Another Michael

One of the disappointments this fall has been the absence of watching football on Sunday afternoons. After the reinstatement of Michael Vick by the NFL, I decided to boycott the game. I know, as one of my friends commented, this won't really make a difference, but it makes me feel better to not support an organization which supports Michael Vick.
It was with great anticipation I went to see the movie, "The Blind Side" which is about another professional football player, Michael Oher.
The two Michaels both grew up in the projects. Although poor, Michael Vick had talent and a somewhat stable home atmosphere. Michael Oher on the other hand, was born to a crack addict mother and was bounced around from the time he was 7 years old until he began living on the street or sleeping on caring peoples' couches as a young man. He was also full of raw talent, but having been passed from school to school, everyone thought him incapable of education. He had never played organized sports of any kind.
Michael Vick went on to become a pro player with lots of fame and fortune. He threw it all away by running an illegal dog fighting operation. Michael Oher on the other hand, made the Dean's list in college, lettered not only in football, but basketball and track. He was the #1 draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens last spring and is a rookie this year, beginning every game.
Only time will tell if his raw talent has been captured or if he will last in the brutal game we call professional football, but if he is anything like he was in the movie, he won't need to depend on torturing and abusing animals to get his jollies. Hats off to you Michael Oher. Go get 'em.

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