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Selling Judges Spots

Plowboy

Plowboy

somebody shut me the fark up.
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This has come up in a couple of threads. We know that the occasional "celebrity" or VIP is tossed onto judging tables from time to time. Selling judging spots has been mentioned, but I've never heard of it actually being done until now.

http://partners.dubuque365.com/throwdown/index.html

What's even worse is that a sponsor can enter a team and two judges for the right money.

I'm amazed that KCBS allows this.
 
Welcome to corporate America Todd. This is yet another reason that I do not compete.:roll:
 
I really don't mind this at all. I think it brings judges that view it as an honor to judge instead of thinking they are doing us a favor.

I think you guys put way too much faith in CBJs. All they do is sit through a few hour class. Nobody has ever failed the class.

It's really not that bad BD. If you're a competitive kind of guy who likes to BBQ, you should give it a try sometime.
 
I don't think what they are doing is that big of a deal. I think the GAB did the same thing.
 
This happens more often than you would think, especially with larger comps that involve corporations and multiple sponsers, like Ray said, the corporation forking over the 10K for the prize pool wants to feel special and it is an honor for some to be a judge. Memphis in May had a program where you could pay $500 to be an "ambassador" to the contest which also let you be a judge for the day. The people putting on contests have to find all kinds of ways to raise money, i have no problem with the practice. Now if somebody was selling there judging spot the day of a contest that would be a problem...
 
Ideally every contest would be judged 100% by 'professionals'. But if I have a choice of cooking a contest with 10k prize money and a couple celebrity judges vs a contest with no prize money... I'll take the prize money contest. Heck, the contest everyone is trying to get into, The Jack, is chock full of celebrity type judges.
 
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drbbq said:
I really don't mind this at all. I think it brings judges that view it as an honor to judge instead of thinking they are doing us a favor.

I think you guys put way too much faith in CBJs. All they do is sit through a few hour class. Nobody has ever failed the class.

It's really not that bad BD. If you're a competitive kind of guy who likes to BBQ, you should give it a try sometime.
Click to expand...


I don't recall mentioning CBJ's? :confused: Must be a personal issue, Doc.


I guess this happens more than I realized. I've just never seen it in writing. I have no problem with sponsors judging or having a team in the contest. Putting BOTH into a sponsorship package just looks odd to me. I realize that any team could easily have their OWN judges in the pavilion. But if that sponsor's team would happen to win, let's see how many cooks claim that those two sponsor's judges were major influences.

I can see where it is good for us cooks by bringing more money to the table or at least keeping our entry fees down.

What also seems ironic is that many have problems with judges with coolers citing that their only desire is leftovers. Doesn't seem much different than a judge from a corporate sponsor who is there for personal or corporate exposure. CBJ's or not, I'd rather have people who want to be there for BBQ, as Chris has said.

Not a perfect world, but selling judging spots to sponsors seems a hair over the line for where I would draw it. I guess I'm more conservative leaning on this one.
 
ique said:
Ideally every contest would be judged 100% by 'professionals'. But if I have a choice of cooking a contest with 10k prize money and a couple celebrity judges vs a contest with no prize money... I'll pick the later. Heck, the contest everyone is trying to get into, The Jack, is chock full of celebrity type judges.
Click to expand...

Later = No prize money?
 
The Blue Springs, Mo contest has been doing this for at least 10 or 12 years. There is a corp. sponsor for every judges table - and someone from that sponsor is seated at that table. I think we have bogger things to worry about than non-CBJ's judging our Q. Just my 2 cents
 
MoKanMeathead said:
The Blue Springs, Mo contest has been doing this for at least 10 or 12 years. There is a corp. sponsor for every judges table - and someone from that sponsor is seated at that table. I think we have bogger things to worry about than non-CBJ's judging our Q. Just my 2 cents
Click to expand...

Read my second post, Wayne. This wasn't about CBJ's.

I guess my eyes are open now. :shock: I have an idea to resolve the cooler issue: Judge's Cooler Fee! :wink:
 
For 5 grand they ought to get a cooler too.

that one cracked me up.
 
So, $5,000 buys them what?

If I was coughing up the cash, to be used as prize money, I would expoect to be able to judge as well as get a few leftovers. In my mind the question is, as a cooker, do you want less prize oney and all CBJ's, or bigger money and one wild card judge at each table?

I think KCBS should have apolicy, like maybe a mandatory 1 hour training for every non-CBJ (no, the 11 minute CD is not enough) and sell the heck out of judging spots so we get a bigger potential purse.
 
jbrink01 said:
If I was coughing up the cash, to be used as prize money, I would expoect to be able to judge as well as get a few leftovers. In my mind the question is, as a cooker, do you want less prize oney and all CBJ's, or bigger money and one wild card judge at each table?

I think KCBS should have apolicy, like maybe a mandatory 1 hour training for every non-CBJ (no, the 11 minute CD is not enough) and sell the heck out of judging spots so we get a bigger potential purse.
Click to expand...

For $5000, you get everyone who sees, hears, or attends the contest also seeing your name. You may also get exclusive rights for vending, in the case of Budweiser, for example.

The question is, for my entry fee, WHAT DO I GET? I want a space to cook in that is all mine. I want a fair contest. Water. Security. Quiet hours. And 6 judges that are there FIRST for BBQ. They don't have to be CBJ's as far as I'm concerned. Fair Queens are not there for BBQ.

I guess its common place. I never realized that.
 
well dang might as well drop my 2 cents in here. why is it that these issues always do more toward dividing the camp rather than finding solutions? and why is it that anybody and I mean anybody can't see that cbj's would always be preferred over celebs because they would be judging more than that one time they got thrown in the ring by the boss or whoever. Some of the same ones that jumps on the wagon of not caring whether celebs are used or not in order to increase prize money are the ones saying that we have to do these type thing to become more professional - just seems like a contradiction to me. One of the main concerns going is consistency in judging, right? Hello. Anyway what about the minds coming together for solutions rather that taking sides. Surely to goodness some perks other than actually being a judge can be found. What about making them table captains or a peoples choice judged by them. old teacher I had was famous for saying "can't never did do nothing".
 
I think you are all missing the point. I don't think it is fair for a sponsor to cook a contest when we is providing judges also. I would love to cook a contest and then send my wife and brother to judge. Doesn't sound fair does it?
 
Sawdustguy said:
I think you are all missing the point. I don't think it is fair for a sponsor to cook a contest when we is providing judges also. I would love to cook a contest and then send my wife and brother to judge. Doesn't sound fair does it?
Click to expand...


In a true double blind it should not matter, maybe you are saying your turn in meat is so distinctive or your presentation so well known they could pick that out?
 
I must be missing something cause I haven't heard any argument much from anyone seriously worried about cheating by the celebs and I certainly would not be concerned with that at all. What I thought the issue centered around was good and consistent judging that comes from judging over a period of time and from people that is associated with bbq already which most cbjs are.
 
I see this question was posted here a few minutes before posting on another forum. That is encouraging.
I also see the responses are very similar on both forums.

I just cook--Organizer puts up the judges from wherever--we all get judged the same based on the "luck of the table"--I wind up DAM (dead ass middle)--I get PO'ed and swear to never compete again--I calm down and do it again! :lol:

It don't matter!!!

TIM
 
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