50 Shades of Pork

50 Shades of Pork is a competition barbecue team with 42 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2025. Their best overall finish is 5th of 42 at the Maryland State BBQ Bash (2016). They are ranked #5947 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,947

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1437

peak 1437 · rated over 42 contests

Contests

in the data

First seen

Sep 5, 2014

latest Jun 27, 2025 · 10.8 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#498

Master 2021 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

2% of 42 contests

Avg finish

top 67%

overall standings

Best overall

678.1944 / 720

Master · Interstate BBQ Festival - Day 1

Perfect 180s

Current form

640.75 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 632.58 (+8.16)

Walk rate

29%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1544

Chicken · New Holland Summer Fest

Consistency

±30.50

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 161.72 · weakest Brisket (156.03)

Road miles

21,398

across 42 mapped stops · furthest 9,493 mi

Schedule strength

54%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1570)

Purse competed for

$135K

listed at 16 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 16 state-championship entries

Master avg

632.58 / 720

42 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (12 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

678.1944 career-best overall

94.2% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 678.1944 at Interstate BBQ Festival - Day 1 — 94.2% of a perfect 720.

Master
Apr 16, 2021

The one to beat

3× one call ahead of them

DIG'N N PIG'N has finished one call ahead of 50 Shades of Pork 3 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2021 their best year

2021 was the year it came together: 4 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 48%.

4 contests
0 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 48%

A tough matchup

36–4 behind in the head-to-head

DRILLING & GRILLING ahead in 90% of their meetings

DRILLING & GRILLING has come out ahead in 36 of their 40 shared contests.

The weak link

−5.7 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.69 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 19% of the time against 7%.

Brisket avg 156.03
Chicken avg 161.72
8 calls in 42 entries

A strong matchup

14–6 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 70% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of 4 BOXERS Q in 14 of their 20 shared contests.

The comeback

2.8 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.8 years, then back at York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) (Jun 27, 2025).

last seen Aug 26, 2022
back Jun 27, 2025

Show 5 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

28 of 39 shared chicken entries lost

DRILLING & GRILLING ahead 72% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, DRILLING & GRILLING has out-cooked them in 28 of 39 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

3× one call behind them

Team Meat Coma has landed one call behind them 3 times.

An August team

Top 50% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 50% across 11 contests, versus top 67% the rest of the year.

11 August contests
top 67% the rest of the year

The long haul

21,398 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 21,398 miles across 42 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 9,493 miles to Burleigh BBQ Championships.

42 mapped stops
furthest 9,493 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked Smoke in the Park every year from 2016 to 2019 — the contest they never miss.

5 visits in all
best finish 22nd

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2021 ↗	Master	#498 (356 pts)	#528 (351 pts)	#439 (481 pts)	#561 (316 pts)	#300 (681 pts)
2020 ↗	Master	#856 (60 pts)	#896 (60 pts)	#913 (60 pts)	#899 (60 pts)	#883 (60 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#520 (635 pts)	#430 (785 pts)	#566 (610 pts)	#503 (685 pts)	#283 (1,075 pts)
2018 ↗	Master	#536 (664 pts)	#481 (759 pts)	#565 (664 pts)	#446 (814 pts)	#414 (859 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#768 (490 pts)	#506 (780 pts)	#654 (620 pts)	#975 (380 pts)	#628 (635 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1046 (305 pts)	#1109 (305 pts)	#1289 (245 pts)	#1186 (285 pts)	#1218 (260 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1372 (180 pts)	#1476 (180 pts)	#1470 (180 pts)	#1505 (180 pts)	#1431 (180 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#2639 (64 pts)	—	—	—	—

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to 50 Shades of Pork, each with one reason worth a look.

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

Blue Line BBQ

#5,934 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 28
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1437

0–0 in 1 shared contest (0% to 50 Shades of Pork)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team 50 Shades of Pork has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Feb 27, 2026

⚔ Head-to-head

BRANDYWINE SMOKERS

#5,945 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 8
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1437

5–0 in 5 shared contests (100% to 50 Shades of Pork)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 8 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 8 contests
last seen Jun 30, 2023

⚔ Head-to-head

BBQ McLovin'

#5,953 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 7
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1437

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to 50 Shades of Pork)

Fewer contests behind them than 50 Shades of Pork has cooked, 7 to 42, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 7 contests
last seen Oct 10, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

ALLSEASONED DUTCH BBQ TEAM

#5,932 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1535

Their last contest in the data was back in 2022, 3 years before 50 Shades of Pork's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 43 contests

⚔ Compare careers

Peckerwood Country Club

#5,937 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 44
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 11%
Peak: 1515

44 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 11% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 44 contests
last seen May 29, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Z SMOKE

#5,955 of the rated field

1436 power rating

Contests: 53
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 6%
Peak: 1507

Level with 50 Shades of Pork on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 53 contests
last seen Oct 22, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
DRILLING & GRILLING	40	4	36	10%	⚔ compare
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit	32	1	31	3%	⚔ compare
BAR-B-QUE MAYHAM	26	6	20	23%	⚔ compare
LO' -N- SLO' BBQ	26	3	23	12%	⚔ compare
CHECKERED FLAG 500 BBQ	25	1	24	4%	⚔ compare
OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE	21	1	20	5%	⚔ compare
4 BOXERS Q	20	14	6	70%	⚔ compare
3 EYZ BBQ	20	2	18	10%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN FOOLZ	19	4	15	21%	⚔ compare
ROCKIN ROBYNS BBQ	19	0	19	0%	⚔ compare
DANTE'S INFERNO	18	2	16	11%	⚔ compare
PAVONE BROTHERS BBQ	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
BIG UGLY'S BBQ - MD	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
APORKALYPSE NOW	18	0	18	0%	⚔ compare
Smokestack Redemption	17	2	15	12%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	42	3	1	1	177.1544	143.9772	161.72	top 58%
Pork Ribs	42	3	0	2	175.4400	140.5028	157.70	top 67%
Pork	42	2	0	1	172	139.9200	157.13	top 70%
Brisket	42	8	0	3	176.5944	20	156.03	top 57%

“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 field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	12	0	top 82%
Large (40+)	30	0	top 61%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
PA	30	top 70%
MD	8	top 56%
DE	3	top 60%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
New Holland Summer Fest	5	15	top 44%	Aug 26, 2022
Smoke in the Park	5	22	top 75%	Sep 24, 2021
Twin Valley Fire and Smoke	4	15	top 61%	May 14, 2021
Smoke in the Grove	4	34	top 82%	Jul 24, 2020
The Ironman	4	21	top 65%	Apr 5, 2019
York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)	3	21	top 78%	Jun 27, 2025
Maryland State BBQ Bash	3	12	top 49%	Aug 9, 2019

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 11 contests

Contests a season 4.2 across 10 seasons in the data

Most contests held in PA 30 of 42 contests · 3 states in all

Contests visited 21 7 of them more than once

Opponents faced 704 finished ahead 708 times, behind 1,444

Longest layoff 2.8 yrs Aug 26, 2022 → Jun 27, 2025

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

20251 milestone

Jun 27 Most recent contest York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)

20211 milestone

Apr 16 Career-best overall score678.1944 Interstate BBQ Festival - Day 1

20191 milestone

Apr 5 25th tracked contest The Ironman

20181 milestone

Apr 6 Peak power rating (1489) The Ironman

20173 milestones

May 19 10th tracked contest Twin Valley Fire and Smoke
Aug 25 First category win (Chicken) New Holland Summer Fest
Aug 25 Career-best single call (Chicken)177.1544 New Holland Summer Fest

20163 milestones

Aug 12 First call Maryland State BBQ Bash
Aug 12 First overall top-10 Maryland State BBQ Bash
Aug 12 First overall past 90% of a perfect score677.6800 Maryland State BBQ Bash

20141 milestone

Sep 5 First tracked contest 6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+17.8	Maryland State BBQ Bash	Aug 12, 2016
+13.2	Maryland State BBQ Bash	Aug 11, 2017
+12.7	New Holland Summer Fest	Aug 25, 2017
+10.7	New Holland Summer Fest	Aug 23, 2019
+7.8	Maryland State BBQ Bash	Aug 10, 2018

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.5	6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off	Sep 5, 2014
-11	Smoke in the Grove	Jul 24, 2020
-10.7	Smoke in the Park	Sep 28, 2018
-10.6	York County BBQ Festival (Day 1)	Jun 27, 2025
-10.5	Keystone Classic Barbeque	Oct 2, 2015

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2025	1	0	0	0%	top 96%	84.4%	84.4%
2022	1	0	0	0%	top 73%	89.6%	89.6%
2021	4	0	0	50%	top 48%	94.2%	91.3%
2020	1	0	0	0%	top 95%	85.2%	85.2%
2019	11	0	0	27%	top 69%	91.9%	88.8%
2018	10	0	0	30%	top 69%	91.9%	86.9%
2017	6	0	1	50%	top 56%	92.8%	88.9%
2016	4	1	0	25%	top 59%	94.1%	88.3%
2015	3	0	0	0%	top 86%	84.3%	84.1%
2014	1	0	0	0%	top 95%	81.1%	81.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Jun 27, 2025	York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA	25 / 26 (607.7484)	25 (150.7772)	25 (150.2400)	25 (154.2284)	24 (152.5028)
Aug 26, 2022	New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA	36 / 49 (644.9828)	33 (164.5484)	41 (154.2172)	31 (160.5488)	22 (165.6684)
Sep 24, 2021	Smoke in the Park 🏅 Lemoyne, PA	24 / 31 (646.1600)	15 (167.4056)	29 (154.8116)	22 (162.2628)	22 (161.6800)
Aug 27, 2021	New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA	18 / 44 (653.0396)	24 (161.1200)	2 (174.8456)	42 (145.6340)	3 (171.4400)
May 14, 2021	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA	15 / 46 (651.8056)	30 (159.9544)	21 (161.6456)	12 (165.6800)	14 (164.5256)
Apr 16, 2021	Interstate BBQ Festival - Day 1 🏅 Hagerstown, MD	19 / 47 (678.1944)	13 (171.9656)	20 (168.5372)	37 (161.0972)	2 (176.5944)
Jul 24, 2020	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	56 / 59 (613.5200)	58 (151.9312)	56 (146.7544)	53 (157.1432)	42 (157.6912)
Oct 18, 2019	Boo-B-Que 🏅 Rehoboth Beach, DE	33 / 63 (643.3256)	13 (169.7028)	47 (155.3828)	56 (149.1200)	10 (169.1200)
Sep 27, 2019	Smoke in the Park 🏅 Lemoyne, PA	25 / 40 (645.5544)	26 (161.6456)	36 (151.9316)	11 (167.4172)	20 (164.5600)
Aug 23, 2019	New Holland Summer Fest 🏅 New Holland, PA	21 / 65 (661.6460)	12 (169.1428)	41 (161.7032)	30 (163.3944)	17 (167.4056)
Aug 9, 2019	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	24 / 30 (627.2912)	23 (157.6456)	26 (153.0972)	21 (157.7028)	21 (158.8456)
Aug 3, 2019	Burleigh BBQ Championships Queensland	28 / 32 (618.1832)	27 (156.5600)	27 (154.2744)	30 (153.6456)	26 (153.7032)
Jul 26, 2019	Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA	34 / 53 (643.9428)	35 (162.8800)	52 (144.5372)	27 (163.3828)	4 (173.1428)
Jun 28, 2019	York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA	36 / 48 (638.2628)	19 (166.8684)	44 (147.3828)	38 (156.5372)	22 (167.4744)
May 25, 2019	Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 2 🏅 Gettysburg, PA	32 / 32 (623.7944)	23 (168.5372)	32 (152.5372)	32 (139.9200)	30 (162.8000)
May 24, 2019	Gettysburg BBQ Festival Day 1 🏅 Gettysburg, PA	29 / 33 (641.5888)	26 (161.6800)	26 (161.6916)	24 (165.1200)	31 (153.0972)
May 17, 2019	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA	28 / 44 (636.4572)	21 (164)	28 (156.5372)	35 (150.7772)	16 (165.1428)
Apr 5, 2019	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	21 / 42 (651.2912)	33 (159.9656)	21 (162.8228)	31 (158.2400)	6 (170.2628)
Oct 19, 2018	Boo-B-Que Rehoboth Beach, DE	38 / 73 (645.6000)	45 (162.8112)	48 (154.2744)	50 (157.6572)	9 (170.8572)
Sep 28, 2018	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	31 / 31 (490.6968)	20 (161.6456)	27 (151.9656)	23 (157.0856)	31 (20)
Aug 10, 2018	Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	16 / 38 (661.6684)	7 (170.8800)	18 (164.5828)	27 (155.3484)	8 (170.8572)
Jul 27, 2018	Smoke in the Grove Spring Grove, PA	45 / 54 (622.1372)	40 (156.0116)	47 (154.2056)	40 (157.7028)	44 (154.2172)
Jun 29, 2018	York County BBQ Festival Delta, PA	21 / 33 (640.5260)	20 (161.7028)	23 (158.8572)	18 (160.5944)	22 (159.3716)
Jun 8, 2018	Historic New Castle Colonial BBQ Competition New Castle, DE	32 / 42 (631.3488)	25 (160.5600)	20 (161.7260)	34 (155.9656)	34 (153.0972)
May 25, 2018	Gettysburg BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Gettysburg, PA	24 / 35 (642.7432)	23 (162.2628)	28 (156.5488)	26 (157.6916)	15 (166.2400)
May 18, 2018	Twin Valley Fire And Smoke Morgantown, PA	35 / 47 (635.3260)	39 (154.8112)	30 (162.2744)	3 (172)	46 (146.2404)
Apr 20, 2018	Interstate BBQ Festival Hagerstown, MD	57 / 67 (633.5540)	54 (155.9772)	50 (157.6800)	53 (157.6684)	38 (162.2284)
Apr 6, 2018	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	26 / 60 (655.4172)	25 (166.2628)	26 (162.2972)	32 (159.9772)	21 (166.8800)
Sep 22, 2017	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	22 / 44 (653.0968)	13 (166.8456)	10 (166.8572)	33 (154.2856)	20 (165.1084)
Aug 25, 2017	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	15 / 69 (656.5372)	1 (177.1544)	3 (175.4400)	48 (157.1428)	62 (146.8000)
Aug 11, 2017	Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	12 / 47 (668.4684)	8 (172)	28 (160.5028)	21 (164.5484)	2 (171.4172)
Jul 28, 2017	Smoke in the Grove (JUDGES FULL) Spring Grove, PA	43 / 51 (613.0056)	50 (143.9772)	23 (161.7028)	47 (141.6228)	15 (165.7028)
May 19, 2017	Twin Valley Fire and Smoke Morgantown, PA	38 / 53 (640.4916)	22 (167.4056)	43 (157.1088)	35 (160)	37 (155.9772)
Mar 31, 2017	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	48 / 59 (608.9376)	20 (163.9772)	45 (153.6688)	38 (155.3828)	57 (135.9088)
Sep 23, 2016	Smoke in the Park Lemoyne, PA	32 / 38 (622.8004)	37 (146.8116)	31 (156.5372)	26 (157.1772)	20 (162.2744)
Aug 26, 2016	New Holland Summer Fest New Holland, PA	34 / 66 (638.2628)	14 (168.0228)	33 (161.7144)	39 (159.4056)	49 (149.1200)
Aug 12, 2016	Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	5 / 42 (677.6800)	11 (172)	12 (170.2628)	7 (170.8572)	14 (164.5600)
Apr 1, 2016	The Ironman Greencastle, PA	47 / 54 (603.9540)	46 (148)	29 (160.5828)	47 (150.2284)	50 (145.1428)
Oct 2, 2015	Keystone Classic Barbeque Harrisburg, PA	52 / 57 (602.8684)	26 (164.0228)	55 (140.5028)	49 (149.1656)	49 (149.1772)
Aug 14, 2015	14th Annual Maryland State BBQ Bash Bel Air, MD	38 / 46 (605.7484)	36 (155.4628)	30 (157.7256)	36 (157.7028)	42 (134.8572)
May 1, 2015	Naptown barBAYq Contest and Music Festival Annapolis, MD	53 / 64 (606.8684)	46 (156.5028)	41 (154.3544)	57 (149.6912)	54 (146.3200)
Sep 5, 2014	6th Annual Southern York County BBQ Cook-off York, PA	37 / 39 (584.0112)	35 (150.8456)	31 (149.1544)	35 (148.6628)	38 (135.3484)

50 Shades of Pork

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Storylines (12 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An August team

The long haul

A standing appointment

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

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

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

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

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)