Because that’s very different to being the ultimate money-making machine.
If making money was the only objective, they could have invested more time (and resources) in the family business instead of investing it in Oher back then.
It’s certainly possible to suggest they were motivated by social status, helping Ole Miss, etc instead of being purely altruistic, but being motivated primarily by making money off Oher (given the low probability of either the book or movie being successful) is not plausible.
I guess I was engaging in literary hyperbole (“ultimate money-making machine” to engage comparison with “ultimate driving machine”).
I am sure they felt affection for Oher at the same time as they were using him to enhance their social and financial standing. As the mother of a grown adoptee who has researched and communicated with many adult adoptees, I definitely can see how this enhancement by his “adoptive” parents could trigger feelings of betrayal in Oher, regardless of how well he turned out as an adult.
Sorry, not interested in quibbling over another posters use of the word “ultimate,” especially because it seems a silly quibble given the family’s continued efforts to exploit Ofer’s story for their personal gain (in whatever form.)
I went to a lunch where he was speaking. His demeanor and words were positive and encouraging. It seems to me the Tuohys were trying to help him get to college… but not being able to see the future made decisions that perhaps they would not make today. Is that not life? There are at least a 1000 things I would do different if I knew what the outcome would be.
Looking at his background, before the Tuohy’s stepped in, I do not think he would have made it to college or the NFL had they not used their resources to help him.
Who knows their heart or intent, but I know lots of people/families that have financial resources that do try to help others… in this case I think Michael took their help but it caused resentment for him.
Way back in 1989, I bought a subsidized (great!), new-constructoin (not-so-great) condo in a primarily African American (then!) neighborhood in Brooklyn. I have Afro-Caribbean family members and I thought I was oh-so-cool to move into this setting. I thought I was such a pioneer! I found that I was living in a lovely community where families watched out for one another, especially kids whose parents seemed to be falling through the cracks. Of course there was a social hierarchy as there is in any neighborhood but this was a place that did not need “rescue” from gentrifiers, thank.you.very.much.
According to the article, before he met the Touhys, Michael Oher had friendly influences who took him in and/or provided food and guidance, as happens in many communities. I don’t think any of these benefactors had anything in mind beyond doing the right thing, and when he was taken in by the Touhys and told he was part of their family, just like the kids already in their family, of course his expectations rose. When he learned that in addition to their kindness, they expected monetary and status boosts, it was bound to be a major emotional issue.
I agree. There’s a big difference between this family wants to love and help you all we can, and because we have the resources, we’ll give you the same help we would give our own children, and……same thing, but now we’re going to tell the world about it. We’ll keep talking about it, and even build a foundation around it, keep giving speeches and have this as part of our social identity even many years after we have become estranged from you. What, you don’t like being portrayed as someone who couldn’t take care of themselves, needed rescue, and couldn’t have made it without us? What’s wrong with you, you should be grateful, constantly. And by the way, you really aren’t family, and we didn’t actually adopt you.
What age was Michael Ohr when the movie deal was discussed? Was he given a choice about participating? Movie or book? Or was the book/movie done as unauthorized?
If you read the books, when he wasn’t in foster care (grades 4-6), he was couch surfing and stealing a lot of his food. Even in foster care he wasn’t eating well and had a bed (but no mattress).
Nobody said to him “Hey, stay as long as you want and eat as much as you want” until he got to the Tuohys. He couch surfed with them at first too, but they never told him to leave like the others did. Michael was street smart, and knew to keep moving from couch to couch to avoid overstaying his welcome - for freshman, sophomore, and most of junior year.
I do think the Tuohys got caught up in the excitement of having this great football star who wanted to go to Ole Miss. They were definitely boosters and definitely wanted their school to build a good team. But I don’t think they expected to make money off of Michael.
Michael Lewis had written a few books but never made money off them so he was taking a chance on The Blind Side. Then Moneyball was big and the movie successful and then the Blind Side was too. The Blind Side might never have been made into a movie except another of the Tuohy/Lewis friends had a daughter who wanted to produce the movie so it was funded by that rich person from Memphis. I think the contracts were set up more like the unsuccessful Lewis books and the Tuohys didn’t make much off the book or movie. They all made more off of appearances after the success. Bad contract deal? Probably, but no one knew Oher was going to be successful at the time of the book contract.
This is a story of how the NCAA was correct to restrict boosters from grooming prospects and wrong to allow Michael to go to Ole Miss as he’d been sponsored by a booster (breaking its own rule, and accepting the conservatorship as the same as an adoption or establishing a family relationship which it didn’t). If he’d gone to Tennessee or UMiami or Alabama, there would have been no need for the conservatorship. I really believe the Tuohys would have continued to call him their son, just like a lot of people call the friend of one of their kids a bonus kid or a son or family but they don’t financially support them once they are adults (who have million dollar contracts in the NFL).
Oher’s books really tells how he struggled emotionally once he was in the NFL. He had a family of his own but came to see that his birth family just wasn’t there for him or for each other. Some of his siblings started dying and he knew that could have been him. He had to face it that his mother just wasn’t there for him at all, and couldn’t even show up for his hs graduation when the Tuohys and a brother said they tried to get her to attend. There were other star athletes from the projects who didn’t make it like he had and he was coming to grips with that.
I read both books Oher wrote, and that’s the account he gives. The Tuohys may have had some input on the first book, which I think was written in 2012, but by the second book release they were estranged.
What do you think would have become of Oher if the Tuohys hadn’t helped him? I’m sure he wouldn’t have gone to college as he wouldn’t have graduated from hs. There are very few NFL players who didn’t go to college in the US.
The article that was referenced and that I read last night, it sounded like Oher’s living situation had stabilized by the time he got to high school and enrolled in Briarcrest.
He was living with other teammates (black teammates) but after, according to Oher, he was recognized as D1 and pro talent, that’s when the Tuohy’s took interest.
My issue with the book is that it was written from the perspective of the Tuohy’s and as if they were the great (white) saviors of Oher. The truth sounds more complicated.
The book that I wish was written was how these gifted but troubled athletes, both with their home lives and academic lives have been exploited by boosters for their personal gain. Did Oher make the most of the help he was given, yes. Could it have been another teammate’s family, maybe. It’s not an either the Tuohy’s or no one.
Oher’s biggest issue is that the book discounts his contributions and his ability and his smarts to succeed. But made it more about the great white wealthy family who saved him.
Look at the rich white family who are trying to be the “great white saviors” and even though they are already rich figured they would make another fortune off a talented black high school athlete!!!
Or
Look at the rich white family who has the means to help a poor black kid and they just want to keep their wealth to themselves and not help.
Look at the rich white family that straight up lied for years - and is still lying on ads for speaking engagements- about adopting Oher. It wasn’t a misunderstanding or a confusion- it was a lie. A rich white family that allowed this young man to be portrayed as being stupid and unable to understand the basics of football. They put their stamp of approval on that movie script.
Obviously we don’t know! We know that he was always dismayed and then embarrassed and angry about being portrayed as stupid. We know others were also helping him. But what we really know and I keep repeating because it’s important, is that the Tuohys lied.
How about the rich booster befriended a talented athlete to persuade them to attend their Alma mater?
Chris Webber brought down the Fab 5 wins by an overzealous booster. When he was at Michigan. If I remember that booster was not white.
It happens all the time. Boosters befriend and help talented athletes to recruit them to their program. This is what the NIL is supposed to stop. The under the table recruiting. Now that’s a Wild West of no rules!
And let’s not forget that the HS coach was Hugh Freeze. Oh boy!
The system is mutually beneficial. The Tuohy’s got a prime recruit. Michael Oher went on to make millions in the NFL.
The problem is the book exposed too much. And the Tuohy’s continued to profit.