I wasn’t previously aware of the Texas High School BBQ State Championship, but this article really opened my eyes to a previously-unknown part of American culture.
Apparently there are high school barbecue teams in Texas, and their competitions are treated with just as much passion and pride as the other high school sports down there. This is the eighth year of the league sponsored by HS BBQ Inc., a nonprofit that has 116 teams registered between the Red River and the Rio Grande. Ninety-two teams qualified for this year’s event by finishing in the top 10 at one of the 11 regional competitions across the state.
The level of care and dedication Texans have for barbecue is only rivaled by their obsession with guns and their poor taste in public servants. If you’re familiar with grilling, the magic truly lies in the smoke and time, lower temperatures with longer cook times break down the meats (science). So these Texas students have to tend to their BBQ pits all day, making sure they stay lit but don't get too hot. These competitions follow strict rules, including guidelines for appearance and plating. It’s reminiscent of a certain Disney Channel Original Movie, Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook-Off (featuring Orlando Brown).
Side Items
One Last Liverpool Letdown: As previously mentioned, yesterday was the final game of the Premier League season, and while Liverpool had already cemented their fifth place finish before the game, they were taking on the last-place team in the league, Southampton. Liverpool jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, only to give up four unanswered goals to Southampton. Fortunately the Reds were able to even things up and the game ended 4-4, but it doesn’t bode well for what next season has in store
Erdogan Reelected: After securing more than 52% of the vote, Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has a mandate to rule over Turkey until 2028, securing five more years as leader of a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Now he gets the privilege of confronting skyrocketing inflation that has fueled a cost-of-living crisis while also rebuilding much of the country in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people earlier this year