With Tiger Woods dominating the news like a Sunday afternoon at Augusta, I thought it would be nice to talk about Michael Oher, the Baltimore Ravens football player and subject of the new movie, “The Blind Side.”
I finally saw the movie last night and if you have yet to do so yourself, grab your family and go now. It’s one of the best feel good movies and will make you leave the theater a football fan. Well, maybe not a football fan; rather a Michael Oher fan. With Tiger Woods’ sex scandal, which seems to get bigger and bigger each day; it was nice to see a story about an athlete who represents the opposite of what usually gets attention.
To sum up the movie: "The Blind Side" depicts the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.”
(Source: imdb.com)
Although this movie is about a football player, it is actually about a person, an athlete; one who flies under the radar and doesn’t crave the attention. I would call myself a casual sports fan, turning on the TV only to catch the scores, never even hearing the name Michael Oher before. To me, Oher was another football player in pads and a helmet.
However, athletes like Peyton Manning and what used to be Tiger Woods, their names transcended thru social dimensions. Even if you aren’t a sports nut, those names you could identify. Now, you can add one more name to the mix: Michael Oher.
And even if you don’t become a fan of football, the very least become a fan of this remarkable player and person. He won’t come out and tell you. It doesn’t seem Oher’s style. Instead, from the movie, he’ll just show you how remarkable he is. Open your eyes to “The Blind Side.”
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Jason Tanamor is the Editor of Zoiks! Online. He is also the author of the novels, "Hello Lesbian!" and "Anonymous." Email Jason at jason@zoiksonline.com.
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