The heartbreaker
2.8112
points from the title
Came within 2.8112 points of the Grand Championship at High on the Hog Festival (2019-04-19).
615 BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1624
peak 1624 · rated over 19 contests ⓘ
Best runs
4
straight top-10s
Contests
20
in the data
First seen
2017-03-10
latest 2021-09-03
Best ToY finish
#410
Master 2017
Grand champs
0
1 reserve
Category wins
2
9 podiums
Overall top-10s
7
of 20 contests
Avg finish
top 35%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
1 🔥
Current form
679.81 ▼
last 5 Master vs avg 681.63 (-1.82)
Walk rate
80%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
4
best run (overall)
Consistency
±6.72
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 173.62 · weakest Pork (166.73)
Road miles
1,322
mi across 20 mapped stops · furthest 133 mi
Schedule strength
80%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1603)
Purse competed for
$83K
listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 7 state-championship entries
Master avg
681.63 / 720
19 Master contests · 0 GCs
Storylines (13 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.
Perfect scores on the board
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork ribs.
- Pork Ribs ×1
They almost always walk
80%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 16 of 20 contests
A top-10 category call in 80% of their 20 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
High-water mark
696.5372
career-best overall
96.7% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 696.5372 at High on the Hog Festival — 96.7% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2019-04-19
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
BIG G BBQ has finished one call ahead of 615 BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2019
their best year
2019 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 23%.
- 5 contests
- 4 overall top-10s
- 1 category wins
- average top 23%
A tough matchup
13–2
behind in the head-to-head
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN ahead in 87% of their meetings
ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN has come out ahead in 13 of their 15 shared contests.
The weak link
−6.9
points behind their best meat
Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.88 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 11% of the time against 63%.
- Pork avg 166.73
- Chicken avg 173.62
- 2 calls in 19 entries
A strong matchup
9–2
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 82% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of BIG G BBQ in 9 of their 11 shared contests.
The comeback
2 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 2 years, then back at Great Americana BBQ Festival (2021-08-27).
- last seen 2019-08-23
- back 2021-08-27
They cook the hard rooms
1603
average field rating faced
A tougher draw than 80% of rated fields
The fields they enter average a 1603 power rating — a tougher draw than 80% of every rated contest in the data.
- 19 rated contests
Looking over their shoulder
3×
one call behind them
Hawg Feathers has landed one call behind them 3 times.
The metronome
±0.93%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±0.93% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 94.7% 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.
#841 of the rated field
- Contests
- 19
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 26%
- Peak
- 1628
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 19 contests to 20, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#834 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 3
- Top-10s
- 76%
- Peak
- 1624
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 17 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#843 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 44%
- Peak
- 1623
No shared contest yet.
Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 16 contests, alongside a 44% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Head-to-head#842 of the rated field
- Contests
- 18
- GCs
- 2
- Top-10s
- 56%
- Peak
- 1628
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2014, 7 years before 615 BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#835 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 41%
- Peak
- 1624
No shared contest yet.
Level with 615 BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#840 of the rated field
- Contests
- 40
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1630
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 3 years before 615 BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 15 | 2 | 13 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| Organizer Portal | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| HIGH ON THE HAWG | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG G BBQ | 11 | 9 | 2 | 82% | ⚔ compare |
| HOT COLE'S BBQ | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| Under the Radar | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| THE ALGOOD BAR-B-Q PIT CREW | 9 | 6 | 3 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE ON THIS | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BLUE QUE | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| CONTAGIOUS Q | 9 | 3 | 6 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKE'M IF U GOT'M | 8 | 8 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| Extra Mile BBQ | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| Chokin "N" tha Smoke | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| JIGGY PIGGY | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
| RIVER ROAD GRILLBILLIES | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 19 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 179.4400 | 163.9544 | 173.62 | top 28% |
| Pork Ribs | 19 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 180.0000 🔥 | 162.2516 | 170.63 | top 40% |
| Pork | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 174.2628 | 156.5372 | 166.73 | top 57% |
| Brisket | 19 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 177.7144 | 162.8000 | 170.65 | top 38% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TN | 16 | 0 | top 36% |
| KY | 2 | 0 | top 21% |
| GA | 1 | 0 | top 46% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 42% |
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 0 | top 35% |
| Large (40+) | 7 | 0 | top 35% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High on the Hog Festival | 3 | 2 | 0 | top 27% | 2019-04-19 |
| Great Americana BBQ Festival | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 28% | 2021-08-27 |
| Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 46% | 2019-07-12 |
| *Great American BBQ Festival(JUDGES FULL) | 2 | 10 | 0 | top 38% | 2018-08-24 |
The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
4.5 yrs
2017-03-10 → 2021-09-03
Busiest season
2017
8 contests
Contests a season
4
across 5 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
TN
17 of 20 contests · 3 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
14
4 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
19 entries · 1 win · 12 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 173.62 · weakest Pork (166.73)
Walk rate
80%
a top-10 call in 16 of 20 contests
Overall top-10 rate
35%
7 of 20 contests
Best top-10 run
4
straight contests
Master average
681.63
out of 720 · 19 contests · 0 GCs
Perfect 180s
1
every judge at the table handing back a nine
Opponents faced
388
549–246 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
1,322
20 mapped stops · furthest 133 mi
Schedule strength
1603
average field rating faced — tougher than 80% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$82,750
listed at 4 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 7 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
2 yrs
2019-08-23 → 2021-08-27
Power rating
1624
peak 1624 · #839 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2016
- First tracked contest 2nd Annual Brew B-Q
- 2017
- First call Smoke on the Shores
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score678.2400 Smoke on the Shores
- First overall top-10 Southern Smoke BBQ Championship
- 2018
- 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Shores
- 2019
- First category win (Chicken) High on the Hog Festival
- First overall podium High on the Hog Festival
- First Reserve Championship High on the Hog Festival
- Career-best overall score696.5372 High on the Hog Festival
- 2021
- First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Great Americana BBQ Festival
- Peak power rating (1624) Smithfield Classic in Nashville
- Most recent contest Smithfield Classic in Nashville
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.2 | High on the Hog Festival | 2019-04-19 |
| +12.9 | Operation Stand Down KY II Annual Smoke off | 2019-04-05 |
| +12.7 | Smoke on the Shores | 2017-03-10 |
| +12.7 | Smoke on the Shores | 2018-03-09 |
| +11.5 | Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In (DAY 1) | 2017-07-08 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -2.6 | Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In | 2019-07-12 |
| -1.9 | *BBQ Boogie & Blues | 2018-04-27 |
| -1.1 | Brew B Q | 2017-11-10 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 50% | top 43% | 95.1% | 94.7% |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 80% | top 23% | 96.7% | 95% |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 34% | 95.1% | 94.6% |
| 2017 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 88% | top 41% | 95.5% | 94.5% |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-03 | Smithfield Classic in Nashville 🏅 Nashville, TN | 25 / 50 (684.4912) | 12 (174.2628) | 35 (169.1200) | 21 (172.5600) | 31 (168.5484) |
| 2021-08-27 | Great Americana BBQ Festival 🏅 Franklin, TN | 9 / 25 (679.3944) | 12 (166.2972) | 1 (180.0000) | 21 (156.5372) | 4 (176.5600) |
| 2019-08-23 | Great Americana BBQ Festival 🏅 Franklin, TN | 8 / 39 (683.3828) | 2 (178.8572) | 9 (173.1428) | 23 (165.1428) | 18 (166.2400) |
| 2019-07-12 | Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-off & Cruise In 🏅 Jamestown, TN | 18 / 29 (666.1256) | 19 (169.1200) | 13 (170.8228) | 27 (162.8000) | 19 (163.3828) |
| 2019-06-21 | Blount County BBQ Bash 🏅 Maryville, TN | 4 / 27 (685.6456) | 7 (172.5600) | 11 (167.3944) | 5 (171.9884) | 3 (173.7028) |
| 2019-04-19 | High on the Hog Festival 🏅 Winchester, TN | 2 / 39 (696.5372) | 1 (179.4400) | 7 (174.2744) | 17 (169.6800) | 8 (173.1428) |
| 2019-04-05 | Operation Stand Down KY II Annual Smoke off 🏅 Franklin, KY | 4 / 28 (687.3832) | 7 (171.4172) | 5 (174.2744) | 11 (167.4056) | 5 (174.2860) |
| 2018-08-24 | *Great American BBQ Festival(JUDGES FULL) Franklin, TN | 10 / 36 (682.7428) | 6 (174.8572) | 6 (175.4056) | 18 (166.2400) | 21 (166.2400) |
| 2018-04-27 | *BBQ Boogie & Blues Calhoun, GA | 13 / 28 (676.9940) | 23 (163.9544) | 11 (170.8228) | 6 (171.4056) | 10 (170.8112) |
| 2018-04-20 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | 18 / 42 (678.7312) | 5 (177.1428) | 21 (169.6684) | 31 (162.2400) | 22 (169.6800) |
| 2018-03-09 | Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN | 15 / 87 (685.0512) | 17 (173.1428) | 36 (167.3828) | 47 (167.9656) | 4 (176.5600) |
| 2017-11-10 | Brew B Q Nashville, TN | 17 / 26 (673.6000) | 4 (177.7144) | 13 (168.5600) | 22 (159.3600) | 14 (167.9656) |
| 2017-10-20 | Mid-South BBQ Festival Mount Pleasant, TN | 17 / 28 (674.8004) | 18 (170.8344) | 22 (163.4288) | 19 (166.2744) | 3 (174.2628) |
| 2017-08-25 | Great American BBQ Festival Franklin, TN | 19 / 40 (673.0628) | 9 (172.5600) | 18 (168.5372) | 31 (165.1200) | 25 (166.8456) |
| 2017-07-08 | Cumberland Plateau BBQ Cook-Off & Cruise In (DAY 1) Jamestown, TN | 11 / 36 (687.9088) | 11 (174.2744) | 12 (173.1200) | 25 (167.3944) | 13 (173.1200) |
| 2017-05-19 | Southern Smoke BBQ Championship Lebanon, TN | 8 / 19 (684.4572) | 8 (173.1200) | 8 (170.8344) | 16 (162.7884) | 2 (177.7144) |
| 2017-04-21 | High on the Hog Festival Winchester, TN | 14 / 41 (687.3716) | 2 (178.2972) | 34 (162.2516) | 14 (174.2628) | 19 (172.5600) |
| 2017-04-07 | First Annual Operation Stand Down KY BBQ Smoke Off(TEAMS FULL) Bowling Green, KY | 11 / 40 (685.0628) | 3 (175.4172) | 2 (178.3200) | 22 (168.5256) | 28 (162.8000) |
| 2017-03-10 | Smoke on the Shores Nashville, TN | 14 / 62 (678.2400) | 7 (175.4400) | 41 (164.5488) | 18 (170.2628) | 28 (167.9884) |
| 2016-11-11 | 2nd Annual Brew B-Q Nashville, TN | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 ↗ | Master | #720 (195 pts) | #687 (240 pts) | #572 (335 pts) | #870 (150 pts) | #647 (260 pts) |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #431 (754 pts) | #502 (684 pts) | #604 (579 pts) | #725 (454 pts) | #520 (644 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #739 (453 pts) | #690 (523 pts) | #810 (438 pts) | #863 (383 pts) | #726 (493 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #410 (903 pts) | #212 (1363 pts) | #422 (918 pts) | #628 (643 pts) | #396 (968 pts) |