National Team ??

[MilitantSquatter]

A recent discussion came up between several Brethren who will remain nameless to protect their identities .

The question became : Is it technically legal to compete under one official team name (not a variation of one name) ex Team "XXXX" ? Team "XXXX" may spread across members from multiple states with potentially different combinations of team members participating at a contest as long as the competitions are not held on the same day ?

Example as follows.. I will use random Brethren members names just to make the example a bit clearer.

BigMista and Mrs. Mista compete under team name "XXXX" this weekend in CA. The next weekened Westex, SmokeInDaEye and I compete in NY under the same team name "XXXX". The next week in TX Jorge & Zilla along with all of the other members from the two previous weeks (Big Mista, Mrs Mista, Westex and SmokeInDaEye) all compete together in TX under the same team name "XXXX".

In this example, all team members are members of a truly national team. May potentially exist without one head cook, but all being co-head cooks so to speak. They compete under one umbrella/team name with the potential at times to compete with all members or combinations of members based on schedule, availability, geographics etc. All share a desire to be a unified team, with common goals, recipes etc.

My take is, this is perfectly acceptable. Even if a head cook was officially designated, it could change per contest or that head cook may or may not be at every contest due to work/family/health issues and I am sure that may happen today either planned or unplanned and a team can still compete.

PS - Before the question gets asked, this is not specifically about having a "Brethren" team, Team Ash Hole or similar, but it very well could be.

For now,a hypothetical situation only

Thoughts ?

[Roo-B-Q'N]

I think this would be legal as long as Mista and Mrs. Mista and Jorge and Zilla are not competing with the same name on the same weekend.

We have competed where a team was made up of himself and his wife and a friend and the next time we ran into them it was the guys brother, his wife and another friend. Then at the Royal ALL of them were there.

I don't think head cook is an issue. My wife and I fill out entry forms and who ever fills them out lists themselves as head cook.

This may lead to the pro series in BBQ as more teams will start competing like this and heading to all of the large contests leaving the smaller contests to fill in the amateur roll or folding all together.

Sanctioning bodies would then have larger problems sanctioning contests on the same weekend as this type of comps grow. They are already fighting smaller contests getting in their paperwork before larger contests and the ethics with that. May just need a pro sanctioning body and an amateur body.

[Jeff_in_KC]

I'm not 100% positive but i believe that as long as a team is not competing in more than one location on the same weekend, it should be OK. There's no limit to who you can have on your team and who's to say we all aren't on a team?

I think it would be cool to have a team called "BBQ Brethren All Stars" or something of the sort. Then make a list of interested people and put together a schedule in various parts of the country all season and see how we do.

I'd sign on. Heck we all hook up and cook events together around here and sometimes use a different team name (HoDE SparkleHeads come to mind) Great idea Vinny!

[swamprb]

Would this be like "stacking" a team with good cooks? I'm too new to competing to grasp this yet, but looking on in wide eyed amazement.

[txschutte]

This would be a fantastic idea for spreading the gospel of fine BBQ everywhere. I do various small comps around here, and getting the Brethren name exposed out here in the Styx would just invite more knowledge into our forums.

[smoke-n-my-i's]

If you are talking KCBS, rule #2 says:

A team shall not compete in more than one contest under the same team name, on the same date.

So, if you are talking KCBS competition, then the answer is NO !!

But if done on different weekends, YES! ! !

[MilitantSquatter]

Originally Posted by smoke-n-my-i's

If you are talking KCBS, rule #2 says:

A team shall not compete in more than one contest under the same team name, on the same date.

So, if you are talking KCBS competition, then the answer is NO !!

No... the thought here is never on the same date. But one common team name on as many weekends without overlap as possible. In actuality, a team can compete twice on a given weekend with two turn in dates.. Ex. one contest is Fri/Sat and the other is Sat/Sun.

Ex. Select members from several regions (ex. Northeast, West, Midwest, North, Southeast etc. cook several contests each) and are all members of the team. Members from different regions may travel outside of their region as permits to join their team. This gives the official team the greater opportunity to win state qualifiers, gain TOY points that may not have been had by cooking a small # of contests only in whatever region they are in based on finances/time or # of contests available, gain some national exposure etc. If they win a GC or Qualifer, they may also team up together at an AR or Jack, Best of the Best or other Invitationals.

swamprb - Not necessarily stacking of good cooks. In actuality, a specific contingent or all reguions for that matter, may be less experienced cooks, but on that weekend, if no one else is competing or contests available elsewhere, the lesser experienced members go out and compete. They may bomb out or with a little luck win a GC !!!

Obviously some major trust, common goals, coordination/planning of contests etc. and a relatively limited group overall could make it work.

[Yakfishingfool]

Vinny, it would actually make great sense in going for a TOY competition. A national team, organized well and maybe using national sponsorship would a formidable group to contend with. Could be very cool. Scott

[Plowboy]

I think KCBS, technically, goes by Head Cook for TOY.

I'm not sure how the Jack, GAB, and AR look at their invitationals for GC's. I think it was DR BBQ saying that the Jack has a rule that the team members that won the GC(s) must be the team members at the Jack. No bringing in a ringer. Don't know how they know that, but it's probably a gentleman's rule.

Beyond that, there's no reason why the same team name can't be used across the country with a roster of different cooks. I think this is how the Motley Que Crew works. They have people in all parts of the country.

[MilitantSquatter]

Originally Posted by Plowboy

I think KCBS, technically, goes by Head Cook for TOY.

I'm not sure how the Jack, GAB, and AR look at their invitationals for GC's. I think it was DR BBQ saying that the Jack has a rule that the team members that won the GC(s) must be the team members at the Jack. No bringing in a ringer. Don't know how they know that, but it's probably a gentleman's rule.

Beyond that, there's no reason why the same team name can't be used across the country with a roster of different cooks. I think this is how the Motley Que Crew works. They have people in all parts of the country.

Thanks Todd.. Good points above.

As far as TOY, I think it would be nearly impossible for the current KCBS TOY system to know what head cook name is listed on a given contest application. What goes into KCBS is the scoring sheets, not the applications.

The Jack qualifications, have to be a gentlemans agreement.. Again, no way to know who cooked as other team members months before in a different state. Even if person A is the head hook who one the qualifier, and at the Jack person A cooks and brings in another top cook to assist, that has to be legal since person A cooked the qualifier and is also present at the Jack. I could only see an issue if person A won the qualifer and then was not present at the Jack.

Again... this is not a question of trying to skirt the system, cheat etc. just hypotheticals to determine if a truly national team can exist and be considered legitimate.

[Plowboy]

Originally Posted by MilitantSquatter

Thanks Todd.. Good points above.

As far as TOY, I think it would be nearly impossible for the current KCBS TOY system to know what head cook name is listed on a given contest application. What goes into KCBS is the scoring sheets, not the applications.

Again... this is not a question of trying to skirt the system, cheat etc. just determine if a truly national team can exist and be considered legitimate.

Maybe Rod can swing in here and give some insight.

[BBQchef33]

I forgot to call the experts on this, but I checked the rules and theres nothing that says we cannot for A Single TEAM of 40-50 members, broken up by region to compete. And this team does NOT only have to compete in KCBS, but IBCA, FBA, NEBS, CBBQA, etc.. Wherever there are members interested. If some things on the burner begin to pan out over the next few weeks, this team may even be sponsored by us and a few other 'national' organizations.



who knows, they may even find my hat while roaming all over the country.

[Plowboy]

This is a pretty cool idea. I'd be in... if allowed.

We could have matching hats... DIBS!!!!

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by BBQchef33

I forgot to call the experts on this, but I checked the rules and theres nothing that says we cannot for A Single TEAM of 40-50 members, broken up by region to compete. And this team does NOT only have to compete in KCBS, but IBCA, FBA, NEBS, CBBQA, etc.. Wherever there are members interested. If some things on the burner begin to pan out over the next few weeks, this team may even be sponsored by us and a few other 'national' organizations.



who knows, they may even find my hat while roaming all over the country.

I've got wood, to cook for that.

[Jeff_in_KC]

Doesn't Dizzy Pig do this to some degree. I know there is a DP and a DP North team too.

As far as TOY, I agree... don't think anything other than team name is listed. Hell, if this game is soon to become the realm of the big boys with the big time national sponsors, why not crash the farkin' party? If we had a Brethren team competing every weekend somewhere in the country, no doubt we'd luck into some grands and other big wins along the line.

With my confidence in my pork and my new-found success in chicken, I'd volunteer my services there. Don't ask me to take the ribs category though... I'd be dropping the ball on the team.