The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
“The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game” is the book by Michael Lewis that is the basis for the surprise smash hit film starring Sandra Bullock. At the center of both the book and the movie is the incredible true story of Michael Oher and his climb from desperate poverty, neglect and dysfunction to wealth, support and football stardom. In oddly similar ways the strengths and weaknesses of the book and the movie are due to a central character taking over and dominating the narrative. In the movie it is Leigh Anne Tuohy as portrayed by Sandra Bullock, a wealthy white christian lady whose indomitable will and good humor are made the central force in elevating the African-American Michael Oher out of poverty and educational failure to football success and college admission. There is no doubt the movie’s success both financially and as an entertainment rest on Ms. Bullock’s shoulders, but I find it somewhat obscures the man, Michael Oher, whose remarkable story is actually being told. I mention this both because I came to the book after first seeing the movie and because I have been a fan of author Michael Lewis previous books “Liar’s Poker” and “Moneyball” where he examined the inner workings and characters of the bond market and baseball respectively. Ironically, whereas I found Ms. Bullock’s character and performance overwhelmed the movie, in the book I find a similar thing has happened with the character and story of Michael Oher dominating Mr. Lewis’ examination of 
football. As the subtitle “Evolution of a Game” indicates, it is clear Lewis started out with the intention of creating a book that examined developments in football the same way he had gone inside the changing game of baseball with “Moneyball”. Instead, “The Blind Side” is blind sided by the blitz of Michael Oher’s real life Dickensian story. Recounting Michael Oher’s life in brief it truly sounds like the summary of an overwrought melodrama, he was born to a drug addicted mother, had no relationship with his father, had possibly a dozen siblings and half-siblings, literally slipped through the cracks of the child protective custody system to the point where he did not attend school for years at a time, lived in the gang & drug infested ghetto of Memphis, Tennessee, frequently did not know where his meals would come from or where he would sleep each night, was somehow admitted to a private christian academy. All that was before he, African-American, came to be supported by and eventually adopted by the wealthy white christian Tuohy family and embarked on the football odyssey recounted in Lewis book. How could Michael Oher’s story not overwhelm any book it was a part of and that is too bad because Lewis’ chapters that examine the impact of linebacker Lawrence Taylor and offensive coaching genius Bill Walsh are fascinating. I personally wish Lewis had stepped back when he realized how dominating Michael Oher’s story was and written two separate books, one that could truly have been a look at the evolution of the game of football and another devoted exclusively to Michael’s incredible personal journey. As it is the book is a breeze to read, but fans of football, Sandra Bullock’s movie-version and especially of Michael Oher may be disappointed it does not give them more. (Note - Michael Oher was the Baltimore Ravens Number 1 pick in 2009, signed a $13 million dollar contract and finished 2nd in voting for NFL Offensive Rookie of the year)
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