An Important Announcement!

and thoughts on getting out on a high note


Those that know me know I am a huge Seinfeld fan. Do you remember the episode where George decides he wants to leave on a high note? Does the old saying ‘quit while your ahead’ ring a bell?


The other day while surfing around the net I came upon the National BBQ Rankings. I was causally perusing the listings of overall standings and there it was, in bold print, ‘who are those guys? ranked number 117 overall. This is out of 3,536 teams that are currently ranked. I then clicked over to The Pickled Pig Power Ranking, and there we were listed at 118. I have looked at these rankings once in a while in the past, but don’t check them on a regular basis. Not that it doesn’t matter; it’s just that I don’t bother to look each week to see where we are, or more importantly, where we’ve been, as the ranking changes each time they enter another set of contest results.


Wow, to say I was shocked would be an understatement. Looking at some of the team names listed above and below our squad and I saw some of the premier teams from around the region and the country. A pretty nice neighborhood to be hangin out in, that’s for sure. The really amazing thing for me is, we only cooked 7 contests last year and are scheduled to do only 6 in 2009. I am not quite sure how the rankings are tabulated, but you can rest assured, I ain’t complaining.


After much reflection, I got to wondering, as I often do. Is this like going hunting and shooting a whopper buck during your first couple of hunts? Here we are, only into our third season and we are ranked, and not just for the number of beers consumed at a contest. Then I got to thinking, maybe we should fold it up, get out on a high note. The chances of getting any higher are right slim in my opinion. Is there any way we can freeze time and stay in this spot, at least for a year or two while we enjoy the view?


We have our third event of the season coming up next week in Upper Marlboro MD, this is the halfway point of our season. The way I figure it, if we pull the plug right now, quit while we’re ahead, we should be able to ride it out in the top 200 or so at least until wintertime. Not a bad way to finish out the year, in what I would call a very highly competitive field of cooks and pit masters. Upon further thought, it occurred to me, maybe, just maybe, we could improve our position, move up a notch or two in our next couple of outings. I realize it is a gamble, especially when I look at the team lists for the contests we have yet to cook, but what the hell, most of them are neighbors, and I like to at least try to keep up with the Jones. If we are lucky enough to break the top 100, then maybe we’ll take our ball and head for the door…..we’ll see….


I also wanted to take a minute to announce our first official sponsor. 3 Eyz BBQ Rub,http://www.3eyzbbq.com/, has become an official sponsor of the ‘who are those guys?’ BBQ Team. The 3 Eyz BBQ rub is a great product. Dan, Jason & Dan produced the rub with pork in mind, and it has done pretty well. Last year they took 2nd Place for BBQ Rub at the Great American BBQ Contest held the end of May each year. Their product was up against some of the biggest names in the BBQ business.


This year, the 3 Eyz boys improved their position and came home with a 1st Place trophy for BBQ rub, not bad for a couple of guys from Maryland, which is basically known for its seafood, not BBQ. Good thing they didn't decide to quit after finishing #2 eh?


Their rub is excellent on ribs and slow cooked pork as designed.As you can imagine, I have taken their product up a notch or two, I have used it with great success on chicken, brisket and even seafood. Salmon and mahi mahi cooked on the grill are great with 3 Eyz rub. I have even, dare I say it, used this product instead of that yellow can while mixing crab cakes and other crab dishes. And guess what, the cops didn’t knock the door down to arrest me for making a crab dish in Maryland and not using the yellow can. They did, however, stop by and enjoy some nicely spiced crab balls I jazzed up using the 3 Eyz BBQ Rub.


If you haven’t given it a try yet, I encourage you to do so. The rub is available on their website, the link is above, and at any contest they are competing. Also, some select fine shops around town, the complete list of vendors selling 3 Eyz Rub is also available on their site, give it a try, you will be pleased with the results.


Wow, I sound just like one of those race car drivers during a post race interview.Oh well, we have a sponsor and are proud of it! Thanks to Dan, Jason and Dan of 3 Eyz BBQ for choosing us to represent your fine product.