Your thoughts on paying 10 places (KCBS)?

[The Cosmic Pig]

do you compete often? Because no one wins with any real consistency.

Even the teams that get auto to the jack cooked dozens of contests where they didnt win. I doubt any of them consider themselves a loser. Anytime I hear my name called, I feel better good about it.

Not often as of late. But I do a local contest every year at which I'm 4 out of 6 first place PP. I've never came in 2nd or 3rd in any category, though. Always first or nothing. Very strange! I guess I'm spoiled...

 

[The Cosmic Pig]

Worst attitude.

Thank you!

 

[Jason TQ]

Well, I have to admit I'm basically a perfectionist. I shoot for first and if I don't get it I feel like a loser! :crazy:

So how often do you feel like a loser? Legitimate question here.......how often are you "winning"? Which by your definition means coming in first place. To me there are the top athletes/competitors in their field who truly feel that there is no room for losing and it makes them very consistent at placing near the top and win. They actually won't win every time, but they win more than most. Then there are the folks who simply like to say the concept or like the idea of the concept of "if i'm not winning, i'm losing" because they think it is cool to say.

To me in competition bbq it seems like there are a fair amount of team that probably break even on expenses or even make a tad bit more than they put in. Then those teams probably take that extra money and put it right back into learning/practicing. But most don't make their money back 100%. So if you are chasing the dragon you might not ever catch it. Not saying you shouldn't strive for it. I am striving for it and want to do the best I can, but not there yet, but I also don't let it ruin my day when I don't hit it. But to each their own.

 

[sitnfat]

I do it for the fun of it. I do it because I get to cook against and with the best in the country. I have given those checks back to the charity that was putting on the event. And if you are working your butt off to put out a good product you better step it up cause great BBQ is whats gonna get ya in the big money.

 

[mobow]

I like to hear the names called out to 10 places a ribbon to go with it better a little cash is gravy. I want to be up the list as far as I can. If I can get my entry fee back and maybe the cost of half of my meat I consider it a break even day. The other cost are just the expense of entertainment for the weekend. Keith

 

[The Cosmic Pig]

So how often do you feel like a loser? Legitimate question here.......how often are you "winning"? Which by your definition means coming in first place. To me there are the top athletes/competitors in their field who truly feel that there is no room for losing and it makes them very consistent at placing near the top and win. They actually won't win every time, but they win more than most. Then there are the folks who simply like to say the concept or like the idea of the concept of "if i'm not winning, i'm losing" because they think it is cool to say.

To me in competition bbq it seems like there are a fair amount of team that probably break even on expenses or even make a tad bit more than they put in. Then those teams probably take that extra money and put it right back into learning/practicing. But most don't make their money back 100%. So if you are chasing the dragon you might not ever catch it. Not saying you shouldn't strive for it. I am striving for it and want to do the best I can, but not there yet, but I also don't let it ruin my day when I don't hit it. But to each their own.

Well, I believe that statement was taken a bit too literal...I was half joking. Thus the :crazy: . But to answer your question, out of the dozen or so contests I've done I've had at least one first place trophy in 6 of them. And this for a total of about $10K. These are mostly local contests, but they still have some decent competitors in them. I am spoiled to a great degree, as I said. I have come to the point of expecting a call, and when I don't get it I am disappointed. But I don't bang my head against a tree or anything. I like to win, and I go to a lot of effort to win...so pay me! :heh:

 

[The Cosmic Pig]

I like to hear the names called out to 10 places a ribbon to go with it better a little cash is gravy. I want to be up the list as far as I can. If I can get my entry fee back and maybe the cost of half of my meat I consider it a break even day. The other cost are just the expense of entertainment for the weekend. Keith

Great perspective! You've just altered mine! I like the way you think! :thumb:

 

[Icekub]

For our team, we did our first comp last fall and had amazing luck to win 2/4 categories and 5th overall (damn you brisket!) Our first comp this year, we didn't get a call. We were pretty disappointed but said to my team "Do you want to continue doing these comps? B/C we will not win or have the results we did the 1st time, every time. If you still had fun this weekend, let's continue to get better" Everyone agreed that we still had fun and learned a few things and we continued. If you think you are going to win every time, you will be disappointed alot. It's also showing respect to your fellow competitors to realize that there will be many cooks w/ enough skill to get the best of you on a given day. I have yet to meet the unbeatable BBQ team.

 

[smokinrack]

Being fairly new to comps I can honestly say that I think paying out to 10th does keep a lot of teams coming back myself included.Last year we did our first large comp with 60 teams, had no idea what we were doing and got our asses handed to us.Quite discouraging.

After spending way to much time on here and other sites I had a much better idea what to expect this year.We entered one with 22 teams first this year, got 4th in ribs, 3rd in chicken, and 7th overall. The total amount of money we won didnt cover the meat we bought. We did get three trophies though and had a good time doing it, and I will admitt getting called was a great feeling even if you arent in the top 3 and the trophies are something I will remember long after the moneys been spent:mrgreen:

 

[Jason TQ]

Well, I believe that statement was taken a bit too literal...I was half joking. Thus the :crazy: . But to answer your question, out of the dozen or so contests I've done I've had at least one first place trophy in 6 of them. And this for a total of about $10K. These are mostly local contests, but they still have some decent competitors in them. I am spoiled to a great degree, as I said. I have come to the point of expecting a call, and when I don't get it I am disappointed. But I don't bang my head against a tree or anything. I like to win, and I go to a lot of effort to win...so pay me! :heh:

I guess that is a good point of what types of competitions you are talking about too. KCBS vs MBN vs IBCA can have a different payout structure and cost associated to it as well. You mentioned "local" so not sure if there is a sanctioning body associated, but type of contest is a variable.

 

[Fat Freddy]

I hope I make sense with what I am about to say. Before the season started we set aside a specific amount of money to do competitions with. That was to cover entries,meats,gas etc.. I am a very small team that up to this year had 1 KCBS call.

First sanctioned contest we had our rear end handed to us, which is very easy when you have teams week in and week out like BigTz, Tippy Canoe, Smokey Ds, LuckysQ,A Boy and his BBQ, Pig Skin, Grills gone wild iowa, Swine Assasins, Smokers Purgatory etc etc etc..

The next contest we got our very first ever 2 call contest 7th and 8th in categories. I think we won like $60 but it was enough for my wife to say we could enter another contest, where we got a 1st place ribs($400 and a cool trophy)and 9th in pork. The winning allowed us to enter another couple of contests.

So what I am getting at is our winnings this year,less than $500, has allowed us to do more contests which in turn is helping us get better and getting more calls AND we have stayed within our original budget. But if Whiting(first 2 call contest) would not have paid down to 7th and 8th in categories we would have not been able to enter Mason City(1st place ribs).

 

[kenthanson]

I like to hear the names called out to 10 places a ribbon to go with it better a little cash is gravy. I want to be up the list as far as I can. If I can get my entry fee back and maybe the cost of half of my meat I consider it a break even day. The other cost are just the expense of entertainment for the weekend. Keith

This is very close to my attitude, I don't mind paying the entry fee, that goes to help set everything up and have all the services in place I need so I don't mind paying that. My goal is to win back our meat money, if the team can pay off the meat than we are happy.

 

[BB-Kuhn]

I like payouts for the lower positions, even if it is meager.

Some of us may never see the first 3 places, but it's cool to get your first payout with a 5th, 7th, etc. It's not about the money amount, but the fact you did in fact get a cash prize is fun. Good for morale.

I'd bet dropping the smaller prizes for the lower calls could decrease enthusiasm a tad, and hurt the scene overall with lower attendance.

 

[The Cosmic Pig]

To a great degree a lot of you have changed my perspective on the payouts, and it's obvious the majority likes it the way it is. Thank you all for taking the time to give me your take! As Emily Litella used to say...nevermind! :-D

 

[Smokin' Gnome BBQ]

Bling a ribbon? I thought you said Pabst Blue Ribbon...:wink:

wallace

I have been known to say all kinds of crazy stuff..

 

[Muzzlebrake]

I understand wanting to spread the money around, what I don't understand is why it isn't done for those that have accomplished the most. The resources used to pay 6-10 in each category if pooled together and used to pay 3-10 overall would make for a nice reward for those that have accomplished the most during that contest. If you think $50 bucks for placing 8th in chicken is a morale booster, what effect do you think a $200 check for 8th overall would have? When I enter a contest my gol is to win the contest, not win a category. First place chicken, ribs, pork or brisket doesn't get you to the Royal or the Jack, GC's do.

Earlier this year at the contest in DC, with the additional sponsors money finishing in the top 3 in any category was worth $1k+. Meanwhile finishing RGC paid nothing. I had 2 top 5 calls that weekend and walked away with more the $1500. They guy who finished 2nd overall got a free entry into next years contest and I don't think he even got a trophy. To me there is just something fundamentally flawed about that.

 

[DawgPhan]

I guess that is a good point of what types of competitions you are talking about too. KCBS vs MBN vs IBCA can have a different payout structure and cost associated to it as well. You mentioned "local" so not sure if there is a sanctioning body associated, but type of contest is a variable.

the truth eventually came out...he is cooking local backyard events. the level of competition he is basing his "not first you're last" on isnt even in the ballpark of the level that we are used to competing at.

I would agree...if I didnt win a category in a local backyard event I would feel pretty bad. But I think it would be rather tacky for me to compete seriously in a backyard event, so I don't.

 

[kenthanson]

Earlier this year at the contest in DC, with the additional sponsors money finishing in the top 3 in any category was worth $1k+. Meanwhile finishing RGC paid nothing. I had 2 top 5 calls that weekend and walked away with more the $1500. They guy who finished 2nd overall got a free entry into next years contest and I don't think he even got a trophy. To me there is just something fundamentally flawed about that.

Well that's obviously not right but there needs to be a balance. 1-5 overall sounds good, 1-5 in each category sounds good, with any extra money going to pay out more per category.

 

[The Cosmic Pig]

the truth eventually came out...he is cooking local backyard events. the level of competition he is basing his "not first you're last" on isnt even in the ballpark of the level that we are used to competing at.

I would agree...if I didnt win a category in a local backyard event I would feel pretty bad. But I think it would be rather tacky for me to compete seriously in a backyard event, so I don't.

"The truth came out?" I wasn't trying to hide anything from anyone. The "local events" I am speaking of usually have several teams that do well at KCBS events. I'm not sure what you're trying to prove, but I'm offended. Just because an event is not sanctioned doesn't mean that the competitors are backyarders - or some lower class of cook than you obviously think you are. "Not even in the ballpark?" What's tacky is your opinion of yourself and your comment. While I've disagreed with some on here, I've not insulted a single person in the process like you did me. I'd like to say more, but I'm really trying to live like the Christian I claim to be.

 

[kenthanson]

Based on this conversation I went to look at the PNWBA rules about payouts and found this...

PRIZE MONEY
The Pacific Northwest BBQ Association does not procure prize money for events. You must have a
guaranteed source and amount of prize money 70 days prior to the event for us to proceed with
scheduling and advertising your event. The PNWBA will not continue to sanction the event without this
prize money guarantee.
Prize money at a standard full event cook ranges from $2,000 to $35,000 with the current average
settling at about $5,000. This total prize pool pays out each of the four categories to a minimum of 6th
place, plus a Reserve Grand Champion and Grand Champion. For competitions with more than 30 teams
there is also a Reserve Champion (3rd place). Sample pay out schedules can be provided on request

Guess I gotta inquire with the BOD as to why a contest only paid top 3 in each category, or maybe this is one of those "loose" rules.