A tough matchup
8–0
behind in the head-to-head
BLUE BUCKET BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
BLUE BUCKET BBQ has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.
BABE'S BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1411
peak 1411 · rated over 15 contests ⓘ
Contests
15
in the data
First seen
2014-04-11
latest 2022-11-04
Best ToY finish
#1954
Master 2018
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
1 podiums
Overall top-10s
1
of 15 contests
Avg finish
top 83%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
628.11 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 623.69 (+4.42)
Walk rate
20%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±13.54
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 161.61 · weakest Brisket (146.93)
Road miles
5,054
mi across 15 mapped stops · furthest 700 mi
Schedule strength
48%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1562)
Purse competed for
$17K
listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 2 state-championship entries
Master avg
623.69 / 720
15 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (10 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 weak link
−14.7
points behind their best meat
Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 14.68 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 13%.
- Brisket avg 146.93
- Chicken avg 161.61
- 1 calls in 15 entries
A strong matchup
5–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of SILVER FOX BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.
The comeback
3.5 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 3.5 years, then back at Biloxi Blues & BBQ Festival (2022-11-04).
- last seen 2019-05-17
- back 2022-11-04
Chicken nemesis
7 of 7
shared chicken entries lost
CLARK CREW BBQ ahead 100% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, CLARK CREW BBQ has out-cooked them in 7 of 7 shared chicken entries.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
Smoking Pallet has landed one call behind them 2 times.
An April team
Top 73%
average finish in April
Something about April: average finish in the top 73% across 4 contests, versus top 83% the rest of the year.
- 4 April contests
- top 83% the rest of the year
The long haul
5,054
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 5,054 miles across 15 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 700 miles to Biloxi Blues & BBQ Festival.
- 15 mapped stops
- furthest 700 mi
The metronome
±1.88%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±1.88% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 86.6% of a perfect score
- 15 contests
A standing appointment
4
years running at one contest
They've cooked Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) every year from 2014 to 2017 — the contest they never miss.
- 4 visits in all
- best finish 52nd
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.
#6229 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 5%
- Peak
- 1411
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 18 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#6225 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1412
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 4 years before BABE'S BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#6228 of the rated field
- Contests
- 11
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1411
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 11 contests to 15, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#6226 of the rated field
- Contests
- 10
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1412
No shared contest yet.
Level with BABE'S BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#6230 of the rated field
- Contests
- 26
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 4%
- Peak
- 1411
No shared contest yet.
26 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 4% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#6233 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1411
No shared contest yet.
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2014.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INDIGO PIG | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE BUCKET BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RICH AND STU'S VOODOO BBQ | 7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | ⚔ compare |
| CLARK CREW BBQ | 7 | 1 | 6 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| KC SMOKE DAWGS | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 777 BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| BLACK EYE BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RIBS N BIBS | 6 | 2 | 4 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Four Men and A Pig | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SILVER FOX BBQ | 5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE COLLAR BBQ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20% | ⚔ compare |
| PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN ELVISES | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 175.4400 | 141.6340 | 161.61 | top 59% |
| Pork Ribs | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 165.1428 | 143.3600 | 155.22 | top 80% |
| Pork | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 171.9772 | 145.0400 | 159.93 | top 66% |
| Brisket | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 161.1084 | 135.8972 | 146.93 | top 88% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS | 9 | 0 | top 80% |
| TN | 4 | 0 | top 89% |
| MS | 2 | 0 | top 85% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 82% |
| Medium (20–39) | 3 | 0 | top 87% |
| Large (40+) | 11 | 0 | top 82% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) | 4 | 52 | 0 | top 73% | 2017-04-07 |
| Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass | 2 | 33 | 0 | top 83% | 2019-05-17 |
The story so far (17 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
8.6 yrs
2014-04-11 → 2022-11-04
Busiest season
2015
4 contests
Contests a season
2.1
across 7 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
KS
9 of 15 contests · 3 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
11
2 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
15 entries · 0 wins · 2 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 161.61 · weakest Brisket (146.93)
Walk rate
20%
a top-10 call in 3 of 15 contests
Overall top-10 rate
7%
1 of 15 contests
Master average
623.69
out of 720 · 15 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
499
167–708 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
5,054
15 mapped stops · furthest 700 mi
Schedule strength
1562
average field rating faced — tougher than 48% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$16,600
listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 2 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
3.5 yrs
2019-05-17 → 2022-11-04
Power rating
1411
peak 1411 · #6227 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2014
- First tracked contest Smoke In The Spring
- Peak power rating (1495) Smoke In The Spring
- First call Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest
- Career-best single call (Chicken)175.4400 Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest
- 2016
- 10th tracked contest Smoke in the Spring
- Career-best overall score643.8744 Fire in the Valley Red Bank BBQ
- 2022
- First overall top-10 Biloxi Blues & BBQ Festival
- Most recent contest Biloxi Blues & BBQ Festival
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -13.2 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 23rd Annual | 2014-06-06 |
| -12.8 | Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash | 2014-07-25 |
| -8.3 | 2015 Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest | 2015-06-05 |
| -7.1 | 11th Annual WildBlue BBQ | 2015-07-17 |
| -6.9 | Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1 | 2016-03-18 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 82% | 85.3% | 85.3% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 88% | 86% | 86% |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 77% | 89.3% | 89.3% |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 84% | 86.2% | 86.2% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 84% | 89.4% | 87.6% |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 79% | 88.7% | 87.3% |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 85% | 87.8% | 85.1% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-11-04 | Biloxi Blues & BBQ Festival 🏅 Biloxi, MS | 9 / 11 (614.0344) | 10 (154.2172) | 9 (163.3944) | 11 (145.0400) | 9 (151.3828) |
| 2019-05-17 | Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass 🏅 Sevierville, TN | 38 / 43 (619.2800) | 31 (163.4056) | 35 (155.4172) | 24 (164.5600) | 42 (135.8972) |
| 2018-05-18 | Bloomin' BBQ & Bluegrass Sevierville, TN | 33 / 43 (642.6972) | 29 (162.8228) | 37 (156.5372) | 10 (171.9772) | 39 (151.3600) |
| 2017-04-07 | Smoke in the Spring (WFC Quilfyer) Osage City, KS | 84 / 100 (620.6744) | 28 (170.8800) | 95 (145.7600) | 72 (160.5600) | 95 (143.4744) |
| 2016-06-03 | Fire in the Valley Red Bank BBQ Red Bank(Chattanooga), TN | 35 / 39 (643.8744) | 28 (166.8572) | 33 (161.0972) | 24 (165.1200) | 38 (150.8000) |
| 2016-04-08 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 82 / 109 (624.9484) | 83 (156.4912) | 93 (151.4172) | 47 (166.2284) | 83 (150.8116) |
| 2016-03-18 | Tupelo BBQ Duel- Comp 1 Tupelo, MS | 84 / 95 (624.3196) | 92 (148.4800) | 69 (158.7884) | 81 (155.9428) | 60 (161.1084) |
| 2015-07-31 | Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 36 / 46 (638.8000) | 14 (169.1200) | 41 (155.9772) | 32 (162.2972) | 39 (151.4056) |
| 2015-07-17 | 11th Annual WildBlue BBQ Burlington, KS | 42 / 48 (618.6744) | 20 (168.0228) | 25 (165.1428) | 47 (146.1944) | 45 (139.3144) |
| 2015-06-05 | 2015 Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 56 / 64 (618.2172) | 38 (162.8800) | 56 (153.1200) | 38 (161.1084) | 62 (141.1088) |
| 2015-04-10 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 61 / 97 (638.7548) | 14 (170.8456) | 53 (161.7144) | 82 (153.6688) | 73 (152.5260) |
| 2014-08-01 | Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 28 / 37 (631.9208) | 3 (175.4400) | 24 (155.9776) | 23 (160.5944) | 37 (139.9088) |
| 2014-07-25 | Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN | 49 / 49 (599.2568) | 49 (141.6340) | 49 (143.3600) | 38 (162.2628) | 46 (152.0000) |
| 2014-06-06 | McLouth BBQ Blowout 23rd Annual McLouth, KS | 34 / 36 (597.6460) | 33 (147.4056) | 32 (150.2516) | 18 (160.5944) | 34 (139.3944) |
| 2014-04-11 | Smoke In The Spring Osage City, KS | 52 / 73 (622.2292) | 27 (165.6800) | 58 (150.2748) | 31 (162.8572) | 63 (143.4172) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1955 (60 pts) | #2049 (60 pts) | #2026 (60 pts) | #2000 (65 pts) | #2010 (60 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1954 (60 pts) | #2012 (60 pts) | #1996 (60 pts) | #1519 (135 pts) | #1990 (60 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #2274 (60 pts) | #2353 (60 pts) | #2349 (60 pts) | #2298 (65 pts) | #2345 (60 pts) |
| 2014 ↗ | Master | #2449 (74 pts) | #2497 (74 pts) | #2497 (74 pts) | #2515 (74 pts) | #2482 (74 pts) |