bbq.tom
is Blowin Smoke!
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This is a segment from a post on my BBQ blog from a few years ago at a small cometiton that was local...
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The guy who won was next to me. Swept all categories. I tried his ribs and was impressed. Good baby backs. He was giving away free samples to everyone, trying to drum up business for his catering company. But the thing that leaves a bad taste in my mouth is when I overheard a conversation between him and a guy in a blue shirt with something about a church on the front. Before the judging, the guy tasted a rib, was enjoying it, and told the cook that he was a judge.
Hmmmmm…..
I’m not saying that there was cheating. I’m NOT saying that the cook led a judge. But all of us cooks had our team number on the ground next to our cook site (he was 10). And this judge went there and tried the product. Then he went back to the judge’s area and saw the boxes with the number 10 written on top of the boxes in sharpie. And he definitely saw his new friend’s box with the ribs he liked. And he saw his new friend’s entire box with the other two boxes right next to it, also with the number 10 on it. I don’t think that one judge can change a winner or a loser.
Oops…. I forgot. Number 10 won ribs by 1 point. One point difference between first and second. I didn’t count how many other blue shirts with something about a church on the front there were.
I will say that that looks real suspicious."
Just my opinion. Never put yourself in a iffy situation.
In KCBS and MBN "blind" judging, we (the judges) won't see "Number 10" on a box. The numbers are changed for the explicit purpose that NO judge would be able to identify a blind box entry. I agree that the judge should NOT taste or otherwise fraternize with a team on turn-in day (before judging), but seeing the turn-in boxes with numbers on them doesn't equate with what is actually seen by the judges during judging.
I definitely agree: NEVER put yourself in an iffy situation!