Well, that didn't take long. Sean and Leigh Ann Touhy responded to Michael Oher's claims they tricked him with a phony adoption. The New York Post reported:
But Sean Tuohy told the Daily Memphian that the claims have “devastated” the family. Tuohy said the conservatorship was drawn up to ensure that Oher was eligible to play football at the University of Mississippi. Tuohy is a booster at the school, and if Oher wasn’t part of the family, there could have been potential NCAA issues sending him there, Tuohy suggested. “I sat Michael down and told him, ‘If you’re planning to go to Ole Miss — or even considering Ole Miss — we think you have to be part of the family. This would do that legally,'” Tuohy said. “We contacted lawyers who had told us that we couldn’t adopt over the age of 18; the only thing we could do was to have a conservatorship. We were so concerned it was on the up-and-up that we made sure the biological mother came to court.” Rest of article.
Kingfish note: Does anyone think there will be a Rest of the story?
58 comments:
A 2nd movie script in the making? "The Sack".
Katy Perry sends a like to this article…
Oh wait, and Ole Miss booster trying to skirt the rules under the guise of helping some poor ole student? Where have we seen this before?
Definitely at least an episode for American Greed for one side or the other.
Maybe Michael should have just been left to the streets of Memphis.
What's that old saying, No good deed goes unpunished?
A book was written, a movie script developed and a fantasy story spun from the recruitment of a football player by rich boosters. Ole Miss get's their man which was the object in the first place. Everybody makes money, so who's the loser? Oher says he is. Under the circumstances that's very possible. Stay tuned.
It varies state-to-state but TN, MS, GA, AL all allow for the adoption of 18+ y/o's with the consent of the football player being adopted.
If Oher got the money, find for Touhys.
If Touhys got the money, find for Oher.
It shouldn't be that hard.
Touhys got over $200M for the sale of their business. They should not take any money to reimburse them for expenses.
I've seen this before; the good ole "blame your lawyer" excuse ... works every time
11:21 Oher would not have been "left to the streets of Memphis" He would have been left to the Tennessee Vols sooner or later. Sooner if they had boosters wealth and inventive as the Tuohys. I suspect they do.
The Tuoys were not only inventive, they were quick. Congrats Ole Miss.
Where was Ms Sue the tutor during all this? Seems she could’ve given Oher some advice.
Touhy "fires back" by saying that Oher is telling the truth when he says he's not adopted, and the Touhy family has been lying all of these many years by claiming to the world that they had adopted him. So Touhy is stating that Michael Oher is in fact telling the truth. Interesting strategy.
His lawyer is Steve Farese. 'Nuf said.
Oher was on a fast track to becoming a gravel truck driver had the Tuohys not given him comfort and opportunities during that time of his life. He lived well and had numerous opportunities that most folks never get. Sadly it appears he might be back on track for that gravel truck position... as many former NFL-ers have before him.
Organized sports are cancer, especially under the guise of "education".
Hmmm, methinks the Touhy's are more than a little concerned...
A misrepresentation is a false/misleading statement or a material omission which renders OTHER statements misleading, with intent to deceive. Misrepresentation is one of the elements of common law fraud, and other causes of action for fraud. An omission which renders statements misleading may also be a misrepresentation itself.
33 U.S. Code § 931 - Penalty for misrepresentation - U.S. Code
(a)Felony; fine; imprisonment
(1) Any claimant or representative of a claimant who knowingly and willfully makes a false statement or representation for the purpose of obtaining a benefit or payment under this chapter shall be guilty of a felony, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000, by imprisonment not to exceed five years, or by both.
Touhy and his legal team are likely wondering if their contract wasn't fully researched and written more comprehensively.
The bullshit begins when Touhy says he told Oher "IF you are PLANNING to go
to Ole Miss..." as if Oher could live in his house, eat his food, and smile at his daughter, if he was even THINKING about going somewhere else. Complete Bull. It was an under the table recruiting deal which ended up being more lucrative than either party knew, especially Oher, until recently. Oher is now simply playing catch up. Good luck.
Oher is scum for doing this. This is all about his stupid book deal he is promoting. Dude is literally throwing people to the curb over greed. That family had plenty of money before he even came along. They were rich before they sold their restaurants for over $200 Million. The real story will come out and he is going to regret his decisions.
12:39--- Give me a break. The dude was already a blue-chip recruit, knew how to play football, and was already enrolled at Briarcrest prior to ever being introduced to the Touhy's. He would have gotten a full-ride D1 scholarship with or without their "heppin".
Nothing like some white savior syndrome coming from the Plantation. The scripts write themselves.
I wonder has Michael squandered his millions that he earned playing football. Also, if the Touyes were conservators, would they not be involved in his contracts and money management? Also, if adopted, I would expect my name to be Michael Touye rather than Michael Oher.
The majority of posters here don’t have a clue about what happened. They just want to blame the rich guy. Our culture today hates people who made it in life. That family saved this kid long before anyone knew he had a football future.
Why is there still a conservatorship agreement in place for a 37 yo grown man?
1:34 Bull, Bull, and more Bull. They didn't "save" this kid they recruited him. Plain and simple. They recruited him in a way only the very rich can. That is their good fortune and the good fortune of any talented recruit they may go after. I do not blame them and I certainly don't hate them. If I could I would "save" a couple of four star defensive linemen for my alma mater (they need them bad) but alas I can barely keep my own head above water.
P.S. Many D-1 schools besides Ole Miss knew about this kid before the Tuohys "saved" him.
I am all for giving the guy a shot at the good life/luxury. And they seem to have done good things for Oher.
But I also don't think that fact absolves the Tuohys from all inquiries.
If they did nothing wrong, then let that all come out factually.
Same as the Goon Squad, if they did nothing wrong then let sunlight be the disinfectant that proves it. I have no problem reserving judgment until the facts are clear.
Lot of landsharks here taking up for these rich folks. The touhys have already lied about a few things in the last few days. The dad said they all only got a small one-time share of the movie $ and it amounted to about $14,000 per family member but his son was on barstool at the same time saying he’s got about $60,000 or so from the movie. Dad also claimed in another release that they get revenue shares for life from the movie of a few %. Dad claims he couldn’t legally adopt him since he was over 18 but that’s bullshit and he easily could have. All y’all talking about them getting 200mil from their business being sold act like they just deposited 200 mil. They probably had at least half or more to pay back business loans. They sold because their chains were bleeding money. After all debts were paid and then the church and ole miss were paid, they could have barely broke even for all we know.
The key here is Sean sold his business for major bank. Oher’s friends and family are in his ear saying they all deserve some.
August 15, 2023 at 2:16 PM, do you have a link to prove what you are saying, or are you a gullible rube?
1:34, respectfully, it is apparently you who doesn't have a clue about what happened. Oher was already a good football player BEFORE he ever got to Briarcrest Christian. There's a reason Briarcrest, a very expensive and exclusive school, gave him a full scholarship (free ride tuition) to go to school there, and it wasn't because of his good grades or out of the kindness of the school's heart. Heck, he could hardly read or write at the time. No, Briarcrest gave him a full, free scholarship because everyone already knew he had tons of potential. His Junior year at Briarcrest he had a dominant season and was named All State. It wasn't until AFTER that and in his Senior year that the Tuohys offered to let him move into their house. (I don't know why they made that decision, but personally I don't think it was because they loved him. I think it was because they wanted to keep him at Briarcrest and to steer him towards Ole Miss.)
That said, the Tuohys did help provide him food, clothing, etc his Senior year, and that was very nice to do.
If the Tuohys made money off the book and movie deal and Oher got none of that, then that is wrong. The book and movie were about him. He should have at least gotten an equal and fair share of any compensation from both. If he did, then he should not be complaining and suing. But if he did not get any and the Tuohys kept it all, then that is wrong in my opinion, and I don't blame him one bit for doing what he's now doing. (But he did wait a little too long to pursue this claim. The book and movie were out years ago, and he had to have known it was a huge success and money maker, so I wonder why he waited so long to now ask for his share.)
3:21 You need a link to know that all SEC schools would know about a top ranked offensive lineman by his junior year? Hell, they know all about kids in the 9th grade who have potential. Get real.
@1:34 I know Oher wasn't adopted. Touhy has now admitted that he wasn't adopted after lying about it for years. So yes, I'm blaming the Tuohy family for lying to all of us for many years. I don't care that he's rich. He lied to everyone. Touhy has not actually admitted that he lied.
Did this run anywhere besides the NYP? Hardly a bastion of real journalism.
Is the NFL money running out? surely not
Turns out, the young man just released a book. Nothing like a little PR. Great timing.
Things have changed lately so that rich boosters can now simply pay the players through NIL deals. Back when Oher was available they had to be more creative. Oher's domestic problems presented the Tuohys with a real recruiting opportunity if they were willing to take him in. Lots of people would not have done it but Ole Miss should be proud they have boosters like the Tuohys who are willing to make their money AND home available when needed. I'm sure they had no idea the story of this recruit could be spun so effectively to make a movie and generate so much money and attention. As usual all that money and attention means legal issues follow. This should come as no surprise. It's all about the money.
Another Ole Myth mess.
What else is new?
Oher is signing books today at Square Books in Oxford. Hardly coincidental that the book release and the lawsuit filing were virtually simultaneous.
Kingfish said...
Why don't you read the actual post? I'm not doing your reading for you.
August 15, 2023 at 4:51 PM
Once again, KF pops off and who knows who and nobody has a fucking clue that his post relates to.
Something about this just does not smell right. Oher was likely exploited by the Tuohys in some measure. The notion that book and film rights for their family story were signed away for such nominal fees strains credulity.
August 15, 2023 at 4:12 PM, I'm very real. I don't know anything without proof. I asked you for one simple link showing what you posted, and being the gullible rube that spreads manure, you didn't give me one. How about this, give me a link where there's an article concerning him before Briarcrest Christian.
7:19 Recruiting sites make their money off of subscriptions. They operate behind paywalls. So no one will likely be able to give you a link. Besides, most recruiting sites I've seen do not have great archives beyond the most recent years.
How about you giving us proof that Leigh Ann knew enough about football to teach Oher the game? Where did Leigh Ann Touhy play football?
Touyhs, Oher, lawyers (all of them), Ole Mess, "Hollywood" (if you know what I mean), Freeze and anybody else working for Ole Mess foo'paw pro-gram -- I leave anybody out? -- all of them coming off like a bunch of scumbuckets. And they are, all of them.
How do you spell extortion
August 15, 2023 at 4:12 PM, I'm very real. I don't know anything without proof. I asked you for one simple link showing what you posted, and being the gullible rube that spreads manure, you didn't give me one. How about this, give me a link where there's an article concerning him before Briarcrest Christian.
Do you actually think the recruiting staff and coaches relied on newspaper reports to find talent? At either the high school or college level?
A kid this big that can move is no secret.
His academic and personal struggles make a kid like him a project that a lot of people would have taken a pass on. Even at the highschool level. Whether or not he already had game or size.
So I didn't bother looking for newspaper articles.
Did you?
If the Touhy's used the word adoption in published form or there are enough witnesses to hearing them use the word adoption when discussing Michael Oher, there was material misrepresentation and deception. This will not play well in today's court of public opinion.
August 15, 2023 at 9:53 PM, so, in other words, you can't provide proof.
As always, the gullible rube makes an assumption without enough facts. I never made the claim that anyone in the family taught Oher to play football. I don't know enough about this situation to form an opinion. I was simply tring to gather facts. But as always the gullible rube assumes, but doesn't know.
@11:06 pm
Hysterical post. Only works if it’s spoken!!!
Don’t know between the what happened between oher and his family. Depending upon the wording of his engagement and representation letter - his agent better have malpractice insurance if Oher’s account is true.
"Alex, I'll take 'I pissed away all of my riches and want more for 1,000.'"
Like lots of other paid players at money programs like Ole Miss Mike Oher played along with the Tuohy scheme and reaped his share of the benefits. But Oher who is no longer making big cash from pro football still sees potential in wringing more cash from this story. If the made-up fairy-tale adoption Hollywood love story made millions, the true hard-core recruiting legal trick ought to make millions more. In a way it's poetic justice. "Oh what a tangled web we weave when ...."
go read this grifter's 1st book. where he talked at length about the conservatorship set up for him. hopefully this "lawsuit" gets sanctioned. probably not. our system is broken
Maybe he's setting up THE BLIND SIDE II the sequel. You know Hollywood, a story worth telling is worth retelling, and retelling, and retelling. After all it's just a story.
Oher is not upset because the book and the movie is a blatant, bald faced lie made up to fool movie fans and the NCAA. That's alright. He's pissed because he didn't get more money. He and the Tuoys make me feel like taking a shower.
“So I didn't bother looking for newspaper articles.”, no, but you did post for a fact what you had, and have, no proof of.
Like the gullible rube you are, you are doubling down. You continue to make excuses for your lack of proof. You're just another manure spreader, and gullible rube.
You picked a side in the conversation, and you are going to defend your indefensible position regardless of the facts, or lack thereof. Carry on, gullible rube. Like lemmings off a cliff.
12:08 Is this something personal? It's just an opinion blog. Check your blood pressure. Lighten up.
7:08: this is 9:53. I never made any claim that Oher was highly rated. But I can recognize a goofy post when I see it. Do you really think that paywall website will allow links that work just for you?
Geez...
I'm cool as a cucumber. There's nothing personal about it with me, I don't know any of the parties involved. I was just expressing my opinion, I am entitled to that, aren't I?
I think people that run around posting manure are gullible rubes, that's my opinion. They post manure, hoping that it's true. They always paint with a wide brush, never considering that individuals are different.
The blood pressure thing has been a close companion of mine for some time, now. When you get my age, there are all kinds of things you keep up with.
Shepard Smith and Heraldo have rented a townhouse in Oxfart and will unravel this story in due time.
Love the press about Lewis/author coming out this morning with this gem about OM academics/fewtbawl from 2007:
Asked about Oher after book, Lewis replied, “Google him now, he’s on the dean’s list at Ole Miss, which says a lot about the dean’s list at Ole Miss,” Lewis said, leading to laughs from the Mountain View audience.
Lewis, whose 2006 book was turned into the award-winning 2009 movie that starred Sandra Bullock, also spoke about how schools — such as Ole Miss — don’t challenge their student-athletes in the classroom.
“There are schools like Ole Miss, and Ole Miss isn’t even the best example, they seem mainly to exist to sustain a football team. And then they take these kids, many of whom are from the underclass — poor black kids from ghettos around America — and let them into the school. … And then they make a track for them inside the school — and the track is not designed for them to get an education or even to engage with the school outside the football team.”
How quickly are the OMLS Bubba and PR types spitting out their coffee on the sad truth getting out yet again? And, yes, same at every FBS school. But, facts. Inconvenient facts. The hicks, the lies, the bribes of FewtBawl, our religion each Fall.
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