They almost always walk
81%
of contests with a top-10 call
A call in 13 of 16 contests
A top-10 category call in 81% of their 16 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.
The Meat Rubbers BBQ
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1472
peak 1472 · rated over 16 contests ⓘ
Contests
16
in the data
First seen
2015-08-14
latest 2023-07-20
Best ToY finish
#1055
Master 2018
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
0
2 podiums
Overall top-10s
2
of 16 contests
Avg finish
top 66%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
654.43 ▲
last 5 Master vs avg 642.37 (+12.06)
Walk rate
81%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
and counting
Consistency
±15.43
std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
avg 163.20 · weakest Pork (157.75)
Road miles
3,238
mi across 16 mapped stops · furthest 1390 mi
Schedule strength
45%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1559)
Purse competed for
$8K
listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 1 state-championship entries
Master avg
642.37 / 720
14 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
313.70 / 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 (11 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.
High-water mark
666.7656
career-best overall
92.6% of a perfect 720
Their best day on record: 666.7656 at *Bordertown BBQ Brawl — 92.6% of a perfect 720.
- Master
- 2018-08-17
The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
KEVLAR BBQ has finished one call ahead of The Meat Rubbers BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Their season
2018
their best year
2018 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 53%.
- 3 contests
- 0 overall top-10s
- 0 category wins
- average top 53%
A tough matchup
12–0
behind in the head-to-head
iBQ'n ahead in 100% of their meetings
iBQ'n has come out ahead in 12 of their 12 shared contests.
The weak link
−5.4
points behind their best meat
Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 5.45 points below their pork ribs, and turns into a call 7% of the time against 56%.
- Pork avg 157.75
- Pork Ribs avg 163.20
- 1 calls in 14 entries
A strong matchup
4–0
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 100% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of QUEFELLAS BBQ in 4 of their 4 shared contests.
The comeback
3.1 yrs
off the trail, then back
Off the trail for 3.1 years, then back at Smoke, Wind & Fire (2022-07-23).
- last seen 2019-06-21
- back 2022-07-23
Pork Ribs nemesis
10 of 12
shared pork ribs entries lost
iBQ'n ahead 83% of the time
Even in their strongest meat, iBQ'n has out-cooked them in 10 of 12 shared pork ribs entries.
The long haul
3,238
road miles between contests
Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 3,238 miles across 16 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,390 miles to Smoke, Wind & Fire.
- 16 mapped stops
- furthest 1,390 mi
The metronome
±2.12%
swing around their own average
Their overall lands within ±2.12% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.
- averages 89.0% of a perfect score
- 16 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.
133 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#4551 of the rated field
- Contests
- 7
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 0%
- Peak
- 1471
2–0 in 2 shared contests (100% to The Meat Rubbers BBQ)
2 contests in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team The Meat Rubbers BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.
⚔ Head-to-head#4559 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 18%
- Peak
- 1513
No shared contest yet.
They've been 1513 at their best, 42 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.
⚔ Head-to-head#4547 of the rated field
- Contests
- 17
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 6%
- Peak
- 1472
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 4 years before The Meat Rubbers BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#4532 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1518
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 15 contests to 16, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#4553 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 7%
- Peak
- 1471
No shared contest yet.
15 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 7% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#4528 of the rated field
- Contests
- 23
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 4%
- Peak
- 1472
No shared contest yet.
Level with The Meat Rubbers 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iBQ'n | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | 11 | 2 | 9 | 18% | ⚔ compare |
| Mac Attack BBQ | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ | 10 | 3 | 7 | 30% | ⚔ compare |
| PapaDads BBQ | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| AWW HELL | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10% | ⚔ compare |
| THE REAL SMOKIN ACES | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| FIREHOUSE SMOKE | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| Smokin Good Time BBQ | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% | ⚔ compare |
| HOLY SMOKERS MI | 9 | 1 | 8 | 11% | ⚔ compare |
| BAD WOLF BBQ | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| BAVARIAN SMOKE BBQ | 8 | 2 | 6 | 25% | ⚔ compare |
| MUTTS & BUTTS BARK-BQ | 8 | 1 | 7 | 13% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG BROTHERS BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| SLIPPERY PETE'S BBQ | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 16 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 169.7028 | 149.1088 | 159.93 | top 69% |
| Pork Ribs | 16 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 175.4400 | 146.2400 | 163.20 | top 48% |
| Pork | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 167.9656 | 144.5944 | 157.75 | top 70% |
| Brisket | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 172.5828 | 148.0000 | 160.14 | top 59% |
“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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI | 13 | 0 | top 67% |
| AB | 1 | 0 | top 100% |
| IN | 1 | 0 | top 74% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 2 | 0 | top 100% |
| Medium (20–39) | 13 | 0 | top 63% |
| Large (40+) | 1 | 0 | top 44% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival | 2 | 21 | 0 | top 59% | 2018-09-14 |
| All American BBQ Throwdown | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 86% | 2017-08-04 |
The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
7.9 yrs
2015-08-14 → 2023-07-20
Busiest season
2017
4 contests
Contests a season
2.3
across 7 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
MI
13 of 16 contests · 3 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
14
2 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
16 entries · 0 wins · 4 calls
Strongest meat
Pork Ribs
averages 163.20 · weakest Pork (157.75)
Walk rate
81%
a top-10 call in 13 of 16 contests
Overall top-10 rate
13%
2 of 16 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight contests — and still running
Master average
642.37
out of 720 · 14 contests · 0 GCs
Backyard average
313.70
out of 360 · 2 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
197
164–267 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
3,238
16 mapped stops · furthest 1,390 mi
Schedule strength
1559
average field rating faced — tougher than 45% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$8,000
listed at 1 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 1 state-championship entries
Longest layoff
3.1 yrs
2019-06-21 → 2022-07-23
Power rating
1472
peak 1472 · #4538 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2015
- First tracked contest Jimmy's Roadhouse Backyard BBQ Battle
- First call Ribstock II: Ribs & Racing
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score657.0172 Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival
- 2016
- Peak power rating (1495) *2nd Annual Pork in the Park
- 2017
- 10th tracked contest *The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)175.4400 *The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com
- 2018
- Career-best overall score666.7656 *Bordertown BBQ Brawl
- 2022
- First overall top-10 Smoke, Wind & Fire
- 2023
- Most recent contest Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +8.5 | Smoke, Wind & Fire | 2022-07-23 |
| +6 | *Bordertown BBQ Brawl | 2018-08-17 |
| +5.7 | 11th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off | 2019-06-21 |
| +5.4 | *Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival | 2018-09-14 |
| +3.8 | Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival | 2015-09-11 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -15.1 | Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard) | 2023-07-20 |
| -11.6 | All American BBQ Throwdown | 2016-08-05 |
| -11.5 | Jimmy's Roadhouse Backyard BBQ Battle | 2015-08-14 |
| -6.5 | Ribstock | 2016-08-26 |
| -5.3 | *The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com | 2017-09-22 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 100% | 86.8% | 86.8% |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 20% | 87.5% | 87.5% |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 47% | 91.1% | 91.1% |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 53% | 92.6% | 90.6% |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | top 77% | 91.6% | 89.9% |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 77% | 90.1% | 87.8% |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67% | top 65% | 91.3% | 87.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-07-20 | Smoke, Wind & Fire (Backyard) Raymond, AB | 6 / 6 (312.5372) | 5 (159.3828) | 6 (153.1544) | — | — |
| 2022-07-23 | Smoke, Wind & Fire Lethbridge, T1J4R3 | 4 / 20 (314.8572) | 3 (159.4284) | 4 (155.4288) | — | — |
| 2019-06-21 | 11th Annual Auburn Hills Barbecue Cook-Off 🏅 Auburn Hills, MI | 14 / 30 (655.9884) | 22 (162.2856) | 21 (161.7028) | 16 (159.4172) | 3 (172.5828) |
| 2018-09-14 | *Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival Mears, MI | 21 / 48 (644.4452) | 20 (164.5372) | 12 (169.1312) | 29 (151.3828) | 24 (159.3940) |
| 2018-08-17 | *Bordertown BBQ Brawl Sault Ste Marie, MI | 12 / 24 (666.7656) | 19 (163.3828) | 9 (169.1544) | 14 (167.9656) | 17 (166.2628) |
| 2018-08-03 | Westland Area Jaycee's All American BBQ Throwdown Westland, MI | 26 / 39 (645.6116) | 33 (157.1200) | 5 (172.0000) | 31 (152.5144) | 16 (163.9772) |
| 2017-09-22 | *The Rumble on the River presented by TheBBQSuperStore.com Grand Haven, MI | 21 / 24 (659.3604) | 19 (166.8344) | 6 (175.4400) | 21 (163.4288) | 23 (153.6572) |
| 2017-09-08 | *Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival Silver Lake, MI | 21 / 28 (642.7768) | 26 (150.8228) | 7 (168.5484) | 21 (158.2972) | 16 (165.1084) |
| 2017-08-04 | All American BBQ Throwdown Westland, MI | 21 / 29 (635.8628) | 26 (152.5372) | 9 (165.6800) | 25 (155.4056) | 15 (162.2400) |
| 2017-07-14 | Sam's Club National BBQ Tour South Bend, IN | 20 / 27 (651.9200) | 22 (162.2628) | 7 (167.9772) | 17 (162.8456) | 18 (158.8344) |
| 2016-08-26 | Ribstock Marne, MI | 26 / 32 (619.9316) | 16 (164.5372) | 23 (156.5144) | 25 (150.8800) | 26 (148.0000) |
| 2016-08-05 | All American BBQ Throwdown Westland, MI | 16 / 16 (627.9660) | 10 (165.1200) | 8 (166.3088) | 16 (144.5944) | 16 (151.9428) |
| 2016-05-20 | *2nd Annual Pork in the Park Wyandotte, MI | 14 / 28 (648.5600) | 6 (169.7028) | 12 (162.2744) | 20 (155.4856) | 15 (161.0972) |
| 2015-09-11 | Silver Lake Apple BBQ Festival Mears, MI | 16 / 34 (657.0172) | 24 (161.0972) | 20 (165.0972) | 19 (165.1428) | 10 (165.6800) |
| 2015-08-28 | Ribstock II: Ribs & Racing Marne, MI | 18 / 32 (621.0860) | 28 (149.1088) | 28 (146.2400) | 6 (167.4628) | 13 (158.2744) |
| 2015-08-14 | Jimmy's Roadhouse Backyard BBQ Battle Newaygo, MI | 24 / 26 (615.9540) | 24 (150.7884) | 24 (156.5944) | 23 (153.7256) | 20 (154.8456) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #233 (156 pts) | #242 (146 pts) | — | — |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #1655 (110 pts) | #1976 (70 pts) | #1930 (75 pts) | #1786 (100 pts) | #1143 (230 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1055 (254 pts) | #1207 (224 pts) | #804 (444 pts) | #1212 (224 pts) | #1105 (259 pts) |
| 2017 ↗ | Master | #1083 (293 pts) | #1247 (253 pts) | #659 (618 pts) | #1166 (288 pts) | #1008 (348 pts) |
| 2016 ↗ | Master | #1182 (251 pts) | #946 (386 pts) | #1069 (321 pts) | #1410 (221 pts) | #1262 (246 pts) |
| 2015 ↗ | Master | #1134 (252 pts) | #1512 (177 pts) | #1408 (197 pts) | #1043 (322 pts) | #1010 (327 pts) |