Mandatory Comment Cards for a score below a 6

[Sledneck]

Originally Posted by Rub

FBA judges are told to write a comment on any score of a 7 or less.
We score in half point increments to 10 as a high.

If only an organizer up here would have the balls to sanction an FBA contest up here in the northeast, sigh...........

[Sledneck]

Originally Posted by ZILLA

How about everyone gets 8s and 9s then a rubber stamp of a big smiley face on your comment card or maybe a gold star. You want higher scores? Learn to cook better. A low score should be all the comment you need. If you're a cooker you should be able to figure it out like all the others that took the time and made the effort and investment to get it right without some self righteous CBJ telling you what direction to head. You want a CBJ to tell you what's wrong? Really? You would end up with rubber stamp BBQ.

I retyped a response to this a few times and decided it was a waste of time, move on buddy

[Candy Sue]

(This is only my opinion!). I think the reasoning behind comment cards is good, but the mandatory card if you give a 6 or below has one effect -- it makes judges score higher. It's the lazy factor, give a bad entry a 7 and you don't have to do anything. Look at the number of 180s this year compared to 2009 or 2008 even. After the rules were changed to start at 6 and go up or down, judges used the whole spectrum of numbers and there were very few perfect scores. I can remember back in 2004 when I attended the banquet, there were so many 180s that it really didn't mean much. I would hate for 180s to get back to that point because we've essentially put in place a 7-8-9 scoring preference. (Did I say that this is only my opinion??? Ir is and I hate getting comment cards on my entries!)

[Slamdunkpro]

Originally Posted by ZILLA

Hijacking my arse! You need to read my post and it's intent "Slamdunkpro".

Um,,,the "more Hijacking" was in reference to my comment, not your post


Lighten up Francis.

[Scottie]

I agree about the mandatory cards effecting judges and them scoring up... i do know when I get the cards, all it does it upset me. The best comment is the old "tastes like lighter fluid"... Um, OK, but I am a pellethead. (Using the best pellets made out on the circuit!!!)

On the other subject. I don't have any data, I am sure you do on this subject. But are there more 180's now, compared to when the new rules went in to effect? How have they increased over the years since the change? I am also finding more and more ties at the contests that I am cooking. Is that a coincidence? I have no clue. Is the system perfect? No. but I am not sure if there is a perfect system...

Originally Posted by Candy Sue

(This is only my opinion!). I think the reasoning behind comment cards is good, but the mandatory card if you give a 6 or below has one effect -- it makes judges score higher. It's the lazy factor, give a bad entry a 7 and you don't have to do anything. Look at the number of 180s this year compared to 2009 or 2008 even. After the rules were changed to start at 6 and go up or down, judges used the whole spectrum of numbers and there were very few perfect scores. I can remember back in 2004 when I attended the banquet, there were so many 180s that it really didn't mean much. I would hate for 180s to get back to that point because we've essentially put in place a 7-8-9 scoring preference. (Did I say that this is only my opinion??? Ir is and I hate getting comment cards on my entries!)

[CaptTable]

I'll tell you right up front that yes I do cull comment cards. Many times there are comment cards filled out improperly such as no team number or a comment, but no scores written down to go along with the comment. AND, if the comment is not CONSTRUCTIVE, it may get tossed. I've tossed one that said a team's meat "smelled like vomit". I've tossed one that said "it sucked". What good would it have done to pass those on to the teams. NONE. I only wish I could have determined the judges that wrote them. But, I did not read them until later.

Whenever I am the Rep conducting the judges' meeting, I always stress that comment cards must be constructive and, also, remind them that they are voluntary. However, I will ask them to fill one out or, at least, tell me the reasoning behind a score that is out of line with the table. My reasoning is that I need an answer when that team asks me "why?" once they've received their scoring packet. But, I also make sure they understand that I am not telling them how to judge and am not trying to tell them they are wrong in their scoring. If they felt that was the score they needed to give, so be it. But, be ready to explain.

Sorry for the long post.

Phillip

[ZILLA]

Yes, as Sled suggested I'll move on.

[Sledneck]

I could see only a handful of judges being lazy and scoring up. Reverse it, would a cook not try as hard on their entries if they though the judges were being lazy and giving higher scores? Doubt it. Everybody would still try their damn hardest to get that 9.

[Sledneck]

Originally Posted by ZILLA

Yes, as Sled suggested I'll move on.

Thank You , no matter what they say about you I think your a gentleman

[motoeric]

I agree wholeheartedly with the earlier post that a specific score mandating a comment card will engender a tendency to score above that number.

I think that the solution is to have more active encouragement from reps, table captains and organizers to give feedback and fill out comment cards.

I certainly point the finger at myself here, as I should be more proactive about this than I have been. I'll definitely try to encourage it more in events that I help to run in the future.

Eric

[QueTPiesBBQ]

Originally Posted by ModelMaker

So the judge didn't like your sauce and told you why.....
what more do you want?
Ed

Mainly wondered why all the other judges at the table scored 7, 8, 9, 9, 8 and then the one scored a 5. Maybe just a bad judge, who knows. Comment didn't make much sense to me, of course at the time. After cooking all night and then to have someone put a comment like that on a card and a low score, makes you want to jump up and down.

[Sledneck]

Originally Posted by motoeric

I certainly point the finger at myself here, as I should be more proactive about this than I have been. I'll definitely try to encourage it more in events that I help to run in the future.

Eric

So is it safe to say that we can blame you for the unpredictable and low scoring judges on lawnguyland?

[Rookie'48]

Trust me on this one, folks - if I give you a 6 or lower then you'll more than likely get a comment card. We, as judges, are instructed that comment cards are strictly voluntary and that they should only be used for constructive criticism. The judges' CD and the little 'pep talk' that damn near all Reps give before we start judging are very plain on when a card "should" be filled out & what you should say. A comment like: "Tastes like crap" should earn that judge a trip to the wood shed. A card that says: "No flavor profile other than salt" might mean just the same thing, but at least you know why it tastes like crap.
I realize that one comment card at one contest isn't going to make you change your whole game plan - and it shouldn't! But if you get a couple of cards in two or three comps in a row & all of those cards say the same thing .....

[motoeric]

Originally Posted by Sledneck

If only an organizer up here would have the balls to sanction an FBA contest up here in the northeast, sigh...........

There's this guy named Steve from Long Island who is a big FBA fan. Maybe he'll step up. I doubt it, but maybe.

Eric

[motoeric]

Originally Posted by Sledneck

So is it safe to say that we can blame you for the unpredictable and low scoring judges on lawnguyland?

I'll take some responsibility for teams not getting comment cards more often, but low scores? Nah, not going to take responsibility for that.

Eric