JUST 4 FUN BBQ

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

Power ranking

#3170

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1501

peak 1501 · rated over 12 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-06-28

latest 2016-09-23

Best ToY finish

#731

Master 2016

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

3 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 12 contests

Avg finish

top 57%

overall standings

Best overall

658.7768 / 720

Master · Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest

Perfect 180s

Current form

641.44 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 622.92 (+18.53)

Walk rate

58%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

171.4628

Brisket · Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke

Consistency

±23.45

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 161.90 · weakest Brisket (149.57)

Road miles

806

mi across 12 mapped stops · furthest 102 mi

Schedule strength

12%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1517)

Master avg

622.92 / 720

12 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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.

On the rise

+32 rating points in a year

Their power rating has climbed 32 points across 4 contests since 2016-05-20 — from 1469 up to 1501.

4 contests since 2016-05-20
now 1501

Their season

2016 their best year

2016 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 32%.

4 contests
2 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 32%

A tough matchup

12–0 behind in the head-to-head

GOOD SMOKE BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

GOOD SMOKE BBQ has come out ahead in 12 of their 12 shared contests.

The weak link

−12.3 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 12.33 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 17% of the time against 33%.

Brisket avg 149.57
Chicken avg 161.90
2 calls in 12 entries

A strong matchup

5–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 83% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of MORT'S MEAT MAFIA in 5 of their 6 shared contests.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

BUFFALO MEATHEADS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 47% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 47% across 5 contests, versus top 57% the rest of the year.

5 September contests
top 57% 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.

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

CARNIVORE'S HEAVEN

#3184 of the rated field

1500 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 14%
Peak: 1500

4–0 in 4 shared contests (100% to JUST 4 FUN BBQ)

These two have cooked 4 of the same contests — JUST 4 FUN BBQ ahead 4–0 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 7 contests
last seen 2019-09-21

⚔ Head-to-head

Stumpy Coals BBQ

#3155 of the rated field

1501 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 8%
Peak: 1536

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1536 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2023-08-25

⚔ Head-to-head

BatWing BBQ

#3180 of the rated field

1500 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 13
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 46%
Peak: 1501

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 13 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 13 contests
last seen 2024-12-06

⚔ Head-to-head

BEER GUT BAR-B-QUE

#3161 of the rated field

1501 ▲ 0 power rating

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

No shared contest yet.

Level with JUST 4 FUN BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2018-07-13

⚔ Head-to-head

M & E BBQ

#3190 of the rated field

1500 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1525

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2019-06-08

⚔ Head-to-head

TIMOTHY T & THE BBQ HI-ROLLERS

#3159 of the rated field

1501 ▲ 0 power rating

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

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 10 contests to 12, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2016-10-14

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	12	0	12	0%	⚔ compare
KISS MY BBQ	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY	10	3	7	30%	⚔ compare
THE GOOD CUE CREW	9	4	5	44%	⚔ compare
TEAM EATAPEDIA	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
RED VALLEY BBQ	9	1	8	11%	⚔ compare
BEHIND BBQ	8	3	5	38%	⚔ compare
THREE DOGS BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
BIG BELLY BBQ	8	2	6	25%	⚔ compare
JUST WINGIN' IT	7	4	3	57%	⚔ compare
Sweet Heat BBQ	7	3	4	43%	⚔ compare
Big Pappa's Smokin' BBQ	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS	7	2	5	29%	⚔ compare
THE 5TH ARTERY	7	1	6	14%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	12	4	1	170.8572	150.8570	161.90	top 46%
Pork Ribs	12	1	0	168.6172	125.1088	153.88	top 56%
Pork	12	1	1	166.2744	147.4400	157.57	top 52%
Brisket	12	2	1	171.4628	111.9544	149.57	top 60%

“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 contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	6	0	top 53%
Large (40+)	6	0	top 61%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Oinktoberfest	3	17	top 61%	2015-09-19
Salt City BBQ Festival	2	13	top 54%	2016-05-20
Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival	2	23	top 78%	2014-08-08

The story so far (15 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 3.2 yrs 2013-06-28 → 2016-09-23

Busiest season 2016 4 contests

Contests a season 3 across 4 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NY 12 of 12 contests

Contests visited 8 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 12 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 161.90 · weakest Brisket (149.57)

Walk rate 58% a top-10 call in 7 of 12 contests

Overall top-10 rate 17% 2 of 12 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 622.92 out of 720 · 12 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 200 215–297 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 806 12 mapped stops · furthest 102 mi

Schedule strength 1517 average field rating faced — tougher than 12% of rated contests

Power rating 1501 peak 1501 · #3170 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
Jun 28 First tracked contest Boston Hill BBQ Fest
2014
Aug 8 First call Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival
2016
Aug 12 First overall top-10 Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest
Aug 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score658.7768 Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest
Aug 12 10th tracked contest Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest
Aug 12 Career-best overall score658.7768 Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest
Sep 3 Career-best single call (Brisket)171.4628 Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke
Sep 23 Peak power rating (1501) Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff
Sep 23 Most recent contest Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+12.2	Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest	2016-08-12
+10.3	Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke	2016-09-03
+9.5	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff	2016-09-23
+8.4	Oinktoberfest	2015-09-19
+4.5	Salt City BBQ Festival	2016-05-20

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-14.1	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival	2013-08-09
-11.8	Boston Hill BBQ Fest	2013-06-28
-11	Oinktoberfest	2013-09-20
-3	Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que	2015-06-19
-2.6	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival	2014-08-08

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	Top-10s	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2016	4	2	100%	top 32%	91.5%	89.2%
2015	3	0	67%	top 54%	88.8%	86.7%
2014	2	0	50%	top 60%	89.4%	87.6%
2013	3	0	0%	top 91%	83.2%	82.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2016-09-23	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY	14 / 54 (646.3084)	40 (154.2512)	23 (157.1200)	15 (164.0000)	4 (170.9372)
2016-09-03	Finger Lakes Fire & Smoke Geneva, NY	10 / 35 (649.1768)	17 (163.4284)	16 (160.0000)	24 (154.2856)	3 (171.4628)
2016-08-12	Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest Salamanca, NY	7 / 28 (658.7768)	8 (169.7028)	20 (159.9656)	12 (165.6684)	13 (163.4400)
2016-05-20	Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY	15 / 32 (613.5544)	3 (170.8572)	23 (149.0856)	12 (155.3944)	27 (138.2172)
2015-09-19	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	17 / 52 (639.3944)	6 (168.0228)	20 (161.1316)	18 (162.2284)	39 (148.0116)
2015-06-19	Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY	32 / 47 (617.6456)	15 (165.1200)	29 (157.1084)	35 (149.7144)	35 (145.7028)
2015-05-15	Salt City BBQ Festival Syracuse, NY	13 / 21 (616.4456)	10 (159.4516)	18 (139.3256)	2 (166.2744)	14 (151.3940)
2014-09-20	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	40 / 66 (617.6916)	19 (163.4172)	53 (142.8116)	58 (147.4400)	15 (164.0228)
2014-08-08	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	23 / 39 (643.4632)	24 (164.0000)	8 (168.6172)	16 (163.4516)	34 (147.3944)
2013-09-20	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	63 / 71 (589.7836)	28 (159.9888)	67 (125.1088)	56 (149.2116)	34 (155.4744)
2013-08-09	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	30 / 31 (583.8972)	26 (153.7028)	11 (162.8344)	22 (155.4056)	30 (111.9544)
2013-06-28	Boston Hill BBQ Fest Hamburg, NY	43 / 49 (598.8568)	42 (150.8570)	11 (163.4286)	27 (157.7142)	49 (126.8570)

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	#731 (515 pts)	#742 (540 pts)	#1073 (320 pts)	#923 (415 pts)	#645 (615 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1097 (266 pts)	#881 (406 pts)	#1323 (226 pts)	#904 (401 pts)	#1295 (221 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1647 (149 pts)	#1565 (174 pts)	#1298 (234 pts)	#1522 (184 pts)	#1474 (189 pts)