In the years since Sandra Bullock notched an Academy Award for her role in The Blind Side , the film has been scrutinized for the impact it had on the people it’s based on as well as the perceptions it created .
One notable former NFL player even thinks the film plays a role in why he has yet to receive a nod from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The movie, like the Michael Lewis-penned book it was based on, focuses on the story of former NFL left tackle Michael Oher, who spent time living with the Tuohy family before his pro career.
During an appearance on Up & Adams on Thursday, Willie Anderson claimed that the 2009 film created a narrative that the left tackle was a more valuable offensive line position than the right tackle.
“The media had a bias because they just didn’t understand the importance of the guys we blocked over there [on the right side] were some of the best rushers of all time,” Anderson told Kay Adams. “The whole ‘Blind Side’ thing got taken out because of the movie and the right side guys got pushed away.”
When Adams asked him directly if he thought the movie had a real impact on his ability to get enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Anderson replied “Absolutely.
You could certainly make the case that Anderson deserves to be in Canton. A first-round pick by the Bengals in 1996, he would garner four Pro Bowl nods and was named to four All-Pro teams, three of which were first-team nods in his 13 NFL seasons. The Auburn produce is a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor, and the Cincinnati Bengals 50th Anniversary Team.
The three-time Hall of Fame finalist noted that many young linemen also tell him they want to play left tackle, presumably due to the influence of the film.
“You got guys who are 18, 19 years old that will tell you, ‘I only want to play left tackle.’ And I say, ‘Go look at what Penei Sewell’s contract was for the Lions this year. Over $100 million,” Anderson said. “The kids, their parents and the media pushing left tackle is a huge deal. But they don’t realize guards are getting paid crazy money right now.
“It’s definitely changed for the better, I think, because these rushers are coming from everywhere now. Right side, left guard, over the center, everywhere.”
Admittedly, Anderson’s claim that The Blind Side is what’s holding him back from a Pro Football Hall nod feels a bit preposterous, but if he doesn’t end up getting the call at some point in the years ahead, questions will certainly be asked.
[ Up & Adams ]
The post Bengals legend Willie Anderson blames ‘The Blind Side’ for his Hall of Fame snub appeared first on Awful Announcing .
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