Football Scores

The Blind Side Evolution of a Game

The Blind Side Evolution of a Game

“Lewis has such a gift for storytelling…he writes as lucidly for sports fans as for those who read him for other reasons.”—Janet Maslin, New York Times One day Michael Oher will be among the most highly paid athletes in the National Football League. When we first meet him, he is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or how to read or write. He takes up football, and school, after a rich, white, evangelical family plucks him from the streets. Then two great forces alter Oher: the family’s love and the evolution of professional football itself into a game in which the quarterback must be protected at any cost. Our protagonist becomes the priceless package of size, speed, and agility necessary to guard the quarterback’s greatest vulnerability: his blind side. This paperback edition contains a brand-new 2007 afterword.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Well done
The author of “Moneyball” gives another great effort in this story. He takes multiple anecdotes to talk about the emerging importance of the left tackle but the best comes from the unique story of Michael Oher, soon to be a first round NFL Draft pick. The author is close with Oher’s adoptive family so that raises some questions, but he tries to answer them. Worth the purchase.

4 Stars Great insight into the evolution of football
As a huge fan of football on all levels and a fantasy sports junkie, I found this book really captivating.

It has changed the way I watch a football game and given me context into why the game has evolved in the way it has. I find myself watching the left side of the line in every game — the crucial battle where most games are won or lost because of the ability or inability of the offense to neutralize the best defensive player on the field.

4 Stars Great personal story, but not enough details on the LT position
Lewis tracks the rise of a high school sport star and how the left tackle (LT) position has changed the past 20 years. I found the stories about the 49ners influence on the passing game almost as interesting as the Michael Oher story. Too bad there is only a chapter and a half about this.

In the afterword, Lewis mentions that he couldn’t wait to write this story. I think he knew Oher would be coming out after his junior year and wanted to cash in. In fact Oher decided to stay through his senior season. Lewis should have waited. Michael’s story is not complete. The book has a bit of a slap-dash feel to it.

5 Stars Good Economics
As I read the book I laughed out loud and I cried. I am glad that one family’s reaching out served the greater good. My faith in mankind has been reaffirmed and I am inspired to contribute more as well.

In several ways this book has good economics lessons to learn. First we learn about the gap in material well-being between inner city residents and those in the suburbs in the US through the example of Memphis, Tennessee. Then, through pro football, we see an example of how value in our economic system evolves over time.

While likely not his intent (a la Adam Smith) Michael Lewis has shown why the monopoly structure of sports in the US should be broken up and replaced by a more free market competitive environment. Memphis, like the other 100 of so metropolitan areas in the US, possesses many young men (and women) such as Michael Oher whose access is blocked by the artificial monopoly world of sport abetted by our government.

An open environment of business competition would surely lead to more teams being formed to capture the monopoly profit. With more spots available at the pro level, self interested “brokers” at all levels of coaching would have a greater incentive to search the more difficult areas for prospects.

Michael Lewis has demonstrated that sports have become a huge part of our culture. Fear not that the economic “pie” from sport will shrink by this new competition, for only the share of those with access will shrink.

3 Stars The Blind Side
Anyone looking for a rags to riches story involving football, this is the book for you! A great story, but the narrative is a bit slow in places. A great book for anyone wanting to understand where the different offenses came from, and the importance of the left offensive tackle position.

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Tigers and Devils

Tigers and Devils

Football, friends, and film are the most important parts of Simon Murray’s life, likely in that order. Despite being lonely, Simon is cautious about looking for more, and his best friends despair of him ever finding that special someone to share his life. Against his will, they drag him to a party, where Simon barges into a football conversation and ends up defending the honour of star forward Declan Tyler — unaware that the athlete is present and listening.

Like his entire family, Simon revels in living in Melbourne, Victoria, the home of Australian Rules football and mecca for serious fans. There, players are deemed gods and treated as such

NFL Backyard Basics Football Tips from the Pros DVD

NFL Backyard Basics Football Tips from the Pros DVD

NFL: Backyard Basics (Football Tips from the Pros). DVD includes Great real tips from the NFL Pros! The backyard Kids have invited some of the NFL’s best players over to their Clubhouse. From there, they are transported to fields, sandlots and city lots to teach the game of football. Football tips features chapters on: Passing, Running, Catching, Kicking, and Defense. Approx. Running Time: 45:26

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars My 12 Year old liked it a lot
My 12 year old liked it a lot. He said that he wanted to learn more and watched it a second time. It has several NFL players that practice with kids in the backyard, beach and park, and was very informative. It has tips for all positions of football; snapping, kicking, passing, receiving, blocking, running and has some exercises for doing in your backyard. I especially liked the tips on passing, receiving and running.

3 Stars Not for older kids…
If you can get past the first 15 minutes of idiotic cartoon banter, this DVD has a little bit of very basic information for actually playing football. Younger kids (8 and under) will probably like it, but older kids will be bored.

5 Stars Tips from pros/cartoon kids
My 4 boys loved this dvd. The combination of backyard kids and real nfl pros got them interested right away. They have learned basic throwing, catching and kicking. And most important it got them off the couch to practice! I hope there are more of these how-to animated videos for other sports.

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