TOW #16 "The Blind Side" IRB 2

We have now reached the final TOW post of the 1st semester of my junior year. Kinda sad, isn't it?  Anyway, I have finished The Blind Side.  And, to get a comparison, I also watched the movie, which was as good as I remember.  First off, The Blind Side was written like a fiction book, making it very easy to read, being the great fiction reader I am.  The story of Oher was written as if the author, Michael Lewis, had made up the character of Michael Oher.  That makes me question some things about the story.  First off, although I’m sure Michael Oher was a very good person, he was human.  It seemed like the only aggression Oher had was on the football field.  But, did he have any other problems?  I also felt like they brushed over Oher’s acclimation, other than his problems with school.  In the movies, however, I could see the almost shyness and awkwardness from Quinton Aaron, the actor who played Michael Oher in the movie.  He seemed overwhelmed by the kindness of the Tuohy family. 

One part I really liked was the analysis of the “quarterback” and how Oher revolutionized the importance of the offensive line on the left side.  The explanation was that since most quarterbacks are right handed, their backs are turned against the left side.  If a defensive player broke through the left side of the line, then the quarterback would never see the person coming.  This “blind side” became important to block after Oher began playing, since Oher was not only huge, but fast. This idea of the protectiveness of Oher, both on the field and off, was worked extremely well into both the movie and the book.  Even though I don’t fully enjoy sports, this book of success against the odds really was a great read.