OT: Movie "The Blind Side," and Demar Dorsey
I finally got around to going to see the movie "The Blind Side." It was better than I expected, much enjoyed, and is heartily recommended.
However, "The Blind Side" is especially great because it hits a rare trifecta. The movie is somewhat about football, is a chick flick your wife or girlfriend could enjoy, and it also works for kids. It is rare to find a good movie that's appropriate for my 8 year olds, and that my wife and I along with my 16 year old also enjoy.
In the previous Mgoblog post on this movie (Nov. 22,) there was considerable cynicism and speculation about the motivation of the parents who took Oher into their home. (i.e., did they conveniently bring an LT prospect into their home only in order to groom him for Ole Miss?) It would be interesting to definitively know the answer on what really motivated the parents.
However, personally, as a parent who fostered and adopted several kids coming from a terrible life situation, that kind of cynicism saddens me. I am happy for Oher, and am thrilled to see him make it to the pros. I hope to make a difference for the better in the life of my own kids.
Seeing the movie reminded me that many coaches, including RR and Carr and Bo, care deeply for their athletes. These coaches know the difficult circumstances so many of their athletes come out of, and how this is a rare opportunity for many to escape grinding poverty and to make something of themselves.
This brings me to Demar Dorsey. I am thrilled that Michigan has him on the team. But more than just being a speed merchant in the secondary, I am happy to see Dorsey have the opportunity to make something of his life.
None of us can save the world. But collectively, when we make a difference in the life of one or two people, that's a huge and very important thing. I hope that each of us seizes this opportunity when it comes our way.
February 13th, 2010 at 2:32 PM ^
even a column in the Free Press, written by somebody like Mitch Albom, who specializes in 'the-intersection-of-sports-and-life' kind of thing.
But of course, the story would carry a grave risk of portraying Rich Rodriguez in a positive light, so the Free Press will never, ever, do it.
February 13th, 2010 at 2:43 PM ^
Whether a kid is being "saved" because he's a good athlete or because he just needs saving, does it really matter? The Tuohys certainly didn't need the money that he might make one day, so there are few possible ulterior motives. And even if those ulterior motives existed, they're not as important as getting a kid like that off the streets.
February 13th, 2010 at 3:03 PM ^
Well of course the possible ulterior motive is that they got him to play for their alma mater and helped them win football games. But who cares? I mean honestly, lets assume the worst of these people, they used him to help their favorite football team. Does anyone seriously doubt that this kids life is better now? Even if he got more "help" than he deserved to get passing grades, again an assumption, he certainly received a better education if he was on the streets. And his career path is most certainly better than it would have been without them. So even if they 100% used and abused him, he is still better off so who cares.
February 13th, 2010 at 2:50 PM ^
But you make a valid point. People lose sight of the important thing about college: helping kids grow into contributing members of society.
Sharp's whole angle is "Why take a risk with this kid?" If nobody ever tried to help any kid like this, we would have a lot more criminals. Sharp has no interest in society's welfare. What about the kid? What about helping people reach their potential, particularly those kids who have put that possiblity in jeopardy?
Good post
February 13th, 2010 at 3:14 PM ^
The point made by the several Freep staffers is the implication that "Michigan is too good for this." Or, "If you ask anyone from Michigan, they will say they are too good for this kind of recruit; the kind of recruit that they claim to have avoided, historically." Or, "Perhaps this raises serious kinds of concerns about the kind of direction that Rich Rodriguez is taking the program..."
Take your pick of the outstanding theories. What none of them address is, Demar Dorsey and his future. It is kind of staggering, really, that in three major forays into the life of Demar Dorsey, the Freep Press: (1) Focused EXCLUSIVELY on court records and statements of persons connected to the juvenile arrests; (2) published a hit-piece by Drew Sharp, who has not interviewed any of Dorsey's coaches, family, etc., and; (3) published a second, repetitive hit-piece by Mick McCabe, who also has not interviewed any of Dorsey's coaches, family, etc. (If McCabe did those interviews before writing his column, he said nothing about them. If McCabe were to do them now, I sincerely hope that the Dorsey famly whould just hang up the phone.)
To turn around the old saying, "With friends like these, who needs enemies?"... With a newspaper like the Free Press, who needs hated rivals? Our hated rivals are much less of a threat to the Michigan program than Detroit's not-quite-daily newspaper.
February 13th, 2010 at 5:28 PM ^
At this point Drew Sharp is higher on my shit list than Jim Tressel
February 13th, 2010 at 5:42 PM ^
Why was this negged? Tressel is a stand-up guy who defended Michigan after practice-gate and did not negatively recruit against us according to Rodriguez. He has respect for the rivalry just as he has respect for Michigan. The OSU fans, some players, and Woody Hayes are the more detestable IMO.
February 13th, 2010 at 5:28 PM ^
At this point Drew Sharp is higher on my shit list than Jim Tressel
February 13th, 2010 at 7:11 PM ^
Jim Tressel and his program are "rivals."
Drew Sharp and the Free Press are "enemies."
February 13th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^
Look, all of us hope this kid does great by the team, the U and his life. But the reason people keep posting stories here about Dorsey is because, despite your negbombing of me you agree -- this isn't the type of kid Michigan (MICHIGAN) should be recruiting.
Can we just stop already.
Neg away but you know I'm right.
So let's all agree we hope he leads an exemplary life and we don't have to pretend that when it comes to football our admission standards are any different from OSU, lil brother or anywhere else.
February 13th, 2010 at 3:52 PM ^
Let's hope that you never need a second chance at anything in life.
February 13th, 2010 at 4:04 PM ^
But no, I don't agree that we shouldn't be the place for Dorsey. I'm glad he's here. I'm glad he was recruited, and I hope we recruit more like him.
I do believe there is some tipping point, when you have too many people from challenging circumstances who negatively impact each other, and then you can head towards being Thug U. I don't know what the tipping point is, but I'm confident that we aren't there.
Regarding admissions standards, we all know that many athletes wouldn't make it at most Universities without extra help. Same as it was with Oher. All of us who follow collegiate sports are complicit in this.
February 13th, 2010 at 4:15 PM ^
"this isn't the type of kid Michigan (MICHIGAN) should be recruiting"
brianshall - you aren't the type of fan Michigan should be having. Go away. I treasure my identity as a UM fan more the less there people like you that also share that identity.
February 13th, 2010 at 4:42 PM ^
Neg away but you know I'm right.No, actually I know you're wrong.
February 13th, 2010 at 5:16 PM ^
You seem to be saying, "Yes, I understand that MGoBlog has conclusively disproven Mick McCabe's hysterical claim about there having never been another recruit like this in all of his 40 years, but Michigan plays by a different set of rules..."
Fine. That's your position. Stick to it. Just remember to tell all your friends, "It's only because we think Michigan needs to play be an entirely separate set of rules, even if it means that Rich Rodriguez does not get to employ his judgment about such kids..."
For me, personally, this will remain a sore subject because I don't want the Free Press to get away without getting hammered for their own judgment on this subject. I hope and expect that the anti-Free Press topics will not go away.
People like you and me are probably alike in our support for Michigan, and differ only insofar as I have a deep and abiding hatred of the Free Press. But that is because the Free Press clearly has a vendetta against our team's head coach. Why you don't get that, and why you'd give a pass to the Free Press, is what I don't understand.
February 13th, 2010 at 5:23 PM ^
I think you are missing the point. Brian would not approve of Demar if the Freep didnt exist. He thinks Michigan is too good, and that Demar is too bad. Even though this is a big deal due to the freep, the freep is only playing on biases that Brian and others in the Michigan fan base have. It goes deeper than any vendetta the freep has.
February 13th, 2010 at 7:15 PM ^
That the Free Press is using the status/prejudice/reputation/myth of Michigan as being "special" against Demar Dorsey, but more than anything, against Rich Rodriguez.
If somebody wanted to suggest that this isn't about Dorsey at all, but rather is about "Michigan" and Rich Rodgriguez, I won't argue. Which just makes it all the more monstrous that Demar Dorsey's juvenile record is just a prop, a pawn, in the vendetta-game of the Freep.
February 13th, 2010 at 8:46 PM ^
Too many thought strands and issues running together here, but...
Yes, I do think institutional forces within UM and the Free Press don't like RR and would be happy to see him fail...
and that has nothing to do with me nor my view as a proud UM alum that our great U shouldn't be recruiting these kids...
nor has it anything to do with the fact that the CONSTANT STREAM of articles and comments defending Dorsey are just bullshit rationalizations and if everything was exactly the same and he went to OSU, say, we'd talk of him as if he were a criminal
but that said....
as I've said from the start, even if I don't want him to get a full ride scholarship from our great school, he has been offered and I hope he does the team, the U and his potential proud.
February 13th, 2010 at 8:56 PM ^
What do you mean, "these kids"?
Actually, I know exactly what you mean. Because you've stated your position seventeen fucking thousand times. We get it.
So please, please, please, post on some other topic. Please.
February 13th, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^
I made a comment on a mgoboard post and there were NINE comments based on my comment, so I did a follow-up. Perhaps the Internet is too much for you.
February 14th, 2010 at 12:04 PM ^
I'm not just talking about this thread, you twit. I'm talking about the seventeen fucking thousand Demar Dorsey threads on which you have made it totally clear what your position is.
If anyone on this blog gives a shit about what Brian S. Hall or Brian's Hall or Brians Hall or Brian Shall thinks about whether or not RR and Michigan should have recruited Demar Dorsey, rest assured that that position is by now well known. Please move on to some other topic.
February 14th, 2010 at 2:07 PM ^
Look, you can always skip my comments, i always use the same username. Or, since it seems you can't handle it, you can turn off your computer.
And of course, you can also yell at the people who have repeat posted here and throughout the site on why Dorsey is different and deserving. But I've checked, and you haven't cried over repeat 'pro' Dorsey posters.
So once again, young padawan, fuck off.
February 14th, 2010 at 5:41 PM ^
First, what is with all the Star Wars shit?
Second, the only reason people go on this blog to defend Dorsey is because of people like you. If you would just shut up about it, no one would have to respond in kind.
You're right that it's tiresome on both ends. There has been almost no discussion about any of the other recruits, except for the Vinopal jihad of a few months back. But that's not because of the broken record pro-Dorsey faction keeping the "controversy" alive.
It's because of this bizarro group of UM fans and the Freep, who apparently believe that, despite the Fab Five, Marques Slocum, Carson Butler, and a host of other counterexamples, "UM doesn't do things that way." That is just a crock of shit that is both demonstrably false and not even morally right in many cases, as was the OP's original point.
Finally, the whole "if you don't like it don't read my posts" is idiotic because I could say the same thing to you. If you don't like me telling you to stop running Dorsey and RR down, then you don't have to read what I write either. So there.
February 13th, 2010 at 5:32 PM ^
The last two presidents have done illegal things when they were young. They were forgiven. But I guess since Demar Dorsey isn't George H.W. Bush's son, he doesn't deserve a second chance.
A kid with a lot of potential should be recruited. A kid who had trouble when he was younger but wants to reach his potential with our help is exactly the kind of kid Michigan should recruit.
February 13th, 2010 at 6:34 PM ^
This is a terrible analogy, unless you're saying that Bush and Obama both broke into other people's houses and stole stuff.
I agree with the idea that we should give Dorsey a second chance because he committed his offenses when he was 15 and 16, respectively, he never committed a violent crime, and because Rodriguez has stated that he trusts that he turned his life around. However, this comparison is stupid. If Bush or Obama had been involved in a burglary or even indicted on a charge of armed robbery, they probably would never have become president.
February 14th, 2010 at 1:24 AM ^
so drunk driving (an offense that has the potential to kill) isn't as bad as breaking and entering?
This has nothing to do with politics just a fact. GWB plead guilty to drunk driving. Demar Dorsey allegedly broke into a house. Which is worse?
February 14th, 2010 at 11:13 AM ^
And by your analogy, both drunk driving and breaking and entering are much worse than a brawl at a frat party.
February 14th, 2010 at 9:24 AM ^
I agree with much of what you say, but if you're looking for a more real-life version of what happened, I'd reccomend the book of the same name written by Michael Lewis, and not the Sandra Bullock Oscar-bait vehicle designed to deify Mrs. Touhy.
The book paints the picture of adoptive parents tricking the system to get a kid who can nearly not read admitted to high school by taking sketchy online correspondence classes. It also shows an array of classes who are, for lack of a better term, Snake-Oil-Salesmen - not primarily concerned with Oher, and certainly not concerned that he's nearly illiterate.
The reason why I had cynicism with the movie was because I knew it would be an inaccurate version of what the book portrayed souped up to After-School-Special feel-good schmaltz. I feel like that's accurate.
February 14th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^
As mentioned by others, movies usually pale after you read the book. In another genre, I'd already read the LOTR trilogy a number of times, and thus, the movies suffered in places. Easier to see the movie now (while it was in the theatre) and read the book after.
I'm curious . . . was Oher basically passed through, all the way through Ole Miss, and not that bright? The movie portrays him as being largely illiterate, but bright and capable. Obviously, you have to gloss over things in a 2 hour movie that's a star vehicle.
February 14th, 2010 at 9:51 PM ^
Oher needed lots of tutoring. The movie was pretty accurate in that respect, and probably didn't give it quite as much screen time as it should have. According to the book, he's actually a pretty bright kid, but he had little to no schooling up to the point that the Tuohys took him in. He couldn't really read, and his communication skills were poor. But he supposedly had very good recall once something was told/read to him.
It sort of showed this in the movie, but the tutor (I forget her name now, but I think she was played by Kathy Bates) moved to college with him and continued to help him with his studies.
February 14th, 2010 at 11:23 PM ^
There was a scene early in the High School where a teacher indicated he was retaining material very well, but just couldn't read.
The movie also showed the tutor moving to Ole Miss, with the implication this was to help Oher. And the final and bio information were clear that Oher received tutoring through college (this was the reason given for his attaining the Dean's list.) There also were photos in the closing credits that included the tutor.
Actually, it caused me to wonder about the extent of the tutoring received by athletes at Michigan who want the help. This topic has occasionally come up on the Board. It also struck me that kids who have this kind of help have a huge leg up on success.