They almost always walk
70%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 14 of 20 contests
A top-10 category call in 70% of their 20 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
THE BBQ SHERPAS
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1572
peak 1579 · rated over 20 contests ⓘ
Best runs
3
straight top-10s
Contests
20
in the data
First seen
2014-09-12
latest 2017-10-20
Best ToY finish
#496
Master 2017
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
3 podiums
Overall top-10s
7
of 20 contests
Avg finish
top 40%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
650.03 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 658.43 (-8.40)
Walk rate
70%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
3
best run (overall)
Consistency
±9.53
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 165.97 · weakest Pork (162.97)
Road miles
3,597
mi across 20 mapped stops · furthest 353 mi
Schedule strength
40%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1553)
Master avg
658.43 / 720
20 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (9 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
673.0168
career-best overall
93.5% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 673.0168 at Central Illinois Bragging Rights — 93.5% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2015-10-09
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ has finished one call ahead of THE BBQ SHERPAS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
A tough matchup
11–1
behind in the head-to-head
QUAU ahead in 92% of their meetings
QUAU has come out ahead in 11 of their 12 shared contests.
A strong matchup
7–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA in 7 of their 7 shared contests.
Brisket nemesis
8 of 12
shared brisket entries lost
QUAU ahead 67% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, QUAU has out-cooked them in 8 of 12 shared brisket entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
JAMBRIE SMOKE BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
The long haul
3,597
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,597 miles across 20 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 353 miles to 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN).
- 20 mapped stops
- furthest 353 mi
The metronome
±1.32%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±1.32% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 91.4% of a perfect score
- 20 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.
34 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#1366 of the rated field
- Contests
- 79
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1632
1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to THE BBQ SHERPAS)
One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team THE BBQ SHERPAS has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#1370 of the rated field
- Contests
- 85
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1584
0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to THE BBQ SHERPAS)
85 contests to 20: their number has had years to settle where THE BBQ SHERPAS's is still finding its level.
⚔ Head-to-head#1371 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 19%
- Peak
- 1589
No shared contest yet.
21 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 19% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#1363 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1573
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 26 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#1373 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 27%
- Peak
- 1578
No shared contest yet.
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2014.
⚔ Head-to-head#1374 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 53%
- Peak
- 1572
No shared contest yet.
4 straight overall top-10s says this rating is a moving target.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QUAU | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| One2BBQ | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE ISLAND BBQ CO. | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG "E" BBQ | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| DESIGNATED SMOKIN' AREA | 7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| BOSS HAWG BBQ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% | ⚔ compare |
| CHANNABILLY BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| THE SMOKE HUNTERS | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| JH OLD SCHOOL | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| RACK MASTERS BBQ | 7 | 2 | 5 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Its 5 Oclock Somewhere | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE FREAKS | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| YELLOW RIVER BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| D.F.G.'S BBQ | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| NUTTHIN BUT PORK | 6 | 4 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 176.0000 | 149.6572 | 163.69 | top 54% |
| Pork Ribs | 20 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 174.8572 | 157.6456 | 165.81 | top 39% |
| Pork | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 172.5600 | 150.7656 | 162.97 | top 52% |
| Brisket | 20 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 177.7028 | 153.7028 | 165.97 | top 36% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | 13 | 0 | top 37% |
| MI | 3 | 0 | top 50% |
| WI | 2 | 0 | top 35% |
| KY | 1 | 0 | top 58% |
| KS | 1 | 0 | top 42% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 10 | 0 | top 35% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 0 | top 45% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Heritage Days BBQ Showdown | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 40% | 2017-06-23 |
| Central Illinois Bragging Rights | 2 | 9 | 0 | top 24% | 2015-10-09 |
The story so far (15 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
3.1 yrs
2014-09-12 → 2017-10-20
Busiest season
2017
7 contests
Contests a season
5
across 4 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
IL
13 of 20 contests · 5 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
18
2 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
20 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls
Strongest meat
Brisket
averages 165.97 · weakest Pork (162.97)
Walk rate
70%
a top-10 call in 14 of 20 contests
Overall top-10 rate
35%
7 of 20 contests
Best top-10 run
3
straight contests
Master average
658.43
out of 720 · 20 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
945
780–536 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
3,597
20 mapped stops · furthest 353 mi
Schedule strength
1553
average field rating faced — tougher than 40% of rated contests
Power rating
1572
peak 1579 · #1365 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2014
- First tracked contest Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival
- First call Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score655.3600 Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival
- First overall top-10 Central Illinois Bragging Rights
- 2015
- First category win (Brisket) Central Illinois Bragging Rights
- Career-best overall score673.0168 Central Illinois Bragging Rights
- Career-best single call (Brisket)177.7028 Central Illinois Bragging Rights
- 2016
- 10th tracked contest EffingHAM Jam
- 2017
- Peak power rating (1579) Grill Games
- Most recent contest Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +11.8 | 10th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q | 2015-10-16 |
| +10 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights | 2014-10-10 |
| +9.6 | Grill Games | 2017-08-25 |
| +9.6 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights | 2015-10-09 |
| +9.5 | Windy City BBQ Classic | 2015-09-11 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.8 | CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ | 2016-10-14 |
| -4.9 | Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff | 2016-09-23 |
| -2.5 | Bands & BBQ at the Point | 2017-09-15 |
| -1.7 | Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off | 2017-10-20 |
| -1.7 | *Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival | 2017-09-08 |
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 71% | top 44% | 92.1% | 90.5% |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40% | top 48% | 92.2% | 91.4% |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 83% | top 32% | 93.5% | 92.6% |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 31% | 92.4% | 91.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-20 | Best of the Midwest BBQ Cook-off Union Grove, WI | 28 / 52 (640.4460) | 48 (149.6572) | 18 (165.6800) | 35 (156.5372) | 13 (168.5716) |
| 2017-10-06 | *Harbor-Que Winthrop Harbor, IL | 11 / 23 (639.2456) | 10 (163.4056) | 7 (165.6916) | 22 (150.7656) | 12 (159.3828) |
| 2017-09-15 | Bands & BBQ at the Point Carrollton, KY | 19 / 33 (653.4852) | 25 (162.8228) | 7 (171.9656) | 29 (157.0628) | 16 (161.6340) |
| 2017-09-08 | *Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival Silver Lake, MI | 16 / 28 (653.6000) | 16 (165.7028) | 21 (157.6456) | 22 (158.2628) | 6 (171.9888) |
| 2017-08-25 | Grill Games Kenosha, WI | 6 / 39 (663.3716) | 26 (157.6916) | 2 (174.8572) | 7 (166.2628) | 14 (164.5600) |
| 2017-08-19 | *McHenry Rotary Blues Brews & BBQ McHenry, IL | 9 / 36 (655.9772) | 24 (160.5600) | 10 (162.8456) | 6 (169.1660) | 6 (163.4056) |
| 2017-06-23 | *Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL | 22 / 42 (652.9484) | 31 (159.9428) | 15 (166.8228) | 26 (161.0972) | 16 (165.0856) |
| 2016-10-29 | 37th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue(OPEN) Kansas City, KS | 235 / 557 (659.8740) | 358 (161.1084) | 288 (164.5372) | 185 (168.0000) | 205 (166.2284) |
| 2016-10-14 | CIBR-BBQ Central Illinois Bragging Right BBQ Authur, IL | 43 / 55 (644.9940) | 53 (152.4912) | 22 (167.4288) | 39 (161.6684) | 37 (163.4056) |
| 2016-09-23 | Murphysboro BBQ Cookoff Murphysboro, IL | 42 / 64 (657.0172) | 61 (154.8000) | 47 (161.1316) | 16 (172.5600) | 25 (168.5256) |
| 2016-07-22 | EffingHAM Jam Effingham, IL | 8 / 29 (663.9428) | 14 (163.9656) | 4 (173.1544) | 18 (160.0000) | 10 (166.8228) |
| 2016-06-24 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Belvidere, IL | 9 / 33 (662.8000) | 5 (173.7028) | 14 (166.8800) | 15 (163.9772) | 19 (158.2400) |
| 2015-10-16 | 10th Annual Lambs Farm Barn Burner Bar-B-Q Libertyville, IL | 5 / 35 (672.4572) | 12 (167.9772) | 20 (162.2516) | 10 (167.9656) | 3 (174.2628) |
| 2015-10-09 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL | 11 / 48 (673.0168) | 33 (159.9428) | 16 (166.8456) | 13 (168.5256) | 1 (177.7028) |
| 2015-09-25 | Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off Murphysboro, IL | 28 / 55 (658.1484) | 23 (169.1084) | 39 (157.6684) | 41 (158.8000) | 6 (172.5716) |
| 2015-09-11 | Windy City BBQ Classic Chicago, IL | 13 / 61 (669.0512) | 11 (172.0000) | 17 (166.8112) | 41 (161.1200) | 12 (169.1200) |
| 2015-07-17 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Auburn Hills, MI | 16 / 28 (655.3484) | 17 (164.5600) | 10 (167.4400) | 20 (159.3828) | 15 (163.9656) |
| 2015-05-01 | Route 66 Smoke Out (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Dwight, IL | 10 / 40 (672.5032) | 4 (176.0000) | 28 (157.6688) | 7 (170.8688) | 14 (167.9656) |
| 2014-10-10 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights Arthur, IL | 9 / 37 (665.0628) | 14 (166.8572) | 6 (166.8344) | 5 (169.1428) | 16 (162.2284) |
| 2014-09-12 | Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival Mears, MI | 16 / 43 (655.3600) | 10 (171.4172) | 4 (172.0000) | 30 (158.2400) | 31 (153.7028) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #496 (759 pts) | #760 (524 pts) | #383 (989 pts) | #624 (649 pts) | #439 (899 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #787 (472 pts) | #820 (472 pts) | #777 (512 pts) | #911 (422 pts) | #900 (397 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #710 (500 pts) | #704 (535 pts) | #1086 (305 pts) | #866 (420 pts) | #580 (650 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #1140 (260 pts) | #1219 (260 pts) | #921 (395 pts) | #1243 (255 pts) | #1548 (175 pts) |