Will Entitlement kill competition BBQ?
- Thread starter Gowan
- Start date
TooSaucedToPork
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2009
- Location
- Buffalo NY
To be fair, that's not how it was in 1999 when he started
The delivery is wrong, (free shirt compliant, etc) but the message he is trying to convey is clear...he felt under appreciated. While I detest the entitlement of goodie bags and Tshirts, I can understand where his underlying feeling is coming from.
BBQ has changed as it has gotten bigger, I remember when ALL of us used to get to a contest early. I remember when ALL of us used to talk, hang out, and joke around like family. I remember when RV's and tent walls were just for sleeping, wind, and rain.
There didn't used to be teams that stayed in their impenetrable tent fortresses, or huddled in their RV's and toyhaulers away from everyone like BBQ Hermits. Teams used to stay after awards and celebrate with each other. We all were a big family and in some regions that has been lost. Was this presented well, HECK NO it was not, but is under appreciating Judges, cooks, and volunteers a problem...yeah in some places it is.
I can remember when any cook would help any other cook out with missing stuff. That still happens! Last contest I didn't have any foil. Another competitor got me some on a grocery run. Wouldn't take my money.
I think some of the best contests are the friendliest contests. Socializing is available (Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast) for all participants. I think the volunteer tent is what makes the Jack the event that it is. I've been around before it was implemented and that one thing did more to build comraderie.
I think some of the best contests are the friendliest contests. Socializing is available (Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast) for all participants. I think the volunteer tent is what makes the Jack the event that it is. I've been around before it was implemented and that one thing did more to build comraderie.
DawgPhan
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2007
- Location
- Atlanta, Ga
I think that will kill competition bbq before anything else. At some point the costs get to high for the average guy to come see if his bbq is really that good.
Right now we are basically just robbing peter to pay paul. Not enough money coming from outside of the bbq world.
Total costs are what's going to cause most damage, IMO!
My favorite event this year was a steak cookoff. Entry fee included the steaks to cook. Big Poppa Smokers started the guinea pig event that did that for BBQ contests. I think the "one price" concept is the future. Deal with what meat you're given, every cook is on the same page. Then it really becomes a cooking contest where each cook has to do the best they can with what they are given to cook. And no garnish!
These are my opinions alone and in no way reflect KCBS or any other Power that Be!
My favorite event this year was a steak cookoff. Entry fee included the steaks to cook. Big Poppa Smokers started the guinea pig event that did that for BBQ contests. I think the "one price" concept is the future. Deal with what meat you're given, every cook is on the same page. Then it really becomes a cooking contest where each cook has to do the best they can with what they are given to cook. And no garnish!
These are my opinions alone and in no way reflect KCBS or any other Power that Be!
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2014
- Location
- Detroit...
From what I see and hear the main problem is rate of growth. I hear so many complaints of judging but with the number of competitors can they keep up. I think it's just got too big for the old fella. It's no longer just friends and family thing. The cost of competition, finding/training judges ect. Kcbs should in my opinion sell out to sponsorship. The $ would help alleviate the problems. Why is there no kcbs tv show following in the vein of pitmasters season 1?
How many good cooks do you know, that would drive 5 hours to roll the dice on meat they didn't select themselves?
TooSaucedToPork
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2009
- Location
- Buffalo NY
Sounds like a completely new sanctioning organization to me. If it could get off the ground i believe a lot of the new teams would be with it rather than KCBS, just from a cost perspective and from it being fair across the board.
DawgPhan
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2007
- Location
- Atlanta, Ga
The total costs look bad because most contests are only paying top 5 and a 5th place meat call is $25-$50. 4 5th place calls and a top 5 overall and you might leave with $200 and you had a pretty good cook.
If you spent $1000+ to do it, that would be a real bummer.
If a 24 team contest could put $25k up in prize money and you spent $1k to enter it, that would be a pretty nice. At that contests those same 5 calls might be worth $1500-$2000.
24 teams, 4 tables, $25k in prize money and pay overall even to the meat. So Grand is worth $1000 just like winning chicken is worth $1000.
it would still take 5 top 10 calls to break even on a contest, but you basically ensure that the top 10 at any contest breaks even or is up.
QansasjayhawQ
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2006
- Location
- Lawrence...
Competition BBQ reminds me of the early years of NASCAR
Lots of independent teams making things happen out of their own pockets just because they love what they're doing.
Eventually, people found a way to make sponsorship of NASCAR teams pay off financially and that's when it really took off.
I imagine something similar will happen with competition BBQ.
But for right now, with limited attendance by the general public, the BBQ community is only so big. Sponsoring a team only makes sense if you have a product to sell to the BBQ teams.
I guess that would be the key then: finding a way to make competition BBQ more popular with the general population.
Lots of independent teams making things happen out of their own pockets just because they love what they're doing.
Eventually, people found a way to make sponsorship of NASCAR teams pay off financially and that's when it really took off.
I imagine something similar will happen with competition BBQ.
But for right now, with limited attendance by the general public, the BBQ community is only so big. Sponsoring a team only makes sense if you have a product to sell to the BBQ teams.
I guess that would be the key then: finding a way to make competition BBQ more popular with the general population.
I spent $1,000 on a plane ticket , flew across the country on a moment's notice and did just that. Would I do it again? You bet yer ass I would!! :mrgreen:
I got a big ol' honkin' fifth wheel.. I show up on Thursday, party with my friends (sometimes a bit too hard).. get down to business on Friday for prep.. hang out again with some friends on Friday night, all business thru the night until 2:00 pm Saturday, hoping I recoup some of my $1,000 I paid to be there... hang out with my friends again... congratulate them for whipping my butt.. party.. go home on sunday morning with a headache.
Due to the judging in my area this past year, I am taking my ball and playing somewhere else.
I've been at this for 11 years.. I've always heard the same arguments for what will be the death of KCBS. Ain't happened yet.. For every cook that gets tired of the BS, there's 2 more new guys who take their place.
Due to the judging in my area this past year, I am taking my ball and playing somewhere else.
I've been at this for 11 years.. I've always heard the same arguments for what will be the death of KCBS. Ain't happened yet.. For every cook that gets tired of the BS, there's 2 more new guys who take their place.
dr pearl
Knows what a fatty is.
- Joined
- May 14, 2012
- Location
- Rutherfo...
I cook comp bbq cause of all the friends and comraderie. It is a lot of fun. But don't get me wrong, I show up to WIN. Period. I'd be lying if I told you otherwise. I'd just cook at home for friends if I didn't, but I don't, so I do.
cpw
Babbling Farker
Happens in the SCBA at least once a month. Payouts aren't as good, but there are contests that have 40 teams.
what he said.. :clap2:... I don't spend $1k to hang out with friends, because I could do that for next to nothing. (I reckon I could rent a friend or two for that kind of money)
deepsouth
somebody shut me the fark up.
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2010
- Location
- Biloxi, MS
Dan - 3eyzbbq
is one Smokin' Farker
December will be my 3rd year flying accross the country to compete at King of the Smokers with meat I don't get to pick myself. As long as everybody is in the same boat I'm fine with that.
Out of 400+ sanctioned KCBS events, how many will have organizers that just order meat by the case from Kroger? I'd suspect that Sterling makes sure that nobody gets screwed with the 9 1/2 lb packer that got lobbed into a case to even out the weight with the two monsters already in there that have 2" thick flats.
Scale the 24 team event to 100+, and figure in the logistics involved. Plenty of contests are already operating on thin budgets. It's another burden that some may not want to deal with, and if they do the added expense will either be passed along in the entry fee or come out of the prize pool.
