DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES

DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES is a competition barbecue team with 40 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2013 and 2018. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 41 at the Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff (2014), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #785 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings and hold 1 all-time KCBS record.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

KCBS records held

1 🥇

highest pork ribs score

Power ranking

#785

of 6,485 rated · rankings

Rating

1630

peak 1636 · rated over 39 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 15, 2013

latest Nov 9, 2018 · 5.7 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#172

Master 2013 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

14 podiums

Overall top-10s

35% of 40 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

Avg finish

top 39%

overall standings

Best overall

694.8460 / 720

Master · Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

671.15 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 666.96 (+4.19)

Walk rate

73%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

180 🔥

Pork Ribs · Grand Lake BBQ Festival

Consistency

±11.81

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 169.28 · weakest Brisket (165.26)

Road miles

6,203

across 40 mapped stops · furthest 575 mi

Schedule strength

39%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1552)

Master avg

666.96 / 720

40 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (14 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

3.9540 points from the title

Came within 3.9540 points of the Grand Championship at Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff (May 24, 2014).

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in pork ribs.

Pork Ribs ×1

Happy hunting ground

Top 16% average finish here

Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival is their spot: an average finish in the top 16% across 2 visits.

2 visits
best finish 9th
average top 16%

They almost always walk

73% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 29 of 40 contests

A top-10 category call in 73% of their 40 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

694.8460 career-best overall

96.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 694.8460 at Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff — 96.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 24, 2014

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

SMOOTH SMOKE has finished one call ahead of DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

A tough matchup

24–2 behind in the head-to-head

GETTIN' BASTED ahead in 92% of their meetings

GETTIN' BASTED has come out ahead in 24 of their 26 shared contests.

Show 7 more storylines

The weak link

−4.0 points behind their best meat

Brisket is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.02 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 35% of the time against 40%.

Brisket avg 165.26
Chicken avg 169.28
14 calls in 40 entries

A strong matchup

7–1 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 88% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of WHOLE HOG CAFE - SPRINGFIELD in 7 of their 8 shared contests.

Chicken nemesis

19 of 26 shared chicken entries lost

GETTIN' BASTED ahead 73% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, GETTIN' BASTED has out-cooked them in 19 of 26 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

BOSS HAWG BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

An April team

Top 20% average finish in April

Something about April: average finish in the top 20% across 3 contests, versus top 39% the rest of the year.

3 April contests
top 39% the rest of the year

The long haul

6,203 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 6,203 miles across 40 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 575 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour.

40 mapped stops
furthest 575 mi

The metronome

±1.64% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.64% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 92.6% of a perfect score
40 contests

Holds 1 KCBS record (on 1 all-time board)

Where this team sits in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record they hold outright; the rest are boards they are on.

🥇 🍖 Highest pork ribs score 180 one meat, out of 180 · won the category with it · May 17, 2013 · shared with at least 9 others

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
2015 ↗	Master	#518 (729 pts)	#602 (649 pts)	#534 (729 pts)	#479 (819 pts)	#511 (734 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#263 (1,279 pts)	#254 (1,254 pts)	#193 (1,494 pts)	#336 (1,069 pts)	#274 (1,249 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#172 (1,520 pts)	#65 (2,016 pts)	#130 (1,607 pts)	#136 (1,518 pts)	#198 (1,338 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES, each with one reason worth a look.

EPIC BBQ CRU

#782 of the rated field

1630 power rating

Contests: 42
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 43%
Peak: 1631

2–6 in 8 shared contests (25% to DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES)

These two have cooked 8 of the same contests — EPIC BBQ CRU ahead 6–2 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.

rated over 42 contests
last seen Oct 26, 2018

⚔ Head-to-head

WICHITA SWINEMEN

#781 of the rated field

1630 power rating

Contests: 46
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 39%
Peak: 1665

1–0 in 1 shared contest (100% to DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES)

They've been 1665 at their best, 35 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 45 contests
last seen Oct 18, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKEN DUDES BBQ

#779 of the rated field

1630 power rating

Contests: 33
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 24%
Peak: 1646

Careers of much the same size, 33 contests to 40, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 33 contests
last seen Sep 28, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

FUNTIME BBQ

#786 of the rated field

1629 power rating

Contests: 57
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 32%
Peak: 1653

57 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 32% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 57 contests
last seen Feb 21, 2020

⚔ Compare careers

DE FILOUS

#783 of the rated field

1630 power rating

Contests: 61
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 52%
Peak: 1665

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2013.

rated over 58 contests
last seen Aug 14, 2021

⚔ Compare careers

LONGNECK SIPPERS

#780 of the rated field

1630 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 40%
Peak: 1630

Level with DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 25 contests
last seen Oct 5, 2018

⚔ Compare careers

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
GETTIN' BASTED	26	2	24	8%	⚔ compare
HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE	20	2	18	10%	⚔ compare
SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ	18	1	17	6%	⚔ compare
SMOOTH SMOKE	17	4	13	24%	⚔ compare
SLEEPY HOLLOW	16	6	10	38%	⚔ compare
CAVEMAN CUISINE	16	2	14	13%	⚔ compare
COUNTRYSIDE BBQ PRO SHOP	15	9	6	60%	⚔ compare
BIG BUTTS NEED RUBBIN TOO	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
BRICKHEAD BBQ	14	5	9	36%	⚔ compare
UNCLE BUB'S BBQ, LLC	13	2	11	15%	⚔ compare
A Good Rub BBQ	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare
SMOKERS WILD	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
QUAU	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
BURNT FINGER BBQ	12	2	10	17%	⚔ compare
CLARK KENT SUPER SMOKERS	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	40	16	3	7	178.2858	160	169.28	top 39%
Pork Ribs	40	13	2	4	180 🔥	146.8000	166.23	top 42%
Pork	40	14	0	1	174.2972	150.8228	166.20	top 46%
Brisket	40	14	1	2	178.8572	147.3940	165.26	top 41%

“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	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	4	top 35%
Medium (20–39)	21	top 44%
Large (40+)	15	top 34%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MO	25	top 40%
KS	5	top 25%
OK	3	top 57%
IL	3	top 32%
TN	2	top 34%
AL	1	top 77%
AR	1	top 40%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Rock'n Freedom	3	10	top 48%	Jun 19, 2015
Table Rock Boats and Bones	2	13	top 39%	Sep 17, 2016
Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival	2	9	top 16%	Apr 24, 2015
Laurie Hillbilly BBQ	2	14	top 36%	Aug 1, 2014

More numbers

Busiest season 2013 18 contests

Contests a season 6.7 across 6 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MO 25 of 40 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 35 4 of them more than once

Opponents faced 1,549 finished ahead 2,062 times, behind 1,098

Longest layoff 1.3 yrs Jul 8, 2017 → Nov 9, 2018

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

20181 milestone

Nov 9 Most recent contest Smoke EM IF You Got EM

20171 milestone

Jul 8 Peak power rating (1636) Red White Blue and Que Presented by Lucas Oil Speedway

20144 milestones

May 24 First overall podium Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff
May 24 First Reserve Championship Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff
May 24 Career-best overall score694.8460 Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff
Aug 1 25th tracked contest Laurie Hillbilly BBQ

20137 milestones

Mar 15 First tracked contest Smokin' At The Run Miami, OK
Mar 15 First overall past 90% of a perfect score652.5714 Smokin' At The Run Miami, OK
Apr 19 First call Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival
May 17 First category win (Pork Ribs) Grand Lake BBQ Festival
May 17 First perfect 180 (Pork Ribs) Grand Lake BBQ Festival
May 31 First overall top-10 McLouth BBQ Blowout 22nd Annual
Jul 13 10th tracked contest Heart of Illinois Fair BBQ Cookoff

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.7	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff	May 24, 2014
+11	Balloons Blues Bikes & BBQ	Oct 18, 2013
+10.1	Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival	Apr 19, 2013
+9.3	McLouth BBQ Blowout 22nd Annual	May 31, 2013
+9.2	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open	Oct 2, 2014

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.1	1st Annual BBQ BIVOUAC	Nov 8, 2013
-8.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	Feb 27, 2015
-7	Four State BBQ Championship Presented by Downstream Casino	Aug 30, 2013
-6.3	Smoke EM IF You Got EM	Nov 9, 2018
-4.9	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	May 23, 2014

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)
2018	1	0	0	100%	top 70%	90.8%	90.8%
2017	1	0	0	100%	top 39%	95.1%	95.1%
2016	2	0	0	100%	top 35%	94.6%	94.2%
2015	8	3	0	63%	top 46%	94.4%	93.2%
2014	10	4	2	70%	top 35%	96.5%	92.8%
2013	18	7	4	72%	top 37%	95.2%	92.1%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Nov 9, 2018	Smoke EM IF You Got EM Springfield, MO	21 / 30 (653.6800)	18 (164.5600)	23 (157.1428)	26 (161.1200)	7 (170.8572)
Jul 8, 2017	Red White Blue and Que Presented by Lucas Oil Speedway Wheatland, MO	12 / 31 (685.0628)	2 (177.7144)	21 (163.9656)	15 (170.2628)	5 (173.1200)
Oct 14, 2016	Balloons Blues and Barbeque Parsons, KS	12 / 39 (681.1660)	8 (173.1544)	17 (168.0116)	7 (173.1428)	18 (166.8572)
Sep 17, 2016	Table Rock Boats and Bones Kimberling City, MO	17 / 43 (674.7196)	21 (169.7028)	26 (166.2284)	29 (165.6800)	8 (173.1084)
Oct 3, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Open Kansas City, MO	224 / 606 (661.1088)	212 (166.8916)	192 (167.9772)	361 (162.2284)	255 (164.0116)
Oct 2, 2015	36th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbeque- Invitational unrated Kansas City, MO	152 / 187 (661.0972)	55 (172.5600)	186 (146.8000)	72 (169.7144)	52 (172.0228)
Jun 26, 2015	3rd Annual Willard Freedom Feast BBQ Cook-Off Willard, MO	13 / 31 (674.7312)	23 (162.7884)	9 (169.6800)	5 (172.5600)	10 (169.7028)
Jun 19, 2015	Rock'n Freedom Seymour, MO	10 / 36 (679.3372)	19 (168.5372)	16 (168.5372)	8 (170.8572)	11 (171.4056)
Jun 5, 2015	Smokin' Summer Kick-off Branson, MO	6 / 17 (671.9088)	5 (174.2744)	8 (165.6916)	4 (168.5372)	10 (163.4056)
May 22, 2015	Table Rock and Ribs (GC receives Golden Ticket to the World Food Championship) Kimberling City, MO	13 / 26 (674.2400)	19 (167.4056)	10 (170.8344)	5 (172)	13 (164)
Apr 24, 2015	Rock N Ribs BBQ Festival Springfield, MO	9 / 63 (677.7372)	5 (174.8572)	17 (169.7144)	31 (163.4628)	11 (169.7028)
Feb 27, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Daphne, AL	23 / 30 (666.1712)	24 (166.2284)	12 (170.8456)	28 (160.5144)	13 (168.5828)
Oct 17, 2014	Balloons Bikes Blues and Barbeque Parsons, KS	8 / 26 (680.5256)	12 (167.4172)	4 (172)	6 (173.1428)	9 (167.9656)
Oct 2, 2014	35th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	82 / 552 (676.0460)	254 (165.7144)	23 (175.4400)	155 (168.5944)	178 (166.2972)
Sep 13, 2014	Table Rock Boats and Bones Kimberling City, MO	13 / 34 (663.9428)	25 (162.8228)	15 (166.3084)	13 (167.9772)	10 (166.8344)
Aug 1, 2014	Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO	21 / 47 (659.9084)	25 (166.2744)	18 (167.4172)	17 (167.4056)	30 (158.8112)
Jun 26, 2014	2nd Annual Freedom Feast BBQ Cook-Off Willard, MO	13 / 35 (658.2284)	11 (169.1200)	1 (176.5600)	14 (165.1544)	23 (147.3940)
Jun 20, 2014	Rock'n Freedom Seymour, MO	19 / 33 (661.0288)	16 (170.8572)	19 (164.5488)	18 (165.0856)	22 (160.5372)
May 24, 2014	Lewisburg Rotary Club BBQ CookOff Lewisburg, TN	2 / 41 (694.8460)	2 (177.7372)	4 (174.8572)	32 (163.3944)	1 (178.8572)
May 23, 2014	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Hendersonville, TN	19 / 30 (664.4684)	19 (165.1544)	9 (171.4056)	22 (162.7884)	18 (165.1200)
May 16, 2014	Table Rock & Ribs Kimberling City, MO	8 / 18 (658.1944)	2 (173.7028)	11 (157.6800)	8 (164.5488)	8 (162.2628)
May 9, 2014	Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival Springfield, MO	10 / 57 (666.2060)	19 (167.9888)	11 (166.8572)	17 (163.9656)	8 (167.3944)
Nov 8, 2013	1st Annual BBQ BIVOUAC St. James, MO	27 / 33 (627.1884)	23 (162.8228)	31 (151.3600)	24 (161.6572)	28 (151.3484)
Nov 1, 2013	Cookin' on the Creek BBQ Cookoff Harrison, AR	10 / 25 (678.1716)	10 (171.9888)	3 (173.7028)	18 (161.6572)	7 (170.8228)
Oct 18, 2013	Balloons Blues Bikes & BBQ Parsons, KS	4 / 25 (685.1540)	2 (176.0228)	10 (169.7256)	7 (170.8456)	7 (168.5600)
Oct 3, 2013	34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	185 / 535 (649.0168)	196 (164.5484)	166 (164.5372)	445 (150.8228)	64 (169.1084)
Sep 27, 2013	Hermann BBQ & Brats Festival Hermann, MO	12 / 39 (661.0744)	15 (167.9772)	23 (161.6916)	6 (170.8572)	17 (160.5484)
Aug 30, 2013	Four State BBQ Championship Presented by Downstream Casino Quapaw, OK	25 / 36 (661.0628)	31 (160)	20 (162.2628)	8 (173.7028)	15 (165.0972)
Aug 2, 2013	Laurie Hillbilly BBQ Laurie, MO	14 / 51 (663.4172)	8 (170.2972)	39 (159.9656)	3 (174.2972)	31 (158.8572)
Jul 26, 2013	Morton BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS & JUDGES FULL - May email to be put on waitlist) Morton, IL	14 / 45 (655.3944)	5 (172)	32 (153.1428)	7 (171.4400)	22 (158.8116)
Jul 13, 2013	Heart of Illinois Fair BBQ Cookoff Peoria, IL	5 / 15 (669.6340)	10 (166.2628)	4 (168.5600)	13 (162.2512)	3 (172.5600)
Jul 5, 2013	Fin to Fur's Red White & Blue BBQ Blowout 2013 Thayer, MO	4 / 15 (678.2852)	1 (178.2858)	5 (169.7142)	7 (165.7140)	7 (164.5712)
Jun 27, 2013	Legacy BBQ Championship Effingham, IL	9 / 28 (661.7142)	1 (175.4286)	16 (159.4282)	8 (166.2856)	18 (160.5718)
Jun 20, 2013	Rock'n Freedom Seymour, MO	29 / 50 (660.5712)	19 (167.4286)	29 (163.4286)	37 (161.7142)	20 (167.9998)
Jun 14, 2013	Ol' Glory BBQ Bash Fredonia, KS	8 / 31 (664.5716)	7 (171.4286)	2 (174.2860)	24 (157.7142)	14 (161.1428)
May 31, 2013	McLouth BBQ Blowout 22nd Annual McLouth, KS	8 / 37 (665.7146)	1 (174.8574)	16 (166.2856)	19 (162.8572)	18 (161.7144)
May 17, 2013	Grand Lake BBQ Festival Langley, OK	11 / 30 (672.0002)	18 (165.7144)	1 (180)	13 (165.1430)	22 (161.1428)
Apr 19, 2013	Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival Springfield, MO	13 / 68 (664.5712)	8 (170.8570)	27 (165.1430)	21 (167.9998)	25 (160.5714)
Apr 5, 2013	Smokin' On Big Creek Pleasant Hill, MO	19 / 74 (663.9998)	45 (162.2856)	28 (165.7142)	34 (166.2856)	11 (169.7144)
Mar 15, 2013	Smokin' At The Run Miami, OK Miami, OK	35 / 55 (652.5714)	24 (167.4286)	36 (161.7142)	32 (164.5714)	39 (158.8572)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

DEAD PIGS TELL NO TALES

At a glance (the record in numbers)

KCBS records held

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Master avg

Storylines (14 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Perfect scores on the board

Happy hunting ground

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

An April team

The long haul

The metronome

Holds 1 KCBS record (on 1 all-time board)

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)