Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 372: Under the Radar with Team Cookie BBQ plus Richard Fergola
Release Date: 09/09/2026
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 375: 'Under the Radar' with Sasquatch Smoke N Que
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Episode 375 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast is focused of the 46th annual American Royal World Series of BBQ, where we’re headed later this week to judge after five years of on the competition side. We visit with not only a first-time American Royal team, but a foursome that has barely cooked competition at all. That’s Sasquatch Smoke N Que out of Kansas City, a group of military veterans who met while playing hockey for disabled vets and have taken that friendship to BBQ. Johnny Neal and Jeff Schmidt of Sasquatch Smoke N Que discuss how the camaraderie and friendships are a bigger piece...
info_outline
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 374: Kelly Wertz; Kevin Heese; Shawn Campbell
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Kelly Wertz is one of the legends of competition BBQ, winning more than 40 KCBS Grand Championships during a 20-year career - including the American Royal World Series of BBQ and the Jack Daniel World BBQ Invitational. On Episode 374 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, we catch up with Kelly about why he chose to call it a career. He’s staying plenty busy, with steady catering gigs and a growing 4 Legs Up product line of spice rubs and injections. Kelly has some good info to share and we appreciate his time. As the 46th American Royal approaches, we also visit with Kevin Heese of Weekend Bum...
info_outline
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 373: American Royal info and Joel Fleetwood of Meat Rushmore BBQ
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Episode 373 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast is a preview of the 46th American Royal World Series of BBQ. It’s a new venue after a decade at Kansas Speedway and Kayci Vincent, BBQ Manager of the American Royal, tells us that while it’s a scaled-down version as construction continues on the new site, teams will probably think it’s more like a regular BBQ event. Spectator access will be limited to Friday-night parties with none of the usual events on Saturday such as bands and public wandering the grounds to take in the sights and sounds. Joel Fleetwood of Meat Rushmore BBQ also joins us...
info_outline
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 372: Under the Radar with Team Cookie BBQ plus Richard Fergola
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
We enjoy talking to the biggest names in BBQ - and also shine some light on the up-and-comers. This week we go “Under the Radar” on Episode 372 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast to visit with a fast learner from Ohio, Chris Reed of Team Cookie BBQ. Along with having a unique team name, Chris knows his stuff on the smoker. In just 16 career KCBS Masters Series attempts, he’s had seven overall top 10s, including his first Grand Championship last month at the Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. Chris fills us in on how it’s come together so quickly. Richard Fergola...
info_outline
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 371: Charles Winslow-Bey; Grill Guys of Missouri
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
On Episode 371 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, hear the story of Charles Winslow-Bey and Smokey Bey’s Barbecue. It’s been a rocket ride for a team that was introduced to competition cooking just 3 1/2 years ago, going from a free class offered by Josh and Ashton of OG Bandits to multiple 700s and top-10 KCBS finishes in a short time. The biggest of all came a couple of weeks ago when Smokey Bey’s earned Grand Championship honors at the Made for KC BBQ Championship, earning $10,000 and naming rights in the BBQ Experience restaurant inside Terminal B of Kansas City International Airport....
info_outline
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 370: RCOA founders Dirk Mullins and Jody Harris; Aaron Huentelman
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Dirk Mullins and Jody Harris had been involved in competition cooking in various organizations for more than 20 years, walking the stage at The American Royal World Series of BBQ and Memphis in May among other big events. But looking to fill a void in December of 2023, they announced plans to launch the Rib Cookoff Association via social media. Just a couple of hours later, Dirk had received so many calls he had to turn his phone off. On Episode 370 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Dirk and Jody take the story from there to now, as the RCOA continues to make its mark among cooks of all skill...
info_outline
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 369: Tina Cannon; Jordan Kirkpatrick
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
Tina Cannon is one of the most-respected names in open-fire cooking, with numerous competition awards to her credit along with an array of television shows on various outlets. The classically trained chef joins us on Episode 369 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast to discuss her career, a website full of helpful cooking info and a preview of her appearance at The Grill Guys of Missouri on Aug. 29. Tina’s first appearance on how our show is a fun conversation that we hope you enjoy. Our second guest this week has been on the show multiple times and always brings the heat - just as his...
info_outline
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 368: Talking steaks and other things with Dan Wright, John Lindsey
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
We dive into the world of steak cooking on Episode 368 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast with a couple of big winner at last weekend’s Hornersville Watermelon Festival in southeast Missouri. First up is Dan Wright of Take it Easy BBQ from St. Louis. While he’s won big in KCBS and the Rib Cookoff Association, Dan came up big in SCA entry by earning a rare triple golden ticket (steak, ribs and beans) into next spring’s SCA Worlds in Pensacola, Fla. John Lindsey is one of the top SCA cooks in the organization’s history, with dozens of grand championships and his outstanding All-Qued Up...
info_outline
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 367: B's Que Crew; Grill Guys of Missouri
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
The current KCBS Team of the Year leader is not as well known as those giving close chase. On Episode 367 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Brian Kennish of B’s Que Crew from Richmond, Va., via Philadelphia, tells us about his family team’s long-time love of cooking and competition and why it’s picked up the pace the last couple of years to become a national contender. We also take a trip to Republic, Mo., for our August check-in with Charlie Wallace and Skyler Spartan of The Grill Guys of Missouri. Lots of great specials can be found as The Grill Guys marches toward its 5-year-...
info_outline
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast, Episode 366: Bill Purvis; Joel Fleetwood
Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast
One of our favorite BBQ people returns to the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast to make Episode 366 a dandy. It’s Bill Purvis from Chicken Fried BBQ out of Magnolia, Texas. Bill highlights his exciting weekend in Rhode Island where he pulled off BBQ’s version of a buzzer-beater by winning the Grand Championship along with Rhode Island’s auto bid into the Jack Daniel World BBQ Invitational. Along with becoming a competition force, Chicken Fried also has become one of the powerhouse lineup of products on the market and we discuss how to use some of those products and when does one know it’s the...
info_outlineWe enjoy talking to the biggest names in BBQ - and also shine some light on the up-and-comers. This week we go “Under the Radar” on Episode 372 of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast to visit with a fast learner from Ohio, Chris Reed of Team Cookie BBQ. Along with having a unique team name, Chris knows his stuff on the smoker. In just 16 career KCBS Masters Series attempts, he’s had seven overall top 10s, including his first Grand Championship last month at the Saxonburg BBQ Smokeout in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. Chris fills us in on how it’s come together so quickly.
Richard Fergola also joins us for his quarterly visit about the latest happenings with Fergolicious BBQ and Richard Fergola BBQ line of products. “Fergie” has enjoyed a busy summer of spreading the good word of Q across the land with four new products now available. Now he’s getting ready for the American Royal World Series of BBQ at the new American Royal complex and we get his thoughts on that.
Ever had a raccoon scrounging around your smoker or grill? Co-host Steve Koehler has and he warns everyone to clean and cover your cooking equipment. Meanwhile, co-host Lyndal Scranton previews the competition side of the team’s preparation for this weekend’s Smoke Inferno in Edgerton, Kansas.
A big thanks to our show sponsors and marketing partners. Please support them:
Blues Hog #blueshognation
Royal Oak Charcoal #charcoalofchampions
The Butcher Shoppe #alwayshandpicked
The Grill Guys of Missouri #grillguys417
Clark Crew BBQ #clarkcrewbbq
Meat Rushmore BBQ #meatrushmorebbq
Lovely Jubbly BBQ #lovelyjubblybbq
Mister Brisket #thighlife
Have a great rest of your BBQ week and, as always … #SmokeEmIfYouGotEm