The Blind Side, Part II

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Why is it that real life hasto ruin everything, find something we love,
something that makes us feel good,gives us a little hope, and
then kaboom away it goes. Yesterday, in Shelby County, Tennessee, a
man asked for legal and permanent separationfrom a Memphis, Tennessee family that saved
his life. You and I knowthe story. There was a book about

(00:23):
it. Hollywood made it into ablockbuster motion picture, The blind Side.
How homeless hungry teenager Michael or latera first round NFL draft choice eventual Super
Bowl champion was plucked from the streetby the carrying upper class family of Sean
and LeeAnne Tooey. They cared forhim, they opened their doors, they

(00:45):
opened up opportunity for him. Theysaved his life. And we all loved
it. We were inspired by it. In one of the most moving scenes,
the audience was at once left breathlessby both societies inequality and the depth
of human kindness. Ye you havea desk, chest of drawers. We
have a ninth stand life alarm.Oh, and Schaun says. All the

(01:07):
pro athletes use phutons if they can'tfind a bit big enough. So I
got you one of those. Ofcourse, the frame was heinous. It's
not about to let that in myhouse. But I got you something nicer.
It's mine. Yes, sir,never had one before? What a
room to yourself? A bet?Well you have one now? Or never

(01:38):
disputes any of that, but overmost of the last fourteen years since the
movie's release, Or has groused.Initially said the producers and the writers got
it right, but was offended byhis depiction as a dunce, unintelligent,
bad student. Thinks the brand affectedhis pro career, which lasted eight years
and paid him thirty four million dollars. That is the last thing those who

(02:00):
bought three hundred million dollars worth oftickets drew from his character. Rather thanks
to the Tooyes, his pure intelligencewas unlocked before them. The foster system
had failed him. Was never inschool, That's why he couldn't read today.
Or is filled with resentment, claimsthe Tooies tricked him into signing over
conservatorship of his life and affairs whenhe thought it was an adoption, meaning

(02:24):
he'd be a member of the familyin the book. In the movie,
it was clear the Tooies knew theycouldn't legally adopt an eighteen year old person,
but unless somebody watched over him,the naive and inexperienced Or was easy
pickens for na'er dwells, con artistsand scammers. Or claims the Toys have
profited from his life story because heisn't a legal member of the family.

(02:46):
Only they and their children have receivednorth of seven million in royalties from the
movie, the videos, the syndication. I don't know if any of that
is so. I hope not.They deny it. The sun s J.
Twoey says Or has hinted for sometime that either the twoies start writing
big checks or he'll embarrass them publicly, which has now happened. I hope

(03:07):
the Tooies didn't purposefully exploit Michael Orand deny him the rewards of his life
story. The lawsuit seeks to barthem from ever mentioning his name or recounting
their time together in public again.And this controversy has unearthed some of the
stinging criticism from the professional race baiders, among us, that the blind Side

(03:27):
is just a veiled exercise and whitedominance, asking the sarcastic question, how
could black folks possibly make it withoutnice white folks. It's an ugly and
baseless accusation that drips in hilarity consideringhow social and public policies over the last
sixty years have encouraged a permanent dependenceon government handouts for minority groups. School

(03:50):
choice has been resistant, forcing manyof these underserved families into failing schools,
which confines them to an economic underclass permanently. Michael Orr is one of
the lucky ones. Despite the tallodds, he today has a net worth
of over seventeen million dollars, earnedentirely by him on the football field.
But long before football, he hadno chance until that family reached into their

(04:15):
hearts and gave him one