MEMPHIS IN MAY NO LONGER SANCTIONING CONTESTS!

swinebuck · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject: MEMPHIS IN MAY NO LONGER SANCTIONING CONTESTS!

I received a letter last night from Memphis In May stating and I quote

" Beginning with the 2008 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, we are going to expand the scope of the event due to the ever-increasing interest in barbecue. We will be inviting teams from all regions of the country and those that are beginning to emerge around the world, challenging champions who may not have competed in Memphis in May to try their hand at the most competitive cook-off in the World.

As we focus our resources into recruiting championship teams, we will no longer be sanctioning contests through our Memphis Barbecue Association. Meanwhile, the contests that have been sanctioned for 2007 will continue to receive the service of Memphis in May, and long term contests that wish to be Memphis in May-style contests in the future will receive the information and materials to ease the transition."

What impact this will have on Memphis in May and competition barbeque in general we can only speculate this early in the change. I thought you may wish to be kept in the loop.

Thanks
Mike
Swinebuck
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Ranucci's Big Butt · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

Damn
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SmokinOkie · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 16 Aug 2005 Posts: 2078

been on the rumor mill for quite a while. Will be interesting to see how it all falls out.

Dang, can you see MIM allowing Chicken and Brisket some year?

Ranucci's Big Butt · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

Garnish for boxes? Say it ain't so!
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DawgPhan · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 12 May 2005 Posts: 3444

yeah I have been hearing this for a little while now...didnt think that I would see this though...

Strange that this happens right after I got an email asking me to include MBA results in the rankings...

BBQMAN · Posted: Aug 31 2007 Post subject:

So who is the new gov. body?

"We" is mentioned quite a few times. Who is "we"?
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SIMPLE Q · Posted: Sep 01 2007 Post subject:

Is it because of the decline of team participation in the sanctioned events?

Because so many contests are switching to kcbs?

Because M I M is dominated by about 5-6 teams?

because kcbs is much more economical?

because the little guy has a chance in kcbs?

Adios, M.I.M.

Ranucci's Big Butt · Posted: Sep 01 2007 Post subject:

I really hope the MIM judges change over to KCBS and that KCBS does a better job training there new judges then.
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Big Tom · Posted: Sep 01 2007 Post subject:

I can't say I didn't see the writing on the wall with this one. There have been many discussions on other forums about the state of MIM/MBA and what the future would hold. The letter that Swinebuck posted doesn't really serve as a ray of hope for the organization.

The sanctioning network and MIM championship have been through organizational and leadership changes for the last several years and essentially were treading water as many other contest sanctioning groups have grown and thrived.

The lack of santioning will really put a damper on the future of the former MIM/MBA contests. One of the big attractions for most competitors is a standardized judging & scoring format that may also apply towards a 'team of the year' points system and a big network event (MIM or American Royal). The second thing that draws teams to travel to a contest is prize money vs. cost to compete. The contests have to have good sponsors to offer good prize money; without them being able to pitch that the contest is a qualifier for the MIM championship, they could also loose some drawing power.

We do cook for the fun of it, but since we are spending our money to do them we also want the get the most bang for our buck. One of our season goals each year is for a 'grand' or 'passdown' entry into MIM. I wonder how they will manage that element of the MIM championship without a network to help qualify teams for entry.

This Sucks!
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BBQMAN · Posted: Sep 01 2007 Post subject:

Very informative Big Tom, thanks!

I enjoy the on-site judging and all the other differences that made MBA events MBA events!

And yes I agree, this definetly sucks! Mad

Simple Q- guys like Myron will do well regardless of who sanctions the event. Myron does real well in FBA events, and any other that he happens to attend.

One of the nice thing about MBA is the all-pork entries as well (other than anything butt categories)
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SIMPLE Q · Posted: Sep 01 2007 Post subject:

OK, I think I found out what is going on but still a bunch of unanswered questions. From what I was told, some other organization will be overseeing the contest circuit ( not employed by memphis in may) but will have more or less the same format. My source seemed to be optimistic about the change saying it will be a better ran organization than the one that has been slowly deteriorating over the past few years.

I have cooked in the m.i.m. organization for 14+ years now and would hate to see it dissapear.

What still is unanswered is if the world championship cooking contest is not going to be affiliated with this new society, then how do you qualify for the world championship.

for those of you that are not familiar with the m.i.m. contest if you win a grand champion ( or reserve on some occasion) at a sanctioned event your entry is paid and you are guaranteed a spot in the world championship

Steve

Kosmos Q · Posted: Sep 02 2007 Post subject:

correct me if Im wrong, but to be Grand Champ all you cook is pork? either shoulder or whole?
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Ranucci's Big Butt · Posted: Sep 02 2007 Post subject:

Shoulder, whole hog or ribs.
You can win GC and only do one catergory. Up to the judges who had the best pork that day, doesn't matter what catergory it was in.
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Big Tom · Posted: Sep 03 2007 Post subject:

I have recieved a forwarded email from some of the parties that have taken over what used to be MIM/MBA for the contest sanctioning.

The new organization is Memphis Barbecue Network. They are made up of several past and present MIM steering committee members, contest reps and contest organizers. They admit that there are still a lot of unanswered questions.

I hope this group can right the ship and get the new Memphis Barbecue Network on course and back on a path of growth.
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BBQMAN · Posted: Sep 03 2007 Post subject:

Cool- thanks for the update Tom!
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Jeffro · Posted: Sep 03 2007 Post subject:

All I can say is WOW!!!!!
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topshelf · Joined: 02 May 2007 Posts: 22 Location: Tuscaloosa, AL

If I am not mistaken, the "decline" of MIM began about 5 or 6 years ago when a new President of the festival was elected. At that time alot of the MIM barbecue folks got sick of all the changes being made and many of them left. If memory serves me correctly many of the folks that had made both the network and the MIM World Championship so successful were pushed out or were made to feel so unwelcome that they deceided to leave on their own.

I know alot of these individuals have continued to be active in Barbecue circles and hope they are some of the ones who may be getting back involved in MIM (or whatever it will be called). Folks like Roy and Jane Barber, Mike Cannon and several others IMO have been gone too long and if MIM is to bounce back those are the folks that can help do it.

I, for one, would hate to see the MIM type contests fall by the wayside but it is fairly obvious that changes needed to be made in the way the network was run. Best of luck to the new group!
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SIMPLE Q · Posted: Sep 03 2007 Post subject:

Big Tom · Posted: Sep 04 2007 Post subject:

I have not seen Roy & Jane or Mike mentioned. There are several others from the "real MIM" that got pushed out or left when things started changing for the worse. If would be nice to have some of them back in the mix.

Roy & Jane conducted my judges training, way back when. Mike used to be very involved in the organization as a contest rep, he may also be the one that wrote the program for the scoring and judges routing.

Some of the folk that I do remember from the list of contest reps for the MBN are: Henry & Kelley Evans; Randy & Cathy Mcgee; Larry Ohrberg and David & Suzane Rhea.
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BBQMAN · Posted: Sep 04 2007 Post subject:

As with any other large organization, it's a dang shame when politics get involved and ruin a good thing! Crying or Very sad

Sounds like the "new' president did a great job- NOT! Mad

One of the great things that makes MIM is the tradition involved. Why come in and ruin a good thing?

If it's not broke, don't fix it!
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