Chapter 6

11/15/2012

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

Chapter 6 (pages 115-146) – Inventing Michael

            The Briarcrest Christian High school football team won the 2004 Tennessee state championship thanks to their left tackle Michael Oher. There were more football scenes in this chapter describing how Hugh Freeze the Head football coach was convinced by an assistant coach to use only one play and they would be able to win the state championship. The one play was Gap and Tim Long an assistant coach got his inspiration from the movie Tin Cup. Gap was run between the left tackle and the left guard. Michael Oher played left tackle and the running back was able to slip through and score numerous touchdowns throughout their championship season.

Chapter six had even more back story on Michael Oher. Sean Tuohy was describing a certain play on the field when Michael pushed a defender sixty yards away from the line of scrimmage. This describes the play from Sean’s point of view, “She turned around to see twenty football players running down one side of the field, after the Briarcrest running back with the ball. On the other side of the field Briarcrest’s No. 74 was racing at speed in the opposite direction, with a defensive end in his arms.” This shows the push and devotion that Michael Oher. He doesn’t want to impress anyone he just wanted to take the opposing player and put him back on the bus because the defensive end was trash talking to Michael Oher. Even though trash talking is a major part of any sport, Michael didn’t enjoy listening and he knew was to get the players to stop. Like pushing them sixty yards into a chain link fence.

I connected to this chapter because Michael Oher’s football team made it to the 2004 Tennessee state championship football game in Memphis, Tennessee and I was a spectator at the 2012 Wisconsin state Track & Field championship in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. It seems like there would be a huge difference but they were both state championships and both huge for the sport and the state for which it is held. The football game was between only two teams from Tennessee while the Track & Field championships have schools from all over the state competing. No matter what you are interested in these events are both exciting and you can witness some of the best athletes from your sport in action.