#SocialStudies v7.0

March 29, 2012

It's been a wild couple weeks for us here in the office -- and we know you've been missing your weekly lineup of viral video goodness.

Not to worry. 

We're back, and with a vengeance. Not Bruce Willis-style, but close to it.

1. Grand Finale

Easily the most intense game from Basketball Finals (both Boys and Girls) was the Class A Girls Final between Grosse Pointe South and eventual champion Grand Haven. 

Here's the archived video of the entire game -- I'll recommend speeding through to the last 10 minutes.  Grand Haven roared back from 18 points down to give us some serious drama in the final minute of play.  Oh, and Bucs senior Shar'Rae Davis? Full-court drive and the game-winning bucket with under 10 seconds to play? Pretty nice little memory you've got there, girl. Great game.

(Also, tune in at 47:50 to catch the touching story of Terry Reid and his grandson Kyle Hall. Click the photo below for a link to the video.)



2. Must be the thin air

We're not the only state with drama in championship games this month ... the 2012 Colorado State High School Athletic Association 5A Boys Basketball Championship ended on this ridiculously athletic circus tip-in. Congratulations to Chaparral High School. (Seriously, how long was that kid in the air???)


3. Because Ray said so

Ray Lewis, controversial as his persona is, can flat-out deliver a pep talk. This rivals anything I've seen in film as one of the best brief amp-you-up-to-run-through-a-wall hype chats ever. 

For the record, Stanford went on to win their NIT semifinal over UMass, 74-64. Also, for the record -- I am definitely "not okay with mediocre" today.


4.  Nothing but ... no way!

And finally, here is one way to become famous in 3rd grade if your name isn't Doogie Houser.


Remember: if you find something you think should make the grade here on #SocialStudies, send it on over!

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @MHSAA. 

#SocialStudies V 2.1

September 13, 2012

By Andi Osters
Second Half social media guru

Welcome back, video mongers! A new school year has begun, and with it #SocialStudies 2.0.

Ready for your weekly dose of clips to peep? I hope so. 

A quick refresher on #SocialStudies – I give you a selection of video clips I spotted in my never-ending quest to find the end of the Internet (which I’m convinced involves a cat video of some sort). These videos will typically highlight the amazing, dazzling, funny or weird side of sports – some high school, some college, some pro… and some which defy categorization.

And sometimes, we’ll simply show you a clip that is interesting and/or unique enough to be worth sharing.

We welcome your submissions and ideas for this weekly feature, so feel free to email us a link or raw footage. Seriously: we love videos. That said, let’s get to the meat & potatoes.

1. Give him a hand (he needs only one)

Here’s a high school football player from South Carolina who apparently was born with mattress springs attached to his legs instead of feet.  The slo-mo replay of this interception (courtesy of PlayOn! Sports) is simply jaw-dropping.


2. Oh, Buddy ...

If Blake Griffin was at a gymnasium and I also happened to be in that very same gymnasium, I would absolutely tell my dignity to have a seat and allow that monster NBA dunk-master slam one over my head.  I’d probably react to the experience just like this guy did, too.


3. Swing, swing a song

And now, for something completely un-sporty. Well, almost. There’s definitely activity happening in this brief short about an art installation in Montreal. I’m always fascinated by the intersection of musical creation and physical motion. Enjoy this giant human-powered instrument.


4. Summer School

And file this last one under In-Case-You-Missed-It-Over-The-Summer – here’s a recap of our Student Advisory Council’s 2nd Annual camp retreat to Mystic Lake in June.  The 16-member council enjoyed time on the high ropes course, team building activities, bonfires and strategizing an action plan for the 2012-13 school year. 


That's enough for this school year's first lesson. See something over the weekend that caught your eye? Snag something at a pep assembly that we should see? Upload it to YouTube and send it on over.

You might just see it on Second Half’s #SocialStudies.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @MHSAA.