High-water mark
686.2284
career-best overall
95.3% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 686.2284 at Southaven Springfest — 95.3% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2021-10-29
BLUE COLLAR BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1427
peak 1502 · rated over 29 contests ⓘ
Contests
29
in the data
First seen
2013-08-02
latest 2024-09-20
Best ToY finish
#2158
Master 2015
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
1 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
of 29 contests
Avg finish
top 72%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
616.52 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 612.17 (+4.35)
Walk rate
31%
contests with a top-10 call
Consistency
±81.06
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Chicken
avg 158.82 · weakest Brisket (155.24)
Road miles
6,059
mi across 29 mapped stops · furthest 1269 mi
Schedule strength
55%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1570)
Purse competed for
$133K
listed at 11 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 12 state-championship entries
Master avg
612.17 / 720
27 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
305.64 / 360
2 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
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.
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
BACK FROM THE DEAD has finished one call ahead of BLUE COLLAR BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2021
their best year
2021 was the year it came together: 5 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 45%.
- 5 contests
- 1 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 45%
A tough matchup
13–0
behind in the head-to-head
Boxer Q BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
Boxer Q BBQ has come out ahead in 13 of their 13 shared contests.
A strong matchup
8–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 89% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of SILVER FOX BBQ in 8 of their 9 shared contests.
Chicken nemesis
12 of 13
shared chicken entries lost
777 BBQ ahead 92% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, 777 BBQ has out-cooked them in 12 of 13 shared chicken entries.
Boom or bust
±11.04%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±11.04% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.
- averages 85.0% of a perfect score
- best 95.3%
An October team
Top 50%
average finish in October
Something about October: average finish in the top 50% across 5 contests, versus top 72% the rest of the year.
- 5 October contests
- top 72% the rest of the year
The long haul
6,059
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,059 miles across 29 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,269 miles to Turf & Surf BBQ Championship.
- 29 mapped stops
- furthest 1,269 mi
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.
38 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#6081 of the rated field
- Contests
- 21
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1427
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 21 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#6079 of the rated field
- Contests
- 49
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 2%
- Peak
- 1427
No shared contest yet.
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 49 contests to 29.
⚔ Head-to-head#6071 of the rated field
- Contests
- 16
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1501
No shared contest yet.
16 contests and no Grand Championship yet.
⚔ Head-to-head#6082 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1501
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2020, 4 years before BLUE COLLAR BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#6072 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1428
No shared contest yet.
Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.
⚔ Head-to-head#6073 of the rated field
- Contests
- 13
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1428
No shared contest yet.
Level with BLUE COLLAR BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 777 BBQ | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| Boxer Q BBQ | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| INDIGO PIG | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
| BLACK EYE BBQ | 12 | 1 | 11 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| BLUE BUCKET BBQ | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RICH AND STU'S VOODOO BBQ | 11 | 3 | 8 | 27% | ⚔ compare |
| SILVER FOX BBQ | 9 | 8 | 1 | 89% | ⚔ compare |
| Showtime | 9 | 5 | 4 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| ROCK N BLUES BBQ | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| 913 BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RAZORRACKS | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| FRONT DOOR GANG | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| B & C SMOKERS | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| KC SMOKE DAWGS | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SMOKIN WILLE'S BARBECUE | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 177.1772 | 106.0000 | 158.82 | top 62% |
| Pork Ribs | 29 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 171.4172 | 128.4800 | 157.26 | top 65% |
| Pork | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 172.5600 | 141.8288 | 157.54 | top 72% |
| Brisket | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 176.0000 | 137.1200 | 155.24 | top 67% |
“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 | 16 | 0 | top 73% |
| OK | 4 | 0 | top 96% |
| MS | 4 | 0 | top 37% |
| MN | 1 | 0 | top 55% |
| AL | 1 | 0 | top 91% |
| IL | 1 | 0 | top 74% |
| TN | 1 | 0 | top 53% |
| CA | 1 | 0 | top 100% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 18 | 0 | top 69% |
| Large (40+) | 11 | 0 | top 76% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off | 3 | 24 | 0 | top 95% | 2024-09-20 |
| Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest | 3 | 38 | 0 | top 83% | 2020-07-10 |
| Smoke in the Spring | 3 | 37 | 0 | top 72% | 2016-04-08 |
| Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest | 2 | 27 | 0 | top 92% | 2016-08-05 |
| Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest | 2 | 12 | 0 | top 73% | 2014-08-01 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
11.1 yrs
2013-08-02 → 2024-09-20
Busiest season
2021
5 contests
Contests a season
2.4
across 12 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
KS
16 of 29 contests · 8 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
21
5 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
29 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls
Strongest meat
Chicken
averages 158.82 · weakest Brisket (155.24)
Walk rate
31%
a top-10 call in 9 of 29 contests
Overall top-10 rate
7%
2 of 29 contests
Master average
612.17
out of 720 · 27 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
305.64
out of 360 · 2 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
712
350–919 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
6,059
29 mapped stops · furthest 1,269 mi
Schedule strength
1570
average field rating faced — tougher than 55% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$132,700
listed at 11 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 12 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
1 yrs
2023-09-15 → 2024-09-20
Power rating
1427
peak 1502 · #6078 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2013
- First tracked contest Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest
- First call Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest
- Peak power rating (1502) Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest
- 2015
- First overall top-10 Smoke on the Water
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score665.0284 Smoke on the Water
- 2016
- 10th tracked contest Smoke in the Spring
- 2017
- Career-best single call (Chicken)177.1772 *Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest
- 2021
- Career-best overall score686.2284 Southaven Springfest
- 2022
- 25th tracked contest Southaven Springfest
- 2024
- Most recent contest Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +13.5 | Southaven Springfest | 2021-10-29 |
| +11.5 | DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off | 2021-06-18 |
| +11 | Smoke on the Water | 2015-10-09 |
| +8.7 | Hog Wild BBQ Cook off, Kids Que and Family Festival | 2021-05-01 |
| +6.1 | Covington TN's World's Oldest BBQ Cooking Contest | 2021-06-04 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -12.8 | Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest | 2014-08-01 |
| -11.3 | Turf & Surf BBQ Championship | 2018-08-17 |
| -10 | Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off | 2019-09-20 |
| -10 | Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off | 2024-09-20 |
| -9.6 | Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off | 2023-09-15 |
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)
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 92% | 82.8% | 82.8% |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 100% | 73.7% | 73.7% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 72% | 93.9% | 86.6% |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 80% | top 45% | 95.3% | 93.4% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 95% | 85.3% | 85.3% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 100% | 40.9% | 40.9% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 87% | 88.9% | 78.3% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 69% | 90.4% | 90.4% |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 88% | 85.2% | 84.4% |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33% | top 66% | 92.4% | 88.2% |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | top 72% | 89.4% | 86.7% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 58% | 87.9% | 86.8% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-20 | Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK | 24 / 26 (595.8172) | 22 (154.8228) | 22 (151.3944) | 23 (150.2628) | 24 (139.3372) |
| 2023-09-15 | Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK | 26 / 26 (530.3888) | 26 (106.0000) | 25 (139.3488) | 26 (145.0972) | 26 (139.9428) |
| 2022-09-16 | Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK | 36 / 39 (593.7600) | 37 (150.2972) | 39 (143.4516) | 34 (155.4056) | 36 (144.6056) |
| 2022-06-03 | Smokin in Steele (Master & Backyard Contest) 🏅 Owatonna, MN | 18 / 33 (278.7772) | 16 (150.2972) | 18 (128.4800) | — | — |
| 2022-04-22 | Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS | 18 / 36 (676.4228) | 22 (170.8228) | 21 (166.2516) | 13 (169.6684) | 12 (169.6800) |
| 2022-04-22 | Smoke on the Water BBQ Festival (Backyard) Florence, AL | 31 / 34 (332.5028) | 16 (167.9656) | 21 (164.5372) | — | — |
| 2021-10-29 | Southaven Springfest 🏅 Southaven, MS | 10 / 36 (686.2284) | 17 (169.1200) | 15 (169.1200) | 13 (171.9884) | 6 (176.0000) |
| 2021-09-24 | Praise the Lard Murphysboro BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Murphysboro, IL | 29 / 39 (654.6856) | 16 (170.2628) | 28 (162.2516) | 35 (157.6456) | 25 (164.5256) |
| 2021-06-18 | DeSoto Shrine Club 13th Annual BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Nesbit, MS | 15 / 48 (685.6684) | 7 (176.0000) | 22 (169.6800) | 13 (172.5600) | 27 (167.4284) |
| 2021-06-04 | Covington TN's World's Oldest BBQ Cooking Contest 🏅 Covington, TN | 18 / 34 (666.7544) | 26 (162.8228) | 10 (171.4172) | 10 (170.8344) | 24 (161.6800) |
| 2021-05-01 | Hog Wild BBQ Cook off, Kids Que and Family Festival 🏅 Brookhaven, MS | 15 / 38 (667.8628) | 12 (169.1200) | 9 (169.6800) | 32 (158.2400) | 10 (170.8228) |
| 2020-07-10 | Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest 🏅 Mayetta, KS | 58 / 61 (614.1256) | 55 (157.7144) | 60 (149.1200) | 54 (159.9312) | 57 (147.3600) |
| 2019-09-20 | Cherokee Strip BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK | 28 / 28 (294.2972) | — | 27 (150.3200) | — | 28 (143.9772) |
| 2018-10-06 | *Rib's and Bibs Topeka, KS | 30 / 37 (633.0172) | 29 (161.7028) | 25 (162.2860) | 30 (155.3828) | 30 (153.6456) |
| 2018-08-17 | Turf & Surf BBQ Championship Del Mar, CA | 51 / 51 (419.3600) | 50 (122.2628) | 45 (146.2744) | 47 (150.8228) | — |
| 2018-07-13 | *Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 38 / 48 (639.9316) | 29 (165.7028) | 38 (159.4288) | 31 (164.5828) | 44 (150.2172) |
| 2017-07-14 | *Keepers of the Fire BBQ Contest Mayetta, KS | 43 / 58 (650.2288) | 4 (177.1772) | 54 (154.8344) | 55 (154.8228) | 32 (163.3944) |
| 2017-06-10 | *Tonganoxie Days BBQ Blowout Tonganoxie, KS | 18 / 28 (650.8232) | 20 (163.4516) | 19 (161.1316) | 24 (159.3828) | 6 (166.8572) |
| 2016-08-05 | Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 27 / 29 (602.8000) | 22 (158.2744) | 28 (143.4172) | 29 (145.1428) | 24 (155.9656) |
| 2016-04-08 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 90 / 109 (613.0972) | 71 (160.5828) | 30 (167.4400) | 104 (142.8344) | 100 (142.2400) |
| 2015-10-09 | Smoke on the Water Topeka, KS | 8 / 33 (665.0284) | 19 (160.5144) | 3 (169.1428) | 6 (169.6684) | 13 (165.7028) |
| 2015-07-31 | Rossville Tall Corn Festival BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 42 / 46 (616.5716) | 28 (162.8688) | 45 (144.0000) | 43 (149.7372) | 28 (159.9656) |
| 2015-04-10 | Smoke in the Spring Osage City, KS | 79 / 97 (623.8972) | 61 (161.1428) | 61 (160.5600) | 87 (152.5028) | 78 (149.6916) |
| 2014-10-10 | Smoke on the Water at Lake Shawnee Topeka, KS | 19 / 37 (628.4684) | 11 (166.2628) | 33 (149.6800) | 13 (162.2628) | 21 (150.2628) |
| 2014-08-01 | Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 36 / 37 (607.8972) | 36 (148.5600) | 29 (153.0856) | 29 (157.7372) | 34 (148.5144) |
| 2014-07-18 | 10th Annual WildBlue BBQ Burlington, KS | 36 / 41 (617.6344) | 30 (158.2744) | 27 (158.8688) | 27 (163.3712) | 41 (137.1200) |
| 2014-04-11 | Smoke In The Spring Osage City, KS | 37 / 73 (643.9884) | 46 (157.1772) | 13 (169.7028) | 60 (151.9656) | 15 (165.1428) |
| 2013-10-11 | Smoke on the Water Topeka, KS | 29 / 43 (616.6520) | 27 (155.9884) | 9 (165.7260) | 41 (141.8288) | 27 (153.1088) |
| 2013-08-02 | Rossville Tall Corn BBQ Contest Rossville, KS | 12 / 25 (633.1772) | 10 (161.7144) | 12 (160.0000) | 9 (162.3428) | 14 (149.1200) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #2158 (60 pts) | #2209 (60 pts) | #2209 (60 pts) | #2225 (60 pts) | #2214 (60 pts) |