WOW...The controversy!

[Rightstuff]

My wife and I are officially hooked on competing! Soooooo, I started researching local competitions last night trying to find something close by. I came across the (GBA) Georgia BBQ Association. Man......90% negative comments from people. It kinda scares me from competing with them. Has anyone here had a negative experience with GBA? Just curious because I normally make my own assumptions but there are just so many people talking bad about GBA. Please let me know what you think!

[Double D's BBQ]

I didn't even know that there was such an organization. I know that a lot of Georgia contests are sanctioned by the Florida Barbecue Association and I've heard nothing but good things about that group.

I'd say stick with Georgia contests sanctioned by the FBA and you should be fine.

[butts]

I agree with Double D...stick with the FBA or the KCBS. We just did a KCBS in Kennesaw last weekend. You should be able to find a fair amount of FBA or KCBS contests in GA.

[U2CANQUE]

I guess I can "third" that idea.....have heard great things about FL, and yeah, kind of into the KCBS......glad that the hook got ya on the first bite......isn't it amazing what a call can do for ya? Welcome to the addiction......

[Neal]

Sometimes those state BBQ associations are just sub-groups that provide an organizations for cooks in a particular state. They are necessarily sanctioning bodies.

Are you sure this isn't the case with the GBA?
I would check out these sites for contests:
http://www.flbbq.org/main.htm
http://www.kcbs.us/

[Rightstuff]

Originally Posted by U2CANQUE

I guess I can "third" that idea.....have heard great things about FL, and yeah, kind of into the KCBS......glad that the hook got ya on the first bite......isn't it amazing what a call can do for ya? Welcome to the addiction......

Yeah we're hooked (the first step is admitting it ). I think for now I'll take everyones advice and stick to FBA and KCBS. I'm sure there's plenty of their contest locally to keep us busy.

[Fatback Joe]

I have been very happy with the FBA.

I have heard some of the negatives with the GBA but don't have any first hand experience with them, but it sounds like they do have some issues to be worked out.

[DawgPhan]

You might have actually taken some time this past weekend to talk to people who have actually competed in some of those GBA events instead of reading stuff off the internet..
If you listen to stuff folks people post on the internet, the jack, Royal, and MIM arent worth attending...

[Rightstuff]

Originally Posted by DawgPhan

You might have actually taken some time this past weekend to talk to people who have actually competed in some of those GBA events instead of reading stuff off the internet..
If you listen to stuff folks people post on the internet, the jack, Royal, and MIM arent worth attending...

What do you think I'm doing?

[CivilWarBBQ]

What GBA events?

There are plenty of Georgia teams who would be interested in a bona fide state organization, but so far all we've seen from the so-called GBA is very sketchy information and conflicting rule sets. As far as I can tell, it's being done by a small number of individuals without any attempt to canvas the existing population of pro teams to solicit opinions on what we would be looking for in a state organization.

A *lot* of us would like to be involved in an organization done right, but as of now FBA is the closest thing to a regional sanctioning body we have available. Maybe if FBA would change their name to "Southeastern" instead of "Florida" there would be more more contests outside of Florida...

[CajunSmoker]

Originally Posted by DawgPhan

You might have actually taken some time this past weekend to talk to people who have actually competed in some of those GBA events instead of reading stuff off the internet..
If you listen to stuff folks people post on the internet, the jack, Royal, and MIM arent worth attending...

I think he was too busy winning last weekend to spend much time talking

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=47347

[smokincracker]

FBA Contests in GA, AL or North FL for the rest of 2008 and then 2009
September 26-27, 2008 Capital City Barbeque Cookoff Tallahassee, FL (FBA)
This contest is a State Championship and a Jack Daniels Qualifer.
October 3-4, 2008 4th Annual Coweta Up In Smoke Barbecue Cook-off Newnan, GA (FBA)
This contest is the 2008 FBA Georgia State Championship
October 10-11, 2008 Horsepower Pow Wow BBQ Cookoff Jacksonville, FL (FBA)
November 7-8, 2008 Foggy Bottom Bar-B-Que Bash Elba, AL (FBA)
February 20-21, 2009 Santa Fe BBQ Fest Starke, FL (FBA)
April 3-4, 2009 2nd Annual Smoke on the Water BBQ and Bluegrass Festival Thomaston, GA (FBA)
April 24-25, 2009 Barnesville BBQ & Blues Festival Barnesville, GA (FBA)

[Sledneck]

Originally Posted by CivilWarBBQ

Maybe if FBA would change their name to "Southeastern" instead of "Florida" there would be more more contests outside of Florida...

That makes no sense. Most of our contests here in the Northeast are KCBS. I do not think that anybody around here has made a decision on whether or not to cook a contest because it has kansas City in the name. I would love to have an FBA contest here as well

[CivilWarBBQ]

Originally Posted by Sledneck

That makes no sense. Most of our contests here in the Northeast are KCBS. I do not think that anybody around here has made a decision on whether or not to cook a contest because it has kansas City in the name. I would love to have an FBA contest here as well

(smile)

Well my Yankee friend, y'all never did quite understand how folks think down here in Dixie.

Regional differences aside, the naming convention has more to do with getting organizers interested than cooks. There is just something odd about having a Georgia State Championship sanctioned by the Florida BBQ Association. I guess KCBS gets a free pass because of their size and MBN due to their historical importance, but when most folks think BBQ Florida isn't one of the places that comes to mind.

Please let me be clear - absolutely no offense is intended to Kevin and all the fine folks who have turned the FBA into a great sanctioning organization. I'm an FBA member and intend to remain such. I'm just saying that careful branding is important to the achieve public perception as being less limited geographically; for example it's why we have Citibank today instead of the original City Bank of New York.

[eagle697]

I am from the griffin area and all 3 FBA events in georgia this year were within an hour of griffin. There are several kcbs events within 2-3 hours as well. Congratulations on your success and hope to see you around.