Where will you be this Thursday afternoon?

It's finally here! This is the week of the Jack Daniel's World Invitational Champship contestant draw. On Thursday, pit masters from all over the country will sit at their computer, staring at their monitors, incessantly refreshing the screen to see if their team is the latest bung drawn in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Many top cooks will not sleep well on Wednesday night in anticipation of this big day. The anxiety levels will be high on Thursday. And, sadly, some of the best cooks in the country will be disheartened when it's all over, because no matter how great a cook, you still had to play your cards right or get lucky in the draw to get invited. The draw takes place around 1:00 PM on September 3. It's a big deal to us cooks. No, it's a huge deal. We covet the Jack Daniel's event like no other. Despite it's quirks and prejudice towards being a grand marketing event for the whiskey instead of the best barbecue contest ever, we all want desperately to be there. For most, it's THE crowning acheivements to a successful season and regardless of what they say, the folks that don't get drawn are disappointed.

I've done my best to compile a complete list of teams in the draw and those that are automatics. I couldn't do it alone, oh no. I had tons of help. No need to name names, you all know who you are. Just for fun, here's a COMPLETELY UNOFFICIAL look at the impending draw:

ALABAMA
Jiggy Piggy
Lotta Bull BBQ X 2
Team Top Chick
The EGGseQuetive
Wild Bunch Butt Burners X 2

ARKANSAS
Butcher BBQ
Habitual Smokers
Jack's Old South
Naaman's BBQ X 2
River City Rub

Tee Wayne's Cajun Cookin'

CALIFORNIA

All Hogs Go To Heaven X 2

Lotta Bull BBQ
Ric's Righteous Ribs
Slap Yo' Daddy BBQ X 3
Smokin' Yankees
Tropical Heat

COLORADO
A Boy & His BBQ
Burnin' Bob's Butts 'N Bones
Florida Skin and Bones
Sweet Peppers
Wild Hogs BBQ X 2

FLORIDA
Barbecue Crew

Forrest's Fine Foods

Home BBQ X 2

Mount Dora Bar-B-Que Company X 4
Quau

Smokin' Cracker BBQ Team

GEORGIA
Chatham Artillery BBQ

Jack's Old South
Jus-Fer-Fun Cooking
Learn2Q.com
Mount Dora Bar-B-Que

IOWA

4 Mile Smokin Crew
Bare Bones BBQ Team
Big T's Q Cru X 2
Iowa's Smokey D's X 2
Meadow Valley BBQ X 2
Quau

The Heat is On

ILLINOIS
Big and Twig BBQ
Dr. Porkenstein
Gilly's Barnstormin' BBQ
Iowa's Smokey D's
Jack's Old South
Lotta Bull BBQ X 2
Redneck Grillers
Shigs in Pit
Smokey Joel/Cubby Bear
Ulcer Acres X 3

INDIANA
Hoosier Crawdaddy
Moonswiners
Shigs-in-Pit X 2
Steel Smokin BBQ
Iowa's Smokey D's

KANSAS
A Boy and His BBQ

Bare Bones BBQ Team
Brew-n-Bar-B-Que X 2
Crimson & Blue BBQ
Dodge County Smokers X 2
Early Bird BBQ
Flower of the Flames
Habitual Smokers
Hoggy Style
Iowa's Smokey D's
JP Custom Smoke X 3
Pickled Pig

Pig In Pig Out

Pork Pullin Plowboys X 2
Ribs 4 U
Rubbin' It Lovin' It BBQ
Smoke on Wheels X 2
Smokers Wild
Smokin Triggers

KENTUCKY
Monty Pigthon/Holy Grill
South Pork
Swiggin Pig
Team Allegro

LOUISIANA

Cajun Cookin'
Naaman's BBQ X 2
Pop's Blazin Smokers
Quau
Smokin' in the Dark - TX

Tee Wayne's Cajun Cookin'
We Be Smokin'

MARYLAND
3 Eyz BBQ
BBQ Guru

MICHIGAN
All Day Smoke
Smokin' Scotsmen X 2
Pork of the North
Extreme Roasters

MINNESOTA

The Heat is On
Iowa's Smokey D's
Tippy Canoe BBQ Crew
Parrothead Smokers

Prairie Oak Smokers

MISSOURI
A Boy & His BBQ
All American BBQ
Big Wigs BBQ
Blaster BBQ
Blues Hog BBQ X 2
Caveman Cuisine
Great Grills O'Fire X 4
Half Sauced Barbecue X 2
Hogzilla

Holy Smoke BBQ X 2
JP Custom Smoke
KC Can Crew
Lip Lickin BBQ

Plowboy's BBQ
Quau

QSS Smokin'

Que's Your Daddy BBQ
R Butts R Smokin'
Reservoir Hogs
Ribs 4 U
Rick's Pit Stop
Rubbin' It Lovin' It BBQ
Smoke Me Tender BBQ
Smoke on Wheels
Smoke This BBQ
The Pickled Pig
Uncle Bub's BBQ
Rib Call BBQ

MISSISSIPPI
BBQr's Delight

House of Q
Jiggy Piggy
Pops Blazen Smokers
Wild Bunch Butt Burners

NORTH CAROLINA
Chatham Artillary BBQ
Checkered Pig X 2
GB's BBQ
Learn2Q.com
Mountain Magic Country BBQ
Screamin Nite Hog BBQ X 2
Smoke This
Swamp Sauce Smokers

NEBRASKA
Emerald Buffalo
KC Can Crew
Pork Me Purple
Smokin' Tailgators
Toad Hollar

NEW JERSEY
Fat Angel BBQ
Lo'-N-Slo'
Stumpy Coals

NEW MEXICO
Rib-It
"Q"
IBCA Lea County BBQ Winner*

NEW YORK
Lunchmeat
Smoke in Da Eye
Smoke on Wheels
Yabba Dabba Que!
Mr. Bobo's

OHIO
Shigs-N-Pit
Hoosier Crawdaddy

OKLAHOMA
Buffalo's BBQ X 3
Butcher BBQ X 5
Little Pig Town BBQ
Naaman's BBQ
Stu's Q BBQ X 2
Twin Oaks BBQ

OREGON

Fat Dad's BBQ X 3

Unnamed team

Winner of PNWBA event*

TENNESSEE
Big Mo from Aho
Big River BBQ
House of Q

Learn2Q.com X 2
Music City Pig Pals
Quau
Smokers Wild
Smokin Butt Crew
Smoky Mountain Smokers X 3
Wild Bunch Butt Burners

TEXAS
3 "B" BBQ X 3
AOK Cookers
B & D Cookers
Bad Smoke Rising
Bad to the Bone
Big Henry's Cookers
Big Mike's
Bohica Cookers
Bud Light Lime
Coastal City Smokers
Cookin' Boot
Lite Cookers
Los Tios Y Los Primos
Old Main Bar Cookers
One Slice at a Time
Outhouse BBQ
Puro Party Cooking Team
Rambro
Rodeo Q Cookers
She Thinks My Slabs are Sexy
Smokin' in the Dark
Still Smokin' It
Taste Buds
Texas Pride
The Breadman
We Be Smokin' Too

SOUTH CAROLINA
BS Pitmeisters
Butts and Breasts
Chatham Artillary BBQ
Common Interest
Smoky Mountain Smokers

VIRGINIA
Dizzy Pig
Wood Chicks

WISCONSIN
Bringin' the Heat X 2

Dr. Porkenstein
Jelly Roll Jones BBQ Company

AUTOMATICS:
4 Legs Up
4 Men and a Pig
Blakes BBQ
Blazen BBQ
Bub-ba-Q
Burnin' Bob's Butts 'N Bones*
CancerSucksChicago.com
Cool Smoke
Hoochie - Que
IQue
I Smell Smoke
Just Smokin' Around
Lakeside Smokers
Munchin' Hogs At the Hilton
PA Midnite Smokers
Parrothead Smokers
Pellet Envy
R2-BQ
Rhythm 'n Que
Spitfire BBQ
Swamp Boys BBQ
Sweet Swine O'Mine

Several disclaimers: This list is complete unofficial. In fact, there are several assumptions made that may or may not be true. Additonally, this list doesn't account for all home state winners, teams in states where no other team from the state won a qualifying event regardless of location. It does include a few of them. If you're not familair with that part of the qualification process, some teams waltz into the Jack every year this way. We're considering a move to a state where we can do this.

This is worth saying one more time - This list was composed just for fun. I just thought you all might enjoy a look at the draw. I can't believe the response this list has generated over the last few weeks. It was a fun project and several of you pointed out corrections that I've made. Best of luck to everyone in the draw.

© 2009. Pellet Envy Competition Barbeque. All Rights Reserved.