15 Times Sports Teams Made Awesome In-House Vids

The Miami Heat set the in-house team video bar impossibly high with this Martin intro spoof.

And as hilarious as that is, the good news is there are other sports teams out there doing equally awesome things with video production. From excellent graphics and production quality to hilarious storylines and awful athlete acting, these 15 videos are the cream of the crop.

The videos range from promotional materials to hype reels and from holiday cards to All-Star campaigns. Whatever the purpose, let's hope these in-house production teams keep up the good work. The fans are the ones who benefit. 

Honorable mention to this awesome vid of the FC Barcelona youth team playing keepy-uppy. It appears to have been produced by UEFA rather than Barcelona, but it's awesome.

San Francisco Giants: Full Clubhouse

Full House was one of those quintessential late 1980s-early '90s family television shows. It took place in San Francisco, and its typical opening intro combined a catchy song with city landmarks.

Last August, the San Francisco Giants hosted a Full House night at AT&T Park and used that famous intro to make a promotional video. The whole thing was charmingly synchronized with the original, and a Dave Coulier cameo put the icing on the cake.

By August, word had already gotten out about the show's Netflix revival, Fuller House, so the Giants' video was not only clever but also timely.

New Orleans Pelicans: Masterpiece Theatre

What says holiday cheer better than a classic movie? To celebrate the holiday season in 2015, the New Orleans Pelicans produced a spin on Masterpiece Theatre and parodied some of their favorite classics.

Point guard Jrue Holiday hosted the clip, and other players acted out scenes from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Home Alone and A Christmas Story.

Forward Ryan Anderson did a decent job portraying the excessive enthusiasm of Clark Griswold, but center Kendrick Perkins looked even more awkward in that pink bunny suit than young Ralphie.

Arsenal: MLS All-Star Promo

The MLS All-Stars will take on Arsenal in July, and the Premier League club released a video promoting their visit to sunny California.  

This video, though admittedly a little odd, was impressive for two reasons. First, there was star power. Current Arsenal players appeared, as well as MLS stars such as Toronto FC forward Sebastian Giovinco and Orlando City midfielder Kaka. Arsenal legend Thierry Henry even made a cameo.  

Second, there was a masterful troll moment. The video began with MLS players contemplating which team they should play in a game of FIFA. When Arsenal's local rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, appeared as an option, Toronto's Herculez Gomez said, "Beat them." Burn.

Minnesota Vikings: Everson Griffen Pro Bowl

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Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen made the NFL Pro Bowl for the first time in 2016 when J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans had to bow out due to injury.

Though the Pro Bowl isn't something that gets much hype on its own these days, Griffen's team stepped up and honored him with an awesome hype video. The production value was stellar, and the old-school film reel was a nice touch.

In fact, the video itself was as well-done as its overall sentiment was endearing.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs Train

The Cleveland Cavaliers produced a Soul Train-esque hype video and have shown it at several throwback-themed games in the 2015-16 season—in November against the Milwaukee Bucks and again in January against the San Antonio Spurs.

The fans at Quicken Loans Arena were undoubtedly impressed with, or at least entertained by, LeBron James and crew showing off their best moves while decked out in 1970s gear.

All aboard the Cavs train, y'all.

Sacramento Kings: 'Mean' Joe Remake

Some NBA teams went to great lengths to get their players elected to the All-Star Game in 2016. Luckily for fans, that included promotional videos.

One of the best came from the Sacramento Kings. In an attempt to drum up votes for center DeMarcus Cousins, the team produced a stellar remake of the famous "Mean" Joe Greene Coca-Cola ad from 1979.

The Greene ad was an ambitious spot to tackle, but the Kings and Cousins did a superb job. Even so, Cousins failed to make the starting roster via fan vote, though league coaches did select him as a reserve. 

Seattle Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch Tribute

Highlight videos are nothing new or particularly notable, but the Seattle Seahawks' tribute to retiring running back Marshawn Lynch warrants a mention.

Partly because of great video production, partly because of Lynch's incredible body of work, the video is likely to give any football fan chills.

The team posted the video to its Twitter account with an accompanying quote from Seahawks assistant coach Tom Cable: "He's not carrying the football; he's carrying his team."

That run against the New Orleans Saints, though.

Chicago Blackhawks: Yule Log

The Chicago Blackhawks have proved to be adept at creating promotional videos. Remember the 1990s-themed All-Star spot back in 2014?

In 2015, the team created a take on a holiday yule log video. The idea wasn't wholly original—those in the YouTube know might be reminded of Nick Offerman's gem, a 40-plus minute video in which the comedian sat by a fire drinking whiskey. That was it.

The Blackhawks version was only 24 minutes and change, but it added entertainment value by including multiple player appearances—Patrick Kane dressed as a candy cane, for example.

Dallas Mavericks: 'Zoolander' Spoof

Want to make a video instantly hilarious? Spoof a funny movie—just ask Jemele Hill and Michael Smith of ESPN's His and Hers.

The Dallas Mavericks clearly got this memo. In December, the team released "ZooChandler," a video spoofing, what else, Zoolander and starring Mavs stars Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki. They are "really, really, ridiculously good at basketball" apparently.

Parsons' head digitally inserted onto Ben Stiller's body looks a little odd, but this one definitely gets points for creativity.

Toronto Blue Jays: Come Together

Team-produced hype videos are practically a dime a dozen these days, but it's not often an entire nation gets behind one team.

When the Toronto Blue Jays won the American League East in 2015, they made the playoffs for the first time since 1993. To commemorate the occasion, they produced a video to try and gain the support of all Canadians.

The result could be used as a prototype for everything good hype videos should be: inspirational, moving and exciting. And just think, the Jose Bautista bat flip hadn't even happened yet.

Florida Panthers: Kevin Spacey in Space

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No one knows why, but sometime in late 2015, the Florida Panthers started doling out "Kevin Spacey in Space" sweatshirts (which are exactly what they sound like) to each game's best player.  

The actor himself tweeted in December: "Only I really know what #SpaceyInSpace means. Hope it continues to bring good luck!"

The Panthers, capitalizing on this weird yet awesome tradition, made a video. And guess what? President Frank Underwood himself made an appearance.

Check it out.

Dallas Mavericks: Dirk as Trump

Either the Dallas Mavericks like making in-house videos or Dirk Nowitzki likes being in them. Either way, the team continues to roll out hilarious spoofs.

There was November's masterpiece, "Shotline Bling," (h/t SB Nation) which depicted Mavs players doing their best Drake impressions.  

And later, in January, Nowitzki starred in a ridiculous yet comical video (h/t SB Nation) apparently meant to promote the Mavs and mock Donald Trump at the same time. Success. 

Detroit Pistons: 'Jumpman' Remix

Another of this year's NBA All-Star campaign videos here, and even better than the Sacramento Kings' "Mean" Joe Greene remake was the Detroit Pistons' "Jumpman" remix.

In an effort to solicit votes for center Andre Drummond, the team released an absolutely insane video of President Obama, mashed up to the Drake and Future hit.

The video got tons of hype, but like DeMarcus Cousins of the Kings, Drummond ultimately only got on the team thanks to the coaches rather than fans.

San Jose Sharks: Behind the Holiday Videos

The San Jose Sharks production team, SJ Sharks Productions, has been making delightful holiday videos for years. There have been puppets, parties, shopping—you name it, it's been featured. "Holiday Sweater" was particularly catchy.

In 2015, the whole thing took a Behind the Music turn with a five-part series spoofing the VH1 show's format. The five videos looked back on previous holiday films. Josh Cooper of Puck Daddy wrote: "This was a way to relive the videos as an homage to the Sharks' history in their 25th anniversary season."

The production value alone was incredible on all counts, though anyone who has a fear of puppets might want to steer clear. Slappy the Enchanted Holiday Elf is the type of character to haunt dreams.

Miami Heat: 'Martin' Intro

The Miami Heat once made an epic "Harlem Shake" video, so the continued success of its in-house video productions is no surprise. Still, it would be tough for anything to beat the Martin intro spoof the team released in February.

Martin was a 1990s sitcom starring Martin Lawrence, and everything about its intro—the graphics, the clothes, everything—was so '90s.

Kudos to the Heat players and production team for making this recreation truly special.