NYT Magazine article on Oher, Briarcrest

[rollredroll]

Mom just gave me the Michael Lewis book (The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game) for my birthday. Based on the excerpt in the NYT, I'm looking forward to reading it.

[Bighurt]

I could care less what you think. The only thing I have against private schools is the refusal by many to choose to divide for the postseason and in region/district play.

This reply has nothing to do with this topic.

 

Long time TSSAA members (like MBA, Ryan, CBHS and Brentwood Academy) are banished to a separate division (Division II). Then, a multiplier is forced on private schools who have broken no rules. I am sorry but how can you possibly say "the refusal by many to choose to divide for the postseason and in region/district play."?

 

The TSSAA has royally screwed over its private school members. What more do you want?

[itzme]

Mom just gave me the Michael Lewis book (The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game) for my birthday. Based on the excerpt in the NYT, I'm looking forward to reading it.

Happy Birthday, my friend!!

[Indian]

This reply has nothing to do with this topic.

 

Long time TSSAA members (like MBA, Ryan, CBHS and Brentwood Academy) are banished to a separate division (Division II). Then, a multiplier is forced on private schools who have broken no rules. I am sorry but how can you possibly say "the refusal by many to choose to divide for the postseason and in region/district play."?

 

The TSSAA has royally screwed over its private school members. What more do you want?

 

 

One type of school is far stronger than the other type, there shouldn't be any question about that. There are few exceptions (Alcoa, Fulton) especially when only talking about schools with less than 1,000 (only a couple of privates with enrollments larger). If you compare schools with similar numbers, most of the privates could be in 3A or smaller. Even Alcoa has had some off years where they'd get beaten by 40 or 50 by an MBA. The fact that MBA, BA, McCallie would have to move up to find competition, despite playing schools two or three times larger, should prove why they need to be in a different division. The multiplier is unfair to the few privates that can't compete with most publics. Those schools would be better off in a Division II, small division. I wouldn't call it banishment, but if you judge it like that just turn it around and say the publics and some privates were banished to Division I.

Edited October 11, 2006 by Indian

[Bighurt]

Indian,

". . . I wouldn't call it banishment, but if you judge it like that just turn it around and say the publics and some privates were banished to Division I." What the heck does that mean?

 

My problem is that the TSSAA punished its own members in good standing - all private schools with the creation of DII and then because that wasn't vindicative enough instituted the multiplier.

 

There are schools, both private and public, that historically have success in certain sports. What is wrong with a merit system on a 2-year or 4-year cycle that promotes team that have success to the next class and allows team that are not succesful to drop to a lower class? Using the merit system, a basketball team does not get moved up just because the football team is good and vice versa.

 

By the way, MBA, BA, CBHS, Baylor, etc. were playing in 5A in football already when DII was established. BA was the only school that won a football state championship in any class other than the highest classification.

 

Or you can take your ball and go home because you don't like someone.

Edited October 11, 2006 by Bighurt

[uncfan13]

Mom just gave me the Michael Lewis book (The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game) for my birthday. Based on the excerpt in the NYT, I'm looking forward to reading it.

 

Read Moneyball, Liars Poker and The New New Thing. Lewis is very talented no matter what the subject.

[VolunteerGeneral]

I could care less what you think. The only thing I have against private schools is the refusal by many to choose to divide for the postseason and in region/district play.

 

Frankly I don`t care what you think about my opinion Indian. I was just responding to what you thought so let`s talk about that. You said and I quote...

I think it's great he's in college. I don't know if he'd have gotten the help if he wasn't 6'4" 300 pounds. That does prove, in my opinion, the need for a continuation of the partial split, if not a whole split.

 

How in the world does that show a need for a "continuation of the partial split, if not a whole split"?

 

I know a family right now in my Sunday School class that are trying to become foster parents to two girls to keep them at their school. Public school that is. Please explain how this proves your opinion. Is it yet another case like open zones in which it is okay for public schools and not for private?

[BDURHAM]

I believe you missed the depth of the story by reading

only the NYT Magazine article. How you can determine

what happened from NYC is a mystery?

 

Briarcrest's faculty did a great job of trying to help the

kid. Based on the story in the book, it is reasonable

to assume that the Tuohys would have never taken

Micahel into their home if he had not made it in school.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the kid started to do better

in school, so the school stuck with him. It was an

administrator who admitted that he had probably shafted

Michael earlier in the year by suggesting he do a home

school study, which led to Michael not getting any help.

 

And Michael appeared to not be D1 material when the

Tuohys took him in. Sean Tuohy thought Michael's

future was in basketball, not football.

 

 

 

First of all, I thought it was a great article. I think what Oher has been able to accomplish is nothing short of a miracle. Obviously, the Tuohy's are great, caring, compasionate people. I think Michael's success is a result of their efforts, far more than Briarcrest's. Sure Briarcrest admitted him, but it seems if it weren't for the family, the kid would never had made it. It appears that Briarcrest never made much of an effort to help him out, at least academically. That fell on the family and the tutor. The whole thing about him taking online classes through BYU bothered me. What does that say about BYU and Ole Miss? I guess the Tuohy's connections at Ole Miss didn't hurt either. Regardless, great story, great kid. I wish him all the best.

[VolunteerGeneral]

For anyone interested, there is a lengthy article in this month`s Reader`s Digest about Oher and the Touhy`s. I haven`t read it so I don`t know if it`s related to the NYT`s article or not.

[Kublah]

Well, I just read Blind Side, and it is definetley one of the better books I have read in a while. Michael Lewis touches on so many issues, many of which are very relevant to the endless discussions that take place in this forum. The Tuohy's are obviously great people. The story was real and honest. They could have "sugar coated" some things, but they didn't. Another thing, the Tuohy's as well as a host of other people were there for Michael before there was any hint of his athletic ability or future. Quite honestly, if someone reads the whole book and sees the Michael Oher story is an indictment of private schools, it says more about that persons character and intentions than anything else.

 

I suggest everyone pick up a copy!

[stlbss22]

Well, I just read Blind Side, and it is definetley one of the better books I have read in a while. Michael Lewis touches on so many issues, many of which are very relevant to the endless discussions that take place in this forum. The Tuohy's are obviously great people. The story was real and honest. They could have "sugar coated" some things, but they didn't. Another thing, the Tuohy's as well as a host of other people were there for Michael before there was any hint of his athletic ability or future. Quite honestly, if someone reads the whole book and sees the Michael Oher story is an indictment of private schools, it says more about that persons character and intentions than anything else.

 

I suggest everyone pick up a copy!

 

Wholeheartedly agree. Finished it 2 weeks or so ago, and it is one of the better sports books I've read. Could not put it down.

 

There are those who criticize the Tuohy's (who both are Ole Miss grads and supporters of the school) for taking the kid in and helping him with clothes, shelter, stable home life etc... because the kid wound up playing DI at...Ole Miss. Don't think they should be criticized at all for what they did. It's a great read, and a great story about how to help those in need.

 

Highly, highly recommended.

[Old Timer]

Wholeheartedly agree. Finished it 2 weeks or so ago, and it is one of the better sports books I've read. Could not put it down.

 

There are those who criticize the Tuohy's (who both are Ole Miss grads and supporters of the school) for taking the kid in and helping him with clothes, shelter, stable home life etc... because the kid wound up playing DI at...Ole Miss. Don't think they should be criticized at all for what they did. It's a great read, and a great story about how to help those in need.

 

Highly, highly recommended.

 

I think the real story is going to be when he actually goes pro, what his giveback/involvement to the community/people that helped him is. That will show what impact the Tuohy's really had on this young man......Now, I have to go get the book and read it myself......or maybe it would make for a good Christmas present.