Well, It has been a while where I just sat down and started talking, I have been focused on doing some great team spotlights, and competitions with my own team, I just haven’t taken the time to share some thoughts.
First of all, today being Father’s Day, I would like to say, “Happy Father’s Day” to all that applies too out there. I lost my Father about 6 years ago now, but I think of him daily. He had to be the most giving and intelligent (yes, I was adopted, lol) man I have ever known, love and miss you Pop!!!
My Father (D.T) & Mother (Dee)
Biggi (my wife) and I just came back from a 4 day cruise, had a very nice time, and took some time to relax. We did all the usual things, ate too much, and drank as much as we could. We came back with so many bottles of liquor, that we had to empty a suitcase just to carry it all!!! There was this on called Sheridan’s Coffee Layered Liqueur.
This is some tasty stuff (Sheridan’s). We were told (not sure if it’s true or not) that this stuff is considered to be, by many, “Liquid Viagra, and you can’t buy it anywhere in the States”. That would explain Biggi going back and buying some Sheridan’s on three different occasions…. lol
The weekend before our cruise, we competed in a fine FBA (Florida Barbecue Association) event in Cocoa, FL. We had a very good time at this event, and even heard our name called in the ribs category.
Here are the results:
| June 8-9, 2012 Historic Cocoa Village’s BBQ & Blues – Cocoa, FL |
| Pro Division |
| Grand Champion: Hot Wachulas | Reserve: Swamp Boys |
| Rank | Team | Total | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
| 1 | Hot Wachula’s | 770.56664 | 192.6833 | 189.7833 | 188.6000 | 199.5000 |
| 2 | Swamp Boys | 767.76665 | 195.7333 | 192.6000 | 192.8833 | 186.5500 |
| 3 | All Racked Up | 764.89998 | 190.2667 | 187.7000 | 186.9333 | 200.0000 |
| 4 | Blitzkrieg BBQ | 764.39999 | 190.2167 | 187.4667 | 193.8333 | 192.8833 |
| 5 | Git-R-Smoked | 759.93331 | 192.1833 | 187.2167 | 194.1000 | 186.4333 |
| 6 | Getta Grip BBQ | 758.96667 | 187.4167 | 189.0333 | 189.6000 | 192.9167 |
| 7 | Unknown BBQ | 756.68332 | 194.3333 | 185.5167 | 188.8833 | 187.9500 |
| 8 | Sweet Smoke Q | 755.53333 | 193.5833 | 191.4833 | 185.6167 | 184.8500 |
| 9 | Confederate Smoke | 753.50001 | 191.4667 | 182.9167 | 192.9167 | 186.2000 |
| 10 | Big Pappa’s Country Kitchen | 749.73332 | 189.3833 | 186.3000 | 185.3500 | 188.7000 |
| 11 | Florida Boys | 749.16667 | 195.7333 | 186.4167 | 186.7000 | 180.3167 |
| 12 | Bull Rush BBQ | 739.31665 | 193.5667 | 173.2333 | 181.3000 | 191.2167 |
| 13 | Bubba’s Scrub Oak BBQ | 737.66663 | 182.7667 | 177.2167 | 191.2500 | 186.4333 |
| 14 | Newman’s BBQ | 736.31666 | 186.2333 | 182.7333 | 190.0833 | 177.2667 |
| 15 | Hogs Gone Wild BBQ | 735.61666 | 184.3500 | 187.2667 | 184.1167 | 179.8833 |
| 16 | Cook’s Portable Smokehouse | 732.16667 | 190.2667 | 183.4833 | 183.9000 | 174.5167 |
| 17 | Second Star BBQ | 731.35000 | 191.0000 | 179.1000 | 181.4500 | 179.8000 |
| 18 | Hog Jims | 725.91665 | 179.5833 | 174.8667 | 186.9167 | 184.5500 |
| 19 | Porker Face BBQ | 717.08331 | 176.0833 | 179.1167 | 178.7333 | 183.1500 |
| 20 | Big Red’s BBQ | 715.60000 | 181.6167 | 175.1500 | 185.1833 | 173.6500 |
| 21 | J & J Bar-B-Que | 715.29999 | 181.9167 | 179.5333 | 179.1167 | 174.7333 |
| 22 | ET’s BBQ | 714.03333 | 188.5667 | 189.9667 | 164.1500 | 171.3500 |
| 23 | Carolina Sunshine | 712.24998 | 177.0333 | 182.4667 | 180.2667 | 172.4833 |
| 24 | Palm Beach Porkers | 707.99999 | 180.0667 | 180.0333 | 181.6500 | 166.2500 |
| 25 | M & E BBQ | 705.66667 | 179.5333 | 174.6333 | 178.1333 | 173.3667 |
| 26 | Two Crackers Cooking | 702.23335 | 177.7833 | 163.7834 | 182.2167 | 178.4500 |
| 27 | Cowtown BBQ | 697.96665 | 183.0167 | 177.1833 | 176.0667 | 161.7000 |
| 28 | Pigture Perfect BBQ | 696.24997 | 182.0333 | 187.2167 | 175.7167 | 151.2833 |
| 29 | Jules Q 2 U | 693.69999 | 173.0167 | 174.7667 | 180.3000 | 165.6167 |
| 30 | Southern Yankee BBQ | 681.56665 | 178.7500 | 162.2833 | 177.1000 | 163.4333 |
| 31 | Smokin’ Cracker BBQ Team | 563.29999 | 181.9833 | 185.5500 | 0.0000 | 195.7667 |
| 32 | Bonez Brothers BBQ | 531.99998 | 0.0000 | 178.1833 | 177.9833 | 175.8333 |
| 33 | Red Wagon BBQ | 494.81665 | 154.1333 | 0.0000 | 172.1167 | 168.5667 |
| 34 | Bubba’s Carolina BBQ | 324.46665 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 171.2167 | 153.2500 |
Chicken
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Ribs
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Pork
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Brisket
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| Backyard Division |
| Backyard Grand Champion: Tiki Time BBQ | Backyard Reserve: 2 Boys BBQ |
| Rank | Team | Total | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
| 1 | Tiki Time BBQ Team | 730.69999 | 182.1667 | 179.1667 | 189.7833 | 179.5833 |
| 2 | 2 Boys BBQ | 723.90002 | 174.7167 | 184.5167 | 183.9000 | 180.7667 |
| 3 | Parrotthead Porkers | 718.15001 | 183.6333 | 173.6833 | 176.7500 | 184.0833 |
| 4 | Chow’n Down The Q | 713.86668 | 188.4000 | 165.9000 | 189.0333 | 170.5333 |
| 5 | Double Deuce Smokin BBQ | 707.35001 | 180.3667 | 179.3500 | 174.0833 | 173.5500 |
| 6 | Hog Life BBQ | 706.36667 | 183.1667 | 169.9167 | 176.2667 | 177.0167 |
| 7 | Bonfire BBQ | 698.90002 | 171.7333 | 176.4167 | 181.7333 | 169.0167 |
| 8 | All Jacked Up BBQ | 675.88335 | 173.9833 | 166.2333 | 170.7667 | 164.9000 |
| 9 | Smokin Spud’s | 669.30001 | 169.8167 | 159.2000 | 174.5000 | 165.7833 |
| 10 | BFA | 654.36668 | 169.1500 | 157.0833 | 166.0500 | 162.0833 |
| 11 | Papa Joe’s | 517.88335 | 0.0000 | 177.8667 | 169.2833 | 170.7334 |
| 12 | The Big Rack | 166.75000 | 0.0000 | 166.7500 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
Once the weather cleared up, it was a good time for all, we even stopped and had a new team photo taken.
Tim Wysocki, “The Hog Meister”, Biggi Francis & Doug Francis (me).
This pic was taken just before our turn-ins started on Saturday morning, so we were all wanting a hot shower about then, and hoping that the rains will stay away.
Like I said, the Cocoa event was a fine event, but one thing happened at this event, that does not happen that often in BBQ, a perfect score. We had the pleasure to witness our friends from All Racked Up BBQ, David and Stephanie Kimbrough, earn a perfect score in brisket, that was great to see!!! Chad Ward, from Whiskey Bent BBQ, was cooking with All Racked Up BBQ during the Cocoa event, and they were so excited by the results (rightfully so). I have known David and Stephanie for right at a year now, and I can tell you this about them, they are great folks who take their BBQ very seriously. David is cooking on his GMG at least 3 or more times a week, and contently doing practice cooks to improve his BBQ. He is very intense, and does not do anything half-ass, that is why he is getting the great results, and I believe David and Steph deserve every bit of it, they have worked hard and it shows. Great job guys!!!!
David and Stef receiving their first place award for their perfect brisket in Cocoa
We had a decent cook at Cocoa, like I said we were very pleased to hear our name called for our ribs, yea it was just 8th place, but when any team gets to walk up on the stage after hearing their name called, then that competition has been a success.
Working on our ribs at Cocoa.
That is one thing I would like to stress to event organizers, teams like to hear their name called, and get that walk. Let’s face it, that is what we are there (as competitors) for. I have had many top ten finishes that we did not get a call for, maybe the organizer wanted to save a couple of bucks by not giving out an award for 6-10th place. I can tell you this, it really effects the way a team looks at a competition as a whole. Even placing in the top 10, but not hearing your name called, for me, I consider that a bad performance by our team, and a disappointment in our placement. I have spoken with many teams that feel the same way, and I can say that, I have started looking to competitions that will call more places, those will be the events that will get my business. We are not a top team, (yet) that goes to a competition and just dominates. We get a call or two, and are very happy about it, and will continue to pay to be a part of that competition, but if we go to a competition that only calls top 5 or even the top 3, I may not go back to that competition the next year it is offered. I’m not talking about changing the payout for the top places, keep the money the same, just hand out a small trophy or ribbon, and in my opinion, teams will be much happier at the end of the competition, that are more then willing to come back, year after year.
Team HGWBBQ taking the “walk” at Haines City, FL.
HGWBBQ accepting our 8th place ribbon for pork at Haines City, FL.
Speaking of great events, our next event will be one for the books. HGWBBQ will be competing next in Live Oak, FL., in the FBA event Smokin’ on the Suwannee This event, at the time of writing this, has 81 teams entered in the pro division, making it the largest FBA event to date. We are looking forward to competing in Live Oak, and know that it will be a huge challenge, many of the top teams in the South Eastern part of the United States will be there competing. Damon Wooley, the event organizer, it also a competitor, his team Wooley Bully BBQ Mafia is always in the hunt at any competition they compete in. Damon also cooked this year with Melissa Cookston and her team, Memphis Barbecue Company, at Memphis in May, during their run for their second time as World Champions of BBQ. So, Damon is well vested in being involved with large events, and know what cook teams will be expecting, and how to take care of the teams. If you are interested in signing up to compete, or to judge this event, please visit their web-site. www.smokinonthesuwannee.com We will see you there.
Thanks to everyone’s support for my blog, I believe I have just scratched the surface as to what I would like to do here. I enjoy feedback, so please feel free to let me know what you think. No reason for the blog if it was not for the readers, you are the most important part of this blog.
Thanks 
