Ladies & Gentlemen: Start Your Pits!

Can we finally say goodbye to Winter? Tomorrow marks the start of March, so it should only get more Spring like from here; everyone you talk to is sick of Winter.

And speaking of March, the 2010 KCBS Cook-Off circuit begins with 7 or 8 events. One of the biggies is the Smoke On The Water competition in North Little Rock. I attended that last year just to size up what competitions were like, so I didn't compete. If I'm not mistaken Myron Mixon won the 2009 title so I'd bet my chicken-stained muffin pan he'll be back to defend his title, honor and talk a little smack. More of the March competitions happen down South because the Midwest and Upper Midwest is still cold as kraut. Although I did notice a cook-off in North Kansas City in mid-March so pack your long johns if you're doing that KCBS event.

Where the number of cook-offs explode in number and really signaling the start of the season is April. I think there are 37 or 38 competitions scheduled for April. Now, I don't know this for a fact, but I have to think this economy, which stinks on ice, will cut in to the number of teams in the competitions. I mean it would almost have to considering a team will spend $800 to $1,000 per event when you count entry fees, meat, gas, wood, motel and so on. It will be interesting to watch the number of teams this year compared with the 2009 numbers.

Good luck to those who are competing this year; I won't be able to do so in 2010 because of my trailer being the anchor of our BBQ carry out business, which is growing steadily. I did the KCBS thing last year and I enjoyed it, but now I want to cross over into the BBQ joint world.