calls in 14 entries

The comeback

5.7 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 5.7 years, then back at Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY) (2022-05-28).

last seen 2016-09-17
back 2022-05-28

Chicken nemesis

8 of 12 shared chicken entries lost

TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI ahead 67% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI has out-cooked them in 8 of 12 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

FOX RIVER BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An August team

Top 60% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 60% across 4 contests, versus top 74% the rest of the year.

4 August contests
top 74% the rest of the year

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.

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

PENNWOOD SMOKE CHASERS

#6015 of the rated field

1431 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1502

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1502 at their best, 71 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2021-08-28

⚔ Head-to-head

Fox Smokehouse BBQ

#6003 of the rated field

1432 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1432

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2024-05-24

⚔ Head-to-head

GRILLIN' THE SHED

#6007 of the rated field

1432 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1432

No shared contest yet.

19 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 19 contests
last seen 2025-11-21

⚔ Head-to-head

Smokin Blue BBQ

#6005 of the rated field

1432 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 21
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1432

No shared contest yet.

Level with BADGER BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 21 contests
last seen 2023-07-21

⚔ Head-to-head

Limp Brisket

#6012 of the rated field

1432 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 23
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1432

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 22 contests
last seen 2025-03-21

⚔ Head-to-head

Drum Smoke BBQ

#6014 of the rated field

1431 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1431

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2026-07-31

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
Freeman Brothers BBQ	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
TIM'S FULL BELLI DELI	12	1	11	8%	⚔ compare
T-MAC SMOKIN	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
FOX RIVER BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
CRASH TEST SMOKERS	11	1	10	9%	⚔ compare
CHEFS GONE GRILLIN	10	2	8	20%	⚔ compare
FAT ANDY'S BBQ	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
5 FINGER BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
THE SMOKIN' C'S BBQ	8	1	7	13%	⚔ compare
SMOKE INFUSION	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
CROIX VALLEY SAUCES	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
SHIGGIN & GRINNIN	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
A FINE SWINE	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
Mac Attack BBQ	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare
SMOKE 2 PULL	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	15	4	0	171.9772	148.5256	159.83	top 60%
Pork Ribs	15	2	0	164.5600	142.8116	155.70	top 62%
Pork	14	2	1	177.7028	141.1200	156.18	top 65%
Brisket	14	1	0	167.4400	133.1200	149.25	top 77%

“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	GCs	Avg finish
WI	13	0	top 75%
IL	2	0	top 63%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	7	0	top 66%
Large (40+)	8	0	top 81%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	GCs	Avg finish	Last visit
The Masters in May	2	18	0	top 59%	2014-05-02

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

On the trail 9.1 yrs 2013-05-03 → 2022-05-28

Busiest season 2013 5 contests

Contests a season 3 across 5 seasons in the data

Cooks most in WI 13 of 15 contests · 2 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 14 1 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 15 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 159.83 · weakest Brisket (149.25)

Walk rate 40% a top-10 call in 6 of 15 contests

Overall top-10 rate 7% 1 of 15 contests

Master average 620.57 out of 720 · 14 contests · 0 GCs

Backyard average 321.10 out of 360 · 1 contest · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 288 157–461 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 1,432 15 mapped stops · furthest 171 mi

Schedule strength 1532 average field rating faced — tougher than 24% of rated contests

Purse competed for $1,325 listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings

Longest layoff 5.7 yrs 2016-09-17 → 2022-05-28

Power rating 1432 peak 1432 · #6009 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 3 First tracked contest The Masters in May
May 3 First call The Masters in May
May 3 Peak power rating (1488) The Masters in May
Aug 23 First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.7312 Death's Door Barbecue
2014
Aug 22 First overall top-10 Deaths Door Barbecue
Aug 22 Career-best overall score674.2056 Deaths Door Barbecue
Aug 22 Career-best single call (Pork)177.7028 Deaths Door Barbecue
2015
May 1 10th tracked contest The Masters In May
2022
May 28 Most recent contest Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY)

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.7	Deaths Door Barbecue	2014-08-22
+10.1	The Masters in May	2014-05-02
+6.5	Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY)	2022-05-28
+5.6	Death's Door Barbecue	2013-08-23

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.5	The Masters in May	2013-05-03
-11.1	3rd Annual Smokin' In The Bogs	2013-08-30
-11	*Mazomanie BBQ Fest	2016-09-17
-10.6	Masters in May	2016-04-29
-10.6	Puckaway Pigfest	2014-09-05

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2022	1	0	100%	top 43%	89.2%	89.2%
2016	3	0	33%	top 94%	87.7%	85.4%
2015	2	0	0%	top 86%	86.2%	86.1%
2014	4	1	50%	top 58%	93.6%	88.4%
2013	5	0	40%	top 76%	90.4%	84.9%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2022-05-28	Westmont Red White & BBQ Backyard BBQ Cook-Off 2022 (BACKYARD ONLY) Westmont, IL	12 / 28 (321.0972)	16 (157.7028)	5 (163.3944)	—	—
2016-09-17	*Mazomanie BBQ Fest Mazomanie, WI	21 / 21 (614.6856)	10 (166.8688)	21 (146.1828)	21 (147.9312)	20 (153.7028)
2016-04-30	Masters in May- The Classic Appleton, WI	47 / 58 (631.3488)	57 (153.0744)	50 (154.2516)	15 (166.2628)	43 (157.7600)
2016-04-29	Masters in May Appleton, WI	59 / 59 (598.7544)	48 (159.4172)	32 (159.9772)	58 (146.2400)	59 (133.1200)
2015-05-02	The Masters In May - The Classic Appleton, WI	44 / 47 (620.9372)	37 (155.3716)	33 (157.0856)	45 (151.9544)	33 (156.5256)
2015-05-01	The Masters In May Appleton, WI	45 / 57 (618.2516)	24 (162.8572)	54 (142.8116)	38 (158.2628)	41 (154.3200)
2014-09-05	Puckaway Pigfest Montello, WI	36 / 40 (602.7312)	38 (148.5256)	27 (156.5372)	36 (147.4056)	32 (150.2628)
2014-08-29	4th Annual Smokin In the Bogs Warrens, WI	29 / 34 (620.5372)	21 (160.5716)	26 (157.1312)	24 (158.3200)	33 (144.5144)
2014-08-22	Deaths Door Barbecue Washington Island, WI	7 / 27 (674.2056)	10 (169.6800)	17 (159.3828)	2 (177.7028)	10 (167.4400)
2014-05-02	The Masters in May Fremont, WI	18 / 62 (649.1316)	16 (165.7144)	41 (154.8228)	9 (168.0116)	23 (160.5828)
2013-10-18	8th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q (TEAMS FULL) Libertyville, IL	45 / 54 (591.3376)	44 (152.0116)	17 (160.5372)	49 (141.1200)	50 (137.6688)
2013-08-30	3rd Annual Smokin' In The Bogs Warrens, WI	33 / 37 (618.1944)	33 (153.7028)	15 (162.2744)	11 (167.9656)	37 (134.2516)
2013-08-23	Death's Door Barbecue Washington Island, WI	11 / 28 (650.7312)	4 (171.9772)	6 (164.5600)	18 (157.0740)	14 (157.1200)
2013-06-28	Grillin' in Grafton Grafton, WI	26 / 33 (611.4280)	23 (154.8572)	21 (150.8570)	20 (156.5712)	25 (149.1426)
2013-05-03	The Masters in May Fremont, WI	43 / 48 (585.7140)	7 (165.1428)	40 (145.7142)	48 (141.7142)	46 (133.1428)

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
2016 ↗	Master	#2235 (66 pts)	#1879 (121 pts)	#2316 (66 pts)	#2292 (66 pts)	#2285 (71 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#958 (332 pts)	#1072 (312 pts)	#1304 (232 pts)	#778 (477 pts)	#1137 (277 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#1970 (75 pts)	#2073 (75 pts)	#1841 (115 pts)	#2080 (75 pts)	#2034 (75 pts)