MEM Folks-The Blind Side
07-06-2009 | 02:23 PM
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MEM Folks-The Blind Side
Last year, for my birthday, my sister sent me “The Blind Side” by Michael Lewis. Usually I get a gift certificate to Starbucks or Barnes and Noble, so this was a bit of a surprise. The book cover says “evolution of a game” and browsing the jacket I determined that the game is football and the evolution concerns the rise of the left tackle to prominence in the pass oriented game. Hmmm, well I like football, I’m heading out on an extended trip and need something to read, we’ll see.
Here’s what I told my sister a week later when I called to tell her thanks for sending me the book..Sis, it was great, not good, great. Reading the acknowledgements at the end, Lewis says his inspiration for writing the book came after visiting with a childhood friend. That friend had taken the main character of the book, Michael Oher, a 6’6” 350 pound African American teenager into his very white Memphis home. Lewis said this friend had “me laughing in 10 minutes and crying in 20…”and he knew he had to tell the story of Big Mike. It’s a beautiful story of luck, courage and perseverance. And the odd confluence of a wealthy, white, Christian suburban family and a black inner city kid who survived with minimal adult help or guidance. At the same time this strange human drama was playing out in East Memphis, pro football coaches like Bill Walsh were faced with drawing up offenses that could handle the likes of a Lawrence Taylor on the defensive side of the play. And thus the importance of the left guard who would be the protection for the blind side of a right handed quarterback. And the prototypical candidate for that position is a nimble giant, exactly like Michael Oher who although weighing 350 pounds could still do a nifty spin move and dunk on the basketball court.
Anyone who likes football or has lived in Memphis, or both, will relate to so many things in this story. Fred Smith's daughter is producing the movie and I think Sandra Bullock is starring.
Here’s what I told my sister a week later when I called to tell her thanks for sending me the book..Sis, it was great, not good, great. Reading the acknowledgements at the end, Lewis says his inspiration for writing the book came after visiting with a childhood friend. That friend had taken the main character of the book, Michael Oher, a 6’6” 350 pound African American teenager into his very white Memphis home. Lewis said this friend had “me laughing in 10 minutes and crying in 20…”and he knew he had to tell the story of Big Mike. It’s a beautiful story of luck, courage and perseverance. And the odd confluence of a wealthy, white, Christian suburban family and a black inner city kid who survived with minimal adult help or guidance. At the same time this strange human drama was playing out in East Memphis, pro football coaches like Bill Walsh were faced with drawing up offenses that could handle the likes of a Lawrence Taylor on the defensive side of the play. And thus the importance of the left guard who would be the protection for the blind side of a right handed quarterback. And the prototypical candidate for that position is a nimble giant, exactly like Michael Oher who although weighing 350 pounds could still do a nifty spin move and dunk on the basketball court.
Anyone who likes football or has lived in Memphis, or both, will relate to so many things in this story. Fred Smith's daughter is producing the movie and I think Sandra Bullock is starring.
07-06-2009 | 10:57 PM
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From: Mad Dog Capt
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