Michael Oher “Blindly” Attacks Family That Saved Him

Michael Oher seems to have a very short memory. The country became aware of Oher when his story was depicted in the 2009 movie “The Blind Side.” The movie was a feel-good story that garnered Sandra Bullock an Academy Award. The story, if anyone is unaware of it, tells the story of a black homeless teenager in Memphis that’s taken in by the Tuohys, a wealthy white family. The family eventually becomes Oher’s “legal Guardian” and supports him through High school, college and eventually a successful NFL career.

The fact the movie was even made is an interesting story. The movie is based on a 2006 book written by Michael Lewis. The book wasn’t written about the Oher-Tuohy relationship. Fascinated by Lawrence Taylor’s total disruption of offenses, Lewis was writing about the emergence of the left tackle’s importance in quarterback protection. He happened to be good friends withy Sean Tuohy and took note of the unusual relationship between their family and Oher. Naturally, Hollywood jumped on the black and white aspect of it and a movie was born.

It didn’t take Oher long to become vengeful. Even though In 2011, he wrote his first memoir titled, “I Beat the Odds.” In that book he acknowledged that the Tuohy’s started a conservatorship when he was a senior in high school. He also acknowledged that the Tuohy’s insisted that he attempt to maintain a relationship with his estranged biological mother. In that memoir, Oher admitted that his mother participated in all of the necessary procedures for the Tuohy’s to become the conservators.

Yet, even after everything the Tuohy’s have done for him, Oher is now claiming that he never knew the Tuohy’s didn’t adopt him. He is also claiming in a petition filed in a Tennessee court, that the Tuohys made millions off of the movie and that he made nothing.

Oher’s action are either despicable or pitiful. He is either an ungrateful beneficiary of an uncommon kindness or he Is suffering from CTE. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain condition thought to be linked to repeated head injuries and blows to the head. It slowly gets worse over time and leads to dementia.

In either case, the media’s deference to attack the Tuohys Is unconscionable. This is a family that did everything possible for a suffering child and now lured by the possibility of a race related story, the media is taking Oher’s side.

The Tuohy’s are being victimized for one reason only, … they’re white. The thought that they can be portrayed as villains is too much for the media to ignore. Investigations and the truth are for  others, blaring out hatred gets clicks and increases viewership.

Here’s a reality that Oher and the media need to come to grips with. The Tuohy’s never needed Michael Oher or the subsequent money that became associated with his story. They were successful before they took him in, during the time he lived with them, as well as afterward. They sold their business for $200 million which is more than Oher made in his entire professional career.

Look, I’m trying to give Oher the benefit of the doubt. However, the choices in either case aren’t good. I certainly don’t want Oher’s claims to be the result of an injury to his brain. On the other hand, I hope that his selfish and unfounded claims aren’t the result of simple greed and ignorance.

Perhaps, in this one case the Mainstream Media can actually stop their persecution of a race-based storyline and actually investigates the facts.

In either case, Oher needs to be either pitied or vilified and just as importantly the Tuohys need to be exonerated.

Not just exonerated, … Loudly Exonerated.