The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.

So I already talked about how much I enjoyed the movie.  I was worried that I’d like the movie less because they left things out that the book touched on.  I was very impressed, however.

The book doesn’t focus solely on Michael Oher, and instead splits its time between Oher’s story and the evolution of the left tackle position in the NFL.  Michael Lewis talks about Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Montana, Steve Young, and a bunch of offensive linemen who you’ve probably never heard of, but were more important than the aforementioned Hall of Famers.  I really enjoyed it from a history perspective, as it allows you to realize how important protecting the QB’s blind side has become in the NFL.  It also makes me really sad we didn’t draft Michael Oher, just to say we had him.  Plus, Walter Jones is about 2 seconds from retirement, and he’d be the perfect replacement.

For the most part, the movie stays pretty true to the book.  While it took some liberties — as most screenplays do — it still was basically the same story.  The only thing that jumps out in my mind was how little Sean Tuohy was in the movie, even though he played rather prominently in the novel.  Also understated was the amount of money the Tuohy’s have.  I figured they were rich, but the book paints a better picture of the amount of wealth.  It makes it even more absurd that the NCAA was accusing Michael of taking money from boosters, prompting Sean to say, “He [Michael] has more money than any Ole Miss booster.”

The book is a really good read, and I’d even recommend it to people who don’t really know about football.  It focuses less on the X’s and O’s and more on the importance of finding the right system for a player.  The author then relates it to life, saying if you don’t have the right surroundings or support system, your talents won’t matter.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with even a faint interest in sports, as Michael Lewis does a fine job telling this story.  He helps you understand things you once took for granted, and he intertwines the story of a boy and the story of a position evolving.  Short-story-long, Michael Lewis’ Blind Side was a fantastic book that I very much enjoyed reading.  You should do yourself a favor and read it, too.

9 out of 10.