Behind the Banner - October 2022

BEHIND THE BANNER

ANOTHER WORLD CHAMPION TO BE CROWNED IN DALLAS … AND YOU CAN BE THE JUDGE!

By Stephen Evans

As you may have heard, we just do sports bigger and better in Big D. Simply put, when America prepares to celebrate its most cherished sports championship events, Dallas is the desired destination.

We’ve pretty much hosted them all, from Super Bowls to World Cups and Final Fours to World Series, and everything in between. And we mean everything. But there’s a new type of championship event coming to Dallas, and this one will be a tasty treat for all of our resident foodies.

Starting on Wednesday, November 9 and going through the weekend, Dallas will play host to the World Food Championships, the ultimate Food Sport event in the world. Food Sport? Yes, Food Sport, where the competition burns hot and the very best champions go on to become the next culinary stars on your favorite cooking competition TV shows.

But this isn’t your typical world championship. When the Super Bowl comes to town, you can’t just mingle on the sidelines and kick it with the players during

the game. When the Final Four is here, they’re not offering you a chance to shoot around with the players prior to the championship game. But the World Food Championships – it’s a championship competition you can savor and experience firsthand.

A culinary feast to see and taste, the World Food Championships will feature more than 1,000 competing chefs and dozens of custom tasting experiences in the Hall of Taste and the BBQ Ranch, with free food and sampling daily. It’s five days of foodie heaven where you can be the judge, literally!

During the competition, the competitors vying for World Food Championship crowns in their particular food category will create more than 8,000 dishes, all of which need to be judged. That’s where you come in.

any dish based on three key criteria: Execution, Appearance, and Taste.

Only judges who become E.A.T.™ certified will be eligible to enjoy judging privileges at WFC. If you’re up for the challenge of determining the best culinary dishes in the world, register to attend the WCC Food Judge Class by CLICKING HERE

But first, you’ll need to be certified through the World Food Championships’ custom food judging class. It’s an interactive event where you’ll be trained by a WFC professional on the E.A.T.™ methodology ––WFC’s scoring system that enables judges to rank

If judging a fierce cooking competition seems like a big responsibility, and it is, you can have a much more relaxed experience while taking in some of the best-tasting dishes you’ve ever come across. The Bourb’N’Que on November 11 mixes premium bourbon tastings with delicious ribs prepared by the best pitmasters in America. And, for the first time in WFC history, Best of the Fest on November 12-13 allows you get to taste the championship food that is normally reserved only for certified judges. Try some of the week’s extraordinary dishes from a sampling of the award-winning World Food Championship competitors.

Finally, if you want to more than just indulge in some of the best barbeque and other culinary delights,

you can actually learn the craft from a number of celebrity chefs and pitmasters during World Food Championship Master Classes. Learn the secret to preparing the best pork ribs, chicken wings, and pork loins, along with the perfect steak. There will also be live chef demos throughout the five days.

The World Food Championships will take place at Fair Park in Dallas. Its growing popularity has made it one of the Top 10 food events in the country as determined by USA Today.

In 2021, WFC attracted more than 1,500 cooks from 42 states and 6 countries during its the tournament’s search for the best cooks and artisans from around the globe. More than 17,000 foodies watched and enjoyed the heat of the battle unfold in 10 official categories in person.

Since its debut in 2012, WFC has given birth to 30+ TV food stars, awarded more than $3 million in prize money, featured competitors from 49 of the 50 states, garnered more than 10 billion media impressions, and connected nearly 200 food brands with food fans, food bloggers, and food media. In short, it has given birth to Food Sport by providing a level playing field, a fair judging system, a creative culinary fest, and a process that allows the culinary elite to show their chops and earn the respect they deserve.

Admission tickets for the World Food Championships and tickets for all Master Classes can be purchased by CLICKING HERE.

LUKA’S NEXT FEAT: AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

By Stephen Evans

Through his first four full seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic has put together an eyepopping resume -- Rookie of the Year, 3-time AllNBA First Team, 3-time All-Star, career average of nearly a triple double (26.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists).

And then last season, he donned his Superman cape and led the Mavs to a 31-10 second half record and a trip to the Western Conference Finals, matching players like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant in leading

their teams to the conference finals in their fourth season.

Oh what a ride it was!

So here’s the thing – what’s next? What can we expect from Luka and the Mavs as an encore?

Well, Vegas, at least, is expecting an MVP-caliber year from Luka, as evidenced by his being the betting favorite to win that honor leading into this

season. We’ve seen similar prognostications prior to each of the past two seasons, and neither delivered the gold. But through three games in 2022, Luka is making his case, joining Russell Westbrook as the only players in NBA history to produce 100+ points, 25+ rebounds, and 20+ assists through three games to start a season.

26.5 points per game, a stat that continues to climb. With a great season, he can perhaps eclipse 27 points per game for his career. There have been just six players in NBA history who have averaged more than 27 points per game in their NBA careers, and only one never won an NBA championship – Elgin Baylor. That’s good news for Mavs fans.

And if you’re still looking for a Luka comp, why not look at a fellow European star, Giannis Antetokounmpo? Giannis has played twice as many NBA seasons as Luka (10 years of service vs. 5) and is generally considered the more dynamic player at this point in their careers, but looks can be deceiving. Luka’s career numbers best Giannis’ numbers in average points per game by age and by years of service and assists per game by age and by years of service. And in the next-gen Player Efficiency Rating stats, which takes into account accomplishments, such as field goals, free throws, 3-pointers, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals, and negative results, such as missed shots, turnovers and personal fouls, Luka has bettered Giannis in all but one year when comparing by year of service.

Not bad, but the Mavs managed to win just one of those first three games.

Yes, this year is different, and there is no direct correlation between last year’s oh-so-close run toward the NBA Finals and this season’s finish, whatever that might be. Defenses are making it more difficult for Luka to be a facilitator. Instead of crashing in on Luka, defenses are allowing him to get his, but making it much more difficult for him to get his teammates involved. According to The Athletic, during the first three 2022 games, the Mavs averaged about 30 fewer passes per game and four fewer assists that they averaged a year ago. It’s a different year and a different code to break.

But history is on the side of a Mavs breakthrough, led by their all-world performer. As of this writing, Luka has a career regular season scoring average of

So what does all of this mean? Who knows? But it’s fun to speculate. It took Giannis six seasons to get his Milwaukee Bucks to the conference finals. Two years later in 2021, the Bucks were NBA champions. It was all but certain that a player the caliber of Giannis was destined to one day win a championship, and the odds are that someday soon it will be Luka and the Mavs hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

It’s still just October and this season is still so young that Shaq and Chuck haven’t even started bickering yet. There is certainly a long season still to play out. But don’t fret, Mavs fans, at the team’s 1-2 start. In that aforementioned 2021 Bucks NBA championship season, Giannis’ squad also started the campaign with a 1-2 record, and it worked out quite nicely for them.

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