BLACK DAWG BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#1819

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1546

peak 1566 · rated over 24 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2013-05-25

latest 2018-06-15

Best ToY finish

#665

Master 2013

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

7 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 24 contests

Avg finish

top 45%

overall standings

Best overall

662.2858 / 720

Master · Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

644.10 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 647.96 (-3.86)

Walk rate

58%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

175.4400

Chicken · Roc City Rib Fest

Consistency

±11.43

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 165.06 · weakest Pork Ribs (160.39)

Road miles

4,159

mi across 24 mapped stops · furthest 374 mi

Schedule strength

34%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1545)

Master avg

647.96 / 720

24 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (7 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

SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY has finished one call ahead of BLACK DAWG BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2013 their best year

2013 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 21%.

6 contests
4 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 21%

A tough matchup

10–0 behind in the head-to-head

GOOD SMOKE BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings

GOOD SMOKE BBQ has come out ahead in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.7 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.67 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 21% of the time against 38%.

Pork Ribs avg 160.39
Chicken avg 165.06
5 calls in 24 entries

A strong matchup

10–3 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 77% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of KISS MY BBQ in 10 of their 13 shared contests.

The long haul

4,159 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 4,159 miles across 24 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 374 miles to Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional).

24 mapped stops
furthest 374 mi

The metronome

±1.59% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.59% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 90.0% of a perfect score
24 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.

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

PIG IRON

#1825 of the rated field

1546 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 12
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 42%
Peak: 1560

2–6 in 8 shared contests (25% to BLACK DAWG BBQ)

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

rated over 12 contests
last seen 2015-07-10

⚔ Head-to-head

BLACKSTRAP BBQ

#1828 of the rated field

1546 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 10
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1546

1–1 in 2 shared contests (50% to BLACK DAWG BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 10 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 10 contests
last seen 2017-06-16
on a 5-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

M&G-BBQ

#1807 of the rated field

1547 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 22
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 27%
Peak: 1547

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 22 contests to 24, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 22 contests
last seen 2019-09-07

⚔ Head-to-head

Geaux 2 bbq

#1824 of the rated field

1546 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 45%
Peak: 1613

No shared contest yet.

20 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 45% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 20 contests
last seen 2026-03-06

⚔ Head-to-head

STICKS-N-CHICKS BBQ

#1821 of the rated field

1546 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 18
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 17%
Peak: 1571

No shared contest yet.

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

rated over 18 contests
last seen 2017-09-01

⚔ Head-to-head

Bottle Hill BBQ

#1813 of the rated field

1546 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 17
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 65%
Peak: 1553

No shared contest yet.

Level with BLACK DAWG BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 17 contests
last seen 2026-08-14

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
RED VALLEY BBQ	16	7	9	44%	⚔ compare
SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS	15	5	10	33%	⚔ compare
KISS MY BBQ	13	10	3	77%	⚔ compare
THREE DOGS BBQ	13	9	4	69%	⚔ compare
THE GOOD CUE CREW	13	9	4	69%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN' AIN'T EASY	13	9	4	69%	⚔ compare
Sweet Heat BBQ	12	9	3	75%	⚔ compare
BEHIND BBQ	11	7	4	64%	⚔ compare
TRANQUIL CARNIVORES	10	5	5	50%	⚔ compare
BIG BELLY BBQ	10	4	6	40%	⚔ compare
GOOD SMOKE BBQ	10	0	10	0%	⚔ compare
Big Pappa's Smokin' BBQ	9	7	2	78%	⚔ compare
THE 5TH ARTERY	9	3	6	33%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS	9	2	7	22%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN BARRELS	8	6	2	75%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	24	9	1	2	175.4400	153.0628	165.06	top 42%
Pork Ribs	24	5	1	2	173.1428	149.7144	160.39	top 51%
Pork	24	5	0	2	170.8800	140.4572	161.43	top 47%
Brisket	24	5	0	1	173.1428	144.5714	161.07	top 45%

“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	Avg finish
NY	13	top 40%
PA	4	top 45%
WV	3	top 46%
MD	2	top 37%
VA	1	top 97%
OH	1	top 59%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 47%
Medium (20–39)	9	top 57%
Large (40+)	13	top 36%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Oinktoberfest	3	10	top 35%	2017-09-22
Roc City Rib Fest	2	18	top 32%	2016-05-28
Roc City Rib Fest	2	18	top 26%	2015-05-23

The story so far (15 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 5.1 yrs 2013-05-25 → 2018-06-15

Busiest season 2013 6 contests

Contests a season 4 across 6 seasons in the data

Cooks most in NY 13 of 24 contests · 6 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 20 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 24 entries · 1 win · 9 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 165.06 · weakest Pork Ribs (160.39)

Walk rate 58% a top-10 call in 14 of 24 contests

Overall top-10 rate 25% 6 of 24 contests

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 647.96 out of 720 · 24 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 474 655–403 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 4,159 24 mapped stops · furthest 374 mi

Schedule strength 1545 average field rating faced — tougher than 34% of rated contests

Power rating 1546 peak 1566 · #1819 of 6,413 rated

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

2013
May 25 First tracked contest Roc City Rib Fest
May 25 First call Roc City Rib Fest
Jun 14 First overall top-10 Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival
Jun 14 First overall past 90% of a perfect score662.2858 Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival
Jun 14 Career-best overall score662.2858 Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival
2014
Aug 8 10th tracked contest Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival
2015
Aug 21 Peak power rating (1566) Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
2016
May 28 First category win (Chicken) Roc City Rib Fest
May 28 Career-best single call (Chicken)175.4400 Roc City Rib Fest
2018
Jun 15 Most recent contest Almost Heaven BBQ Bash

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.3	Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival	2013-06-14
+10	Oinktoberfest	2013-09-20
+9.7	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	2015-08-21
+9.1	Roc City Rib Fest	2013-05-25
+9	Pickin' in the Panhandle	2013-09-06

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-10.3	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional)	2015-09-04
-8.1	BBQ In the Valley	2017-05-05
-8	Warren County All American BBQ Festival	2014-07-18
-5.3	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash	2016-06-17
-3.5	Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest	2016-08-12

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	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2018	2	0	0	50%	top 46%	91.5%	91.4%
2017	3	0	1	33%	top 66%	90.4%	88.2%
2016	4	0	1	25%	top 56%	90.9%	89.9%
2015	4	2	0	75%	top 53%	91.4%	90.7%
2014	5	0	0	60%	top 44%	90.5%	89%
2013	6	4	0	83%	top 21%	92%	90.8%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018-06-15	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Weston, WV	26 / 59 (657.5428)	27 (165.0972)	31 (159.9544)	14 (169.1084)	31 (163.3828)
2018-05-25	*Gettysburg BBQ Festival (JUDGES FULL) Gettysburg, PA	17 / 35 (658.8000)	27 (159.4172)	26 (158.8344)	11 (167.4056)	7 (173.1428)
2017-09-22	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	30 / 53 (622.6632)	41 (156.5260)	27 (160.0116)	29 (156.5028)	38 (149.6228)
2017-06-02	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Laurel, MD	18 / 28 (650.7540)	15 (166.2856)	1 (173.1428)	18 (159.9428)	23 (151.3828)
2017-05-05	BBQ In the Valley Jamestown, NY	20 / 26 (630.7204)	18 (160.5600)	14 (165.1316)	25 (140.4572)	13 (164.5716)
2016-09-23	Ointoberfest BBQ Cookoff Clarence, NY	25 / 54 (637.1428)	23 (162.3084)	29 (155.9772)	37 (154.8344)	17 (164.0228)
2016-08-12	Salamanca Rock'in Ribfest Salamanca, NY	17 / 28 (649.6796)	14 (161.7256)	19 (159.9772)	11 (165.7256)	14 (162.2512)
2016-06-17	Almost Heaven BBQ Bash Buckhannon, WV	31 / 42 (647.8632)	18 (170.2628)	33 (159.3600)	36 (154.2516)	23 (163.9888)
2016-05-28	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	21 / 50 (654.8232)	1 (175.4400)	47 (150.2860)	30 (162.2400)	12 (166.8572)
2015-09-04	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) Richmond, VA	29 / 30 (639.2916)	9 (173.1428)	22 (163.3944)	27 (157.0972)	28 (145.6572)
2015-08-21	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Harrisburg, PA	7 / 30 (657.1772)	20 (160.0112)	2 (171.4744)	10 (161.1428)	8 (164.5488)
2015-06-12	Marietta River City BBQ Marietta, OH	10 / 17 (658.0916)	7 (171.9656)	10 (163.9544)	16 (158.2172)	12 (163.9544)
2015-05-23	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	18 / 57 (658.2972)	14 (169.1428)	12 (166.3200)	41 (156.5600)	15 (166.2744)
2014-09-20	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	23 / 66 (636.0232)	25 (160.6172)	48 (149.7144)	19 (163.4172)	19 (162.2744)
2014-08-08	Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival N. Tonawanda, NY	18 / 39 (648.5828)	19 (166.2284)	27 (157.2116)	20 (163.4056)	15 (161.7372)
2014-07-18	Warren County All American BBQ Festival Pittsfield, PA	15 / 21 (627.3260)	19 (153.1200)	16 (153.6800)	7 (161.1316)	10 (159.3944)
2014-06-13	Crossborder Blues, Brews & Que Wilson, NY	22 / 47 (639.8744)	8 (168.5484)	39 (150.8116)	26 (160.0000)	22 (160.5144)
2014-05-24	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	18 / 86 (651.9428)	3 (173.1772)	39 (157.6572)	21 (163.9884)	48 (157.1200)
2013-09-20	Oinktoberfest Clarence, NY	10 / 71 (658.3084)	9 (168.0228)	14 (163.9884)	3 (170.3200)	32 (155.9772)
2013-09-06	Pickin' in the Panhandle Inwood, WV	8 / 37 (653.0516)	32 (153.0628)	6 (165.7144)	9 (169.1544)	14 (165.1200)
2013-07-19	Warren All American BBQ Festival Warren, PA	6 / 17 (658.7544)	5 (166.2400)	10 (157.6688)	2 (170.8800)	7 (163.9656)
2013-06-28	Boston Hill BBQ Fest Hamburg, NY	11 / 49 (658.8570)	9 (168.0000)	24 (157.7144)	19 (162.8570)	2 (170.2856)
2013-06-14	Central MD Swinetastic BBQ Festival Frederick, MD	6 / 63 (662.2858)	18 (165.1428)	14 (164.5714)	11 (167.4286)	13 (165.1430)
2013-05-25	Roc City Rib Fest Rochester, NY	18 / 80 (633.1428)	10 (167.4286)	14 (162.8572)	27 (158.2856)	54 (144.5714)

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
2018 ↗	Master	#1368 (160 pts)	#1598 (120 pts)	#1614 (120 pts)	#1140 (245 pts)	#1214 (225 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#1528 (164 pts)	#1463 (189 pts)	#977 (384 pts)	#1689 (139 pts)	#1552 (174 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#1375 (200 pts)	#844 (450 pts)	#1542 (180 pts)	#1564 (180 pts)	#1119 (295 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#806 (427 pts)	#765 (482 pts)	#678 (567 pts)	#1025 (332 pts)	#852 (422 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#1384 (197 pts)	#866 (417 pts)	#1719 (147 pts)	#1600 (167 pts)	#1615 (162 pts)
2013 ↗	Master	#665 (464 pts)	#832 (389 pts)	#784 (424 pts)	#514 (639 pts)	#910 (339 pts)