November 25, 2020November 25, 2020

Cutting to the chase: Buzz plan to select Realtor with #1 pick

Without hesitation, Buzz GM Grizzly Doug made it known Tuesday during the league meeting that his plan is to take Realtor (#55) with the 1st overall pick in the 2020 draft.

After trading away two stars for a platter of draft picks from the Greens last week, the Buzz now start the rebuild with a bona fide veteran leader with an attache full of swag and style.

Realtor’s ability to get up and down the court for hours on end will cause trouble for opposing teams. This guy draws multiple defenders throughout the game, can get his shot up from nearly anywhere on the court and has a keen eye for the extra pass.

The gamble, though, is a big one for the Buzz. Realtor has been off the court since the Covid pandemic began and may not return until after a vaccine is available. We hear he’s been running a fair amount of miles, so expect him to show up in game shape when he does return.

Hopefully for the Buzz and the league, it’s Week 1.

November 23, 2020

Buzz trade B Stacks & Sam Awry to Greens

Greens Move 1st, 2nd, 5th, Flip 3rd, 4th picks for 2 All-Stars

Turns out, the Princess gets what she wants. This time, it’s an All-Star trio to put on the floor in 2021.

Jill Green, owner/GM of the Greens, made it known over the weekend that her objective during the 2021 season was to surround the team’s cornerstone player, Dr. Weed, with a group of hustlers that could meld together quickly this off-season to put together a championship run.

Monday afternoon she did just that. The Greens have sent their 1st, 2nd & 5th round draft picks in 2020 to the Buzz and agreed to a pick-flip in rounds 3 & 4 to bring Sam Awry and B Stacks over to the greener side of the fence. Both Awry and Stacks have played for Beer City Hoops in previous tournaments, including the Battle of the Gains 2019 on Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids. Green, as she said Monday, “saw what they’re able to do on the court as teammates last summer and (we) want that hoops knowledge on our team”.

If teams are worried about the free agent market, this should prod the anxiety nerve in GMs around the league. Awry’s canny ability to recruit late in the game is remarkable. Look at the wake of players attributed to his being in the league. (We’ll count six, currently.) B Stacks has opened the airways of opportunity for two potential draftees this off-season.

With Dr. Weed’s leadership and veteran presence, Sam Awry’s ability to get people on the same page and B Stacks being the emotional Magic of the squad, Greens now has a Big Three akin to the likes of Dennis Johnson, Jim Paxson and Robert Parrish from the ’87 Celtics. Add in Trip, aka “Four Corners Eau Claire” aka Larry Bird, and this team is just a rock-and-roll band from Boston.

Buzz GM Grizzly Doug, namesake of the MVP Trophy, owner/operator of the team and Little River Woodworks- Croton, was willing to saw the root stump off the current team to start over on a new canvas of hoops for 2021. Burning his own flesh into the team’s outer layer like a cattle brand, this sawyer knows when to cut and run. Now was the right time to Buzz off.

The haul? It’s Yuge! The Buzz now have two 1st’s, two 2nd’s, two 5th’s and flipped their 3rd & 4th with Greens in the upcoming draft on December 8th. That’s eight picks!!! The architect is drawing up plans; step one – foundation.

Tune in to the Beer City Hoops 2020 Draft LIVE December 8, 2020.

(Check ALL our social media outlets!)

November 21, 2020

Nines drop a 4-pack for a Sixer

Late Friday night the Buzz sent a 2020 6th Round Draft Pick to the Nines for a 4-pack of Mosacca IPA from Greyline Brewing.

November 19, 2020November 24, 2020

What’s the haul for Awry and Stacks?

Sources throughout the league continue to believe Sam Awry and B Stacks will be traded by the Buzz sometime before the Gr3g League draft on Tuesday December 8th.

While no official word from the Buzz (or any team for that matter) has been announced or discussed in public, sources familiar with the situation who wish to remain anonymous talk about this being “openly talked about within the GM circle” and that the Buzz wants “as many draft picks” as possible for the duo whether shipped out together or in separate deals.

The Reds‘ GM is on record, allegedly, denouncing the path Buzz leadership have taken over the past year during the pandemic. We don’t have that audio. “Get your sh!+ together” is his motto, but it’s a bit surprising to show such emotion. We don’t believe the Reds are a true contender for either player.

City, Crew, Nines & Greens all have the assets necessary to pull off such a deal. If any one of them willing to make a major splash pre-draft, our bet is on the Crew. What the trade wouldn’t do for these teams is add size.

The Gr3g League Draft takes place on December 8, 2020.

November 19, 2020

Report: Buzz looking to add draft picks

News coming out of the Buzz camp is that ownership and management are contemplating a complete rebuild of the roster for the 2021 season.

With the completion of pre-season games, the upcoming Draft becomes the building block for the newest expansion team in the Gr3g League. The “buzz around town”, pardon our theft Mr. Goebel, is that both Sam Awry and B Stacks could be on the move as soon as Thursday night.

The Yellow Jackets could add as many as 3 picks for each player and set themselves up for a run at a title in 2022.

The Buzz is currently located outside Broadleaf Beer in Grand Rapids, MI.

Check the “Broad Board” for a free pint from the League, if you’re In Gear AND Pay It Forward!

May 21, 2020November 24, 2020

GR3G Hoops: The Rules!

the rules of GR3G Hoops are as follows: these apply for ALL games

games are played on a half court for 3-on-3 and full court for 5-on-5
we use the on-court arc, shots inside the arc are worth 2 points and outside the arc are worth three points
made shots from beyond our added “3G” line at 23-feet or beyond activate a “Make It, Take It” for the offense
shooting fouls create one free throw per number of points of shot taken
players fouled on “3G” makes are rewarded with one free throw and the ball
substitutions may be made on a dead ball or by calling timeout
each team receives two 60-second timeouts
all defensive strategies are allowed
we use a 29.5 size game ball
additional game specific rules are listed below

3-on-3 rules: to win, a team must score EXACTLY 36 points

after 3 team fouls, players foul out for 1 possession for each defensive infraction
the official must distribute the ball beyond the “3G” line after each made basket
the inbounding player is free to dribble or pass the ball inbounds
defensive rebounds and steals must be cleared beyond the on-court arc ONLY if the ball touched the rim
the ball is cleared when a player establishes BOTH feet behind the on-court arc
halftime happens when one team reaches 21 points

5-on-5 rules: games are played with four 9-minute quarters

after 3 team fouls, players enter the “3G” bonus: three free throws per defensive foul
players do not foul out, but must substitute out for at least one possession/dead ball after 5 personal fouls

May 5, 2020November 24, 2020

“ONE TEAM FOR WEST MICHIGAN”, a collaboration in Beer City, USA

Four of Beer City’s sports franchises, the Grand Rapids Drive, Grand Rapids Griffins, West Michigan Whitecaps and West Michigan Sports Commission on Tuesday launched “One Team For West Michigan,” a collaborative initiative to provide encouragement and help to our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This 30-second PSA video released to local TV stations and shared on the four organizations’ websites and social media platforms contains clips from the three professional teams integrated into a message of positivity and hope.

Viewers are invited to visit OneTeamForWestMichigan.com, where they will find donation links and information for charities that have been designated by each sports organization for particular support during this time, including The Children’s Foundation (Drive), Heart of West Michigan United Way (Whitecaps), Kids’ Food Basket (Griffins), and Mary Free Bed Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports (WMSC). Each charity has specific COVID-related funds or needs that fans can support, joining campaigns that each team initiated in the early days of this crisis.

“It’s exciting to have all three Grand Rapids teams come together to support this great cause. We’re all in the business of providing entertainment to our community and now we’ll turn our focus to supporting the West Michigan community that we all have the pleasure of calling home. We want to thank the Griffins, Whitecaps and the WMSC for partnering with us on this initiative and bringing awareness to the fantastic work these organizations do,” said Drive president Steve Jbara.

April 30, 2020November 24, 2020

Thoughts from the Dirty Water: Covid-19 #StayAtHome in Michigan

Did we ever really understand what was going on around here in the first place?

Seriously.

Not much unlike the NFL draft, most of this can be done online.

What were we before that “one time we did that one thing” in sports, politics, family, friendships and everyday life?

We, as a United people of these American States (I’m not sure anything else fits the current status quo), won’t (not can’t, WON’T) find an even ground to plant our feet and solidify enough commonalities in our lives to put aside whatever political differences we have and make a concerted effort to “give of ourselves” to the future generations that may or may not exist only due to the choices we humans are making today.

Healthcare and Hospital workers (Nurses, Doctors, Admin, Orderlies, Technicians, Therapists, Social Workers, Trainers, Cashiers, Valets, Maintenance, IT, etc.) deserve the utmost respect and gratitude for CONTINUALLY putting their lives at risk every day, far before the Covid-19 pandemic. If you can’t find money to buy these folks a meal right now, start putting ONE QUARTER (that’s 25 cents) of your spending change into a HERO FUND to give away near the HOLIDAYS. 24 weeks at $2.50 equals a $60 gift card for your favorite HERO!

Gone out to SHIP anything? That means “sending mail, packages or gifts” to friends, family or customers…and also “RETURNS to amazon or zappos“. Retail cashiers are near the lowest paid industry and deserve a $5/per transaction tip. They’ve lost hours, had to wear masks & gloves, continually clean and disinfect the stores they work in. They WEAR THE STUFF YOU SHOULD BE WEARING IN PUBLIC! SO, HAND OUT SOME CASH if you’re “just returning this pair of shoes that don’t fit”. Is returning product really essential? To paraphrase the Governor, “food or life-saving items only”. You’re overzealous Zappos order does not comply! #StayHome They don’t want you there, the business owner does. But, the owners haven’t provided the “mandated necessary equipment to open”, the Managers and Staff have. TIP THE STAFF!!!! Or #StayHomeMichigan.

“But, Hoops, groceries!”

And now we can tackle the grocery store. Not much unlike the NFL draft, most of this can be done online. Except for the pickup of prescriptions, which you can have delivered, why are you even AT the store? Restaurant servers out of work because of the VIRUS are finding work doing grocery and other deliveries but don’t have the clout (bottom of the list/ small orders) on the seniority and customer preferred list of shoppers hired months before them. So, yes, GO order and buy meals and gift cards from your local restaurants, but please don’t forget about the staff that the CAN NOT keep on payroll right now. WE RECOMMEND 50% TIPS AT YOUR LOCAL TAKEOUT!

Tangent:

And while we’re at it, why can’t 2K Sports and the NBA work out a deal to get CAREER MODE for the @WNBA on 2k20 via an upload or get their sh!+ together and get it working for 2K21? WE hate this! SO much! There’s ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD OR REAL EXPLANATION THAT #GirlDad’s have to tell their daughters, “Well, at least they have girls on the game.”

Seriously, What The F*ck is Wrong With Humanity?

Profits. That’s it. Oh, and Pride.

Family, friends, fans, followers, haters and Gators,