We believe at Thin Blue BBQ that once you become a member, you are always a member. Below are the chosen few who have been fortunate enough to earn the right to wear our famed tuxedo t-shirt on turn in days.
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Brian “Herb” Herbert
Brian is the founder of Thin Blue BBQ and the team’s Pitmaster. Brian came up with the team’s name after serving as a law enforcement officer for a number of years. Brian now works as a Certified Fraud Examiner and spends his time barbecuing, collecting autographs and restoring his 1967 Volkswagen Beetle convertible. Brian grew up in southern Illinois and fondly remembers grilling out at family reunions while playing wiffleball and corkball. Several years ago, he picked up Mike Mills book, Peace, Love and BBQ. Brian was instantly hooked with the familiar southern Illinois references and was inspired to begin his competition BBQ journey. Getting the chance to meet and talk with Mike Mills has easily been one of his favorite highlights.
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Tommy “The Chef” Tichenor
Tommy came to the team after completing culinary school in Orlando, Florida. He is the most qualified member with a chef’s knife and works to keep the flavor profiles for the team current. Tommy now gets the honor of having the longest commute to events when he makes it to a contest. After the 2010 season, Tommy moved to work at a prestigious resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. While the team wanted to keep Tommy in Indianapolis, the chance to work at a prestigious resort and live with his fiancee in Buckeye, AZ, was just too much. Tommy still makes it back for the team’s annual reunion contest and as many more contests as he can. When he’s not barbecuing, Tommy enjoys hunting and exploring the southwest to find new BBQ joints.
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Jeramy “The Ladies Man” Buckles
Jeramy came to Thin Blue BBQ with a strong passion for barbecue and one heck of a sense of humor. Jeramy keeps things light around the cook site and frequently quotes from “The Ladies Man.” When he’s not out shiggin’ around the other cook sites gathering intel, Jeramy is in charge of all the team’s turn in boxes and responsible for making sure that everyone has a good time. Jeramy commutes to the contests from Charleston, IL, where he works for the IL Department of Transportation. When he is not hunting or barbecuing, Jeramy spends his time pining over his fiancee who is currently in Georgia for school. Jeramy has earned the distinction as the member most likely to forget the punchline to his own story while he is telling it.
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Nick “The Probie” Saylor
Nick joined the team in 2010 and is Brian’s brother. This quickly put him on permanent probation and assigned him to clean the dishes indefinitely. Despite his probationary status, the team still lets Nick get involved in all aspects of competition. When he isn’t picking parsley or scrubbing the dishes, Nick can usually be found dozing off when he is supposed to keep the fire in the smoker stoked during the third watch. When he is not barbecuing, Nick is a senior in high school and spends plenty of time dreaming about Ford Mustangs he can’t afford. After graduation, Nick plans to follow in the footsteps of his older brother by joining the military and eventually becoming a law enforcement officer.
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Rick “Professor” Barton
Rick joined the team in 2011 after spending a number of years perfecting his barbecuing skills in Holly Springs North Carolina and experimenting on his Big Green Egg and other smokers. Rick is the team’s pork specialist and mops a wicked brew of spices on the team’s pork entry driving thin blue smoke into the night air. Rick enjoys managing the logistics for the team and works hard to drive process improvements in workflow and flavor profiles. When he is not barbecuing, Rick works in organizational development for Indiana University Health and enjoys life adventures with his family.
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Chris “The Hunter” Beck
Chris joined the team in 2012 and brings a love of barbecue. Chris is the chicken master for the team. He works tirelessly to prep and perfect the chicken we turn in at competitions with award winning results. Chris works in the financial services industry and when he isn’t working or out on the barbecue trail, you can usually find Chris on the hunting for some wild game. He is an avid hunter and recently completed his pursuit of the north American wild turkey Grand Slam.
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Joe “Irish” Kelly
Joe got hooking on competition barbecue in 2011 when he formed a team of local friends in Franklin to compete in the backyard category at the inaugural Smoke on the Square competition. For 2012, Joe decided it was time to spend up to the big time and embark on the competition barbecue journey at the professional level. Joe will be working to perfect the chicken entry for the team at each contest. When he is not dreaming of barbecue, Joe works to provide promotional items and other products to small businesses through his family-owned business.
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