Carolina Panthers' Michael Oher Complains How 'The Blind Side' Movie Put Him in Bad Light
Carolina Panthers' Michael Oher complains how the 2009 hit movie, "The Blind Side" movie put him in a bad light.
Although the critically-acclaimed film gave Sandra Bullock an Oscar for Best Actress, it had a negative effect on Oher's career in the recent six years, said the offensive tackle himself, ESPN reported.
"I'm not trying to prove anything. People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don't really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That's why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field," said the 315-pound Memphis-born player who initially signed a $20 million deal with the Tennessee Titans last year, but was released shortly after due to an injury.
Recently he got a scuffle incident with defensive end Kony Eally at minicamp and it attracted attention because of Oher being in it. For the 29-year-old NFL wide receiver, he should not be getting this much attention.
"Offensive linemen don't get looked at. Nobody is paying attention to the offensive line. But me? I'm getting watched for everything. I know what type of player I am. Everybody else that I know knows what type of player I am. So that kind of stuff doesn't worry me,'' said Oher, who recently signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Panthers in order for the team to protect the blind side of the prized quarterback, Cam Newton.
Yet, this may be contrary to what he really felt as the Tennessee-native allowed this issue to bother him for quite some time. It is not the first time the 6-foot-4 football player voiced his complaints on this film inspired on his life.
In 2013, Oher shared why he was upset by the movie.
"The movie showed me not doing something so well that got me here, something I've always understood. Everything else is good, but them showing me not knowing how to play football, that's what upsets me the most," Oher shared with BatimoreRavens.com two years ago.
He was really affected even by slight jokes thrown at him, shared then Ravens' center, Matt Birk.
"Once in a while I'll beat him into the office and I'll be like, 'Hey Mike, you're slipping man. I got ya[sic] today,'" Birk said with a laugh.
"It really bugs him," Birk, a now retired NFL player, noted.
Still, Oher has the option of being truly free of "The Blind Side's" shadow. He can just focus on football, play well, have fun and really move on. Several football fans may not have seen the movie six years ago, and even if they did, they must have been inspired of the film rather than seeing it as something negative -- an attitude that he should learn to pick up soon.
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