Pro vs Am - Your opinion please

[Sawdustguy]

No for anything but a MBN event. You would be a beginner at a MBN competition and would fit right in to the Back Yard division.

 

[Q-Dat]

IMHO if this is an umsanctioned event with Joe Blow off the street judges with no training, then I would have to say that I really don't see what the advantage would be. If you make KCBS style Q for those judges, you just might be looking at a DAL

 

[INmitch]

Go with your gut feeling. If you compete in this BY deeliebob and win......when your going to bed thinking about it.......are you going to feel guilty or be happy that you beat the sh!t out of a bunch of guys (with Pitmaster stars in their eyes) that are there competing for the first time.







If your asking I think you already know the answer to your question.

 

[K-Train]

In my opinion you're pro. We've have a similar situation one of our team members and a friend of the team both have wanted us to cook amature events. We are by no means a big team, but we have won a couple awards and a small amount of $$. I tell them that to me once you hear your name and take $$, no matter how small the amount or insignifigant the award you are pro. Also in my little mind if you pay to enter a pro event, regardless of how you place you're saying your pro.

 

[BMinahan]

BBQ Brethren,
I first want to thank everyone who responded. Thank you for your opinions! Secondly, I tried to keep it simple, but in as all things, everyone on here is way too smart for that and was able to see that even though the questions were simple, the answer is somewhat complex based on circumstances.

A little history. Each year the Fraternal Club I and my teammates are from have an amateur smoke-off. One of my teammates was one of guys who started the contest and both I and my other teammate both got our BBQ bug on by cooking in previous events. The event does not prohibit Pro cooks, however the event attracts only amateurs. My personal definition of “amateurs” is a team or any member of a team that has not cashed more than $500 over the last 24 months.

Because of this and 18 other reasons, I decided NOT to cook this event this past weekend and Team Que and a Half Men would not participate. However, the teammate that helped start this event decided to cook on his own as Pitt Boss (OK with me!) and enlisted 2 other friends of our to help. He took 1st in 3 categories and 1st overall. Cashed $500 of the $650 in prize money. Total cost to cook the event was north of $500.00.

Now comes the politics! Some of the organizers feel that team Q1/2Men should have participated and that our (mostly directed at me) are “Pompous A$$holes” and feel that we think we are better than them by not competing. They also took offense to my teammate displaying Q1/2Men trophies and selling some T-Shirts and koozies to our local friends and family who don’t get to visit us on the circuit.

Others are pissed that Pro team/team member was allowed to cook and think that it was unfair of my teammate to cook the event. They feel he should know better and are disappointed.
At the end of the day, we are in a lose – lose situation. Even though my teammate was able to get two other involved (one wants to join our team) and he was able to win the event he founded, there is way too much bad for this to ever be good.

My advice to others – If you think you are a Pro, you are. Stay clear of the amateur events.
- Bill

 

[BMinahan]

Que and a Half Men is a pro team, for sure. We see you guys everywhere. I mean, if you show up with your monster travel trailer with your team logo on the side, the backyarders may think you have done this before. :becky:

Moster travel trailer??? Look whose talking!!! You could fit two of mine into yours! Ohh, that's right... The engine blew on yours. Now your slumming for a few events and my trailer looks like the Taj! LOL!

Hey! Great to see you all representing New England at the Jack. We're rooting for ya!

 

[BMinahan]

You are ametuers. I can't wait to kick your ass in Seaside just like we did in Green Lane! :jaw:


JK. Joking aside, stop by our spot on Saturday to hang out. We are cooking for our friends, family, and sponsors since this is our last comp of the season. You will get a chance to taste some 'real' award winning Q. :biggrin1:

Too Funny! Green Lane was a really bad cook for us. We'll see what happens in a few weeks! LOL!

Will be sure to stop by. We drink Bud Light. Have plenty cause we're always thirsty. We need to celebrate your Green Lane sucess!

- Bill

 

[va92bronco]

BBQ Brethren,

Now comes the politics! Some of the organizers feel that team Q1/2Men should have participated and that our (mostly directed at me) are “Pompous A$$holes” and feel that we think we are better than them by not competing. They also took offense to my teammate displaying Q1/2Men trophies and selling some T-Shirts and koozies to our local friends and family who don’t get to visit us on the circuit.

Others are pissed that Pro team/team member was allowed to cook and think that it was unfair of my teammate to cook the event. They feel he should know better and are disappointed.
At the end of the day, we are in a lose – lose situation. Even though my teammate was able to get two other involved (one wants to join our team) and he was able to win the event he founded, there is way too much bad for this to ever be good.

- Bill

Sound like you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Though if your teammate was cooking and not your team, then why were you selling team stuff if the team is not in the event. Seemed like if Q1/2Men are not involved, then the shirts and stuff should have stayed home.

 

[BMinahan]

Reply

Hind sight being 20/20 your probably right. The reasoning behind it was that we (Q1/2Men) are a Rockland, MA team, the event was at our club in Rockland, and many of our family and friends who attended the event have not seen first hand our accomplishments. My teammate has earned the bling and it was his decision to display it. They also have not had the opportunity to purchase any of our wares and my teammate wanted to make sure they had that opportunity.
- Bill

 

[Fatback Joe]

So.........what got farked up on the 4th category? :tsk::becky::caked:

Better luck next year.


All joking aside, as you said, it was a "lose/lose". That is too bad.

 

[deez butts]

Bill man, that is a pretty lousy situation. Sounds like you pissed off all kinds of people. Did that other team from your club compete? Mad Mike's Smoking Hogs I think it is. Maybe next year your team could do a demo or something and maybe judge it. That way you are involved but not competing against anyone. Hopefully that will prevent a good number of people in your organization from getting pissy. But then again you can never make everyone happy.

See you this weekend in Harvard, I hope you get RGC. :grin:

 

[CBQ]

Moster travel trailer??? Look whose talking!!! You could fit two of mine into yours! Ohh, that's right... The engine blew on yours. Now your slumming for a few events and my trailer looks like the Taj! LOL!

Hey! Great to see you all representing New England at the Jack. We're rooting for ya!

LOL, that thing is farking huge. :becky:

It's true we did save 50 bucks on our first oil change by putting in a new engine instead, but we are back on the road and looking forward to our road trip to the AR and The Jack. Lots of NEBS teams heading to The Jack, should be fun.

Sounds like you had a no win situation there.