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OBF: O.J. couldn’t outrun cancer
O.J. Simpson’s exhaustive search for the real killers ended Wednesday as he died from cancer at age 76.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” a family statement said.
The Juice has been refrigerated.
Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson could not be reached for comment.
O.J. was acquitted of their murders in 1995. His was the original “Trial of the Century.”
A poster on X said it best: “We the jury find cancer not guilty.”
Three years later, a jury that wasn’t brain-dead found O.J. liable for the deaths in a civil lawsuit filed by the Goldman and Brown families. O.J. was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas in 2008. He served 9 years in prison before being granted parole in 2017.
Lady Justice remains forever denied.
O.J. lived the American Dream.
His charisma stood as undeniable as his NFL prowess, or his skills with a serrated knife.
He was the first Black athlete to cross over into national superstardom after his playing days. O.J. was M.J. before M.J.
At O.J.’s zenith, he was a Pro Football Hall of Famer, a TV star, a movie star, an NFL commentator, a coveted commercial pitch man, and one of the most beloved celebrities in the nation.
He was, as they say, “killing it.”
His TV and film credits include “Towering Inferno,” three “Naked Gun” movies, “Capricorn One,” multiple network guest appearances, the Monday Night Football booth, and Arnold Palmer’s leading blocker for Hertz.
O.J. broke the NFL’s 2,000-yard single-season rushing barrier in 1973 needing just 14 games. At the time, it was considered an unattainable milestone along the lines of 62 home runs in baseball, 100 goals in hockey, or zero errors in a Red Sox game.
Decades before O.J. killed his ex-wife and her boyfriend, he was murdering the Patriots.
In 1973, O.J. gained 469 of his 2,003 rushing yards in two games against the Patriots. Overall, O.J. ran for 1,514 yards against Boston/New England in his career, accounting for 13.4% of his career total of 11,236. O.J. scored 14 of his career 78 touchdowns at the expense of the Patriots, by far the most of any team.
He slashed through defenses better than anyone.
There’s no reason to fake it when it comes to O.J.’s death, even though he faked it for the final 30 years of his life.
Sadness?
Solemnity?
Try “Good riddance, #OJSimpson.” That’s what Caitlin Jenner posted on social media.
NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt spoke for millions with his one-word video on Simpson’s legacy: “Murderer.”
Jenner and Simpson were perhaps the two most visible American athletes during the late 1970s. When Caitlin was Bruce, he/she/they won the Olympic men’s decathlon gold medal in 1976. Jenner and Simpson later worked together at ABC.
Simpson’s is the rare example in which one’s death can be greeted with gracious relief. Now that the Juice has been squeezed one last time by Father Time, his judgment will be delivered by the only jury that really matters.
From his days sprinting out of the backfield at Galileo High School in San Francisco, O.J. was always in the clear. He was arrested three times in high school yet was welcomed at USC. He won the 1968 Heisman Trophy in a landslide.
That sold for $255,000 at auction in 1999, with proceeds going to the Goldman family. Simpson eluded most of the $33.5 million civil judgment levied against him as his NFL pension was immune.
Drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the No. 1 pick in 1969, Simpson quickly became must-see TV when the Bills and Patriots were still in the AFL. O.J. was an All-Pro five times for a team that played one postseason game. In 1975, he amassed 2.243 yards from scrimmage and 23 TDs.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Simpson in 1985. His Heisman Trophy still stands in record books. His name remains on the Buffalo Bills “Wall of Fame”
“His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement.
Think about that the next time someone argues that Pete Rose shouldn’t be in Cooperstown. Betting on baseball vs. nearly decapitating your ex-wife. Which one is worse?
Simpson demonstrated privilege that accompanies celebrity and wealth is color blind. The police were called to his home eight times due to domestic violence concerns. Yet, his acquittal was celebrated by millions as some sort of vindication for social and racial injustice in policing. After his 11-month trial, which was televised daily nationwide, 100 million people watched the verdict live. Many in disbelief.
The white Bronco chase drew 95 million viewers on June 17, 1994. That day coincided with Palmer’s final round in the history of the U.S. Open, an NBA Finals game between the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, the Rangers’ Stanley Cup parade, and the start of the World Cup across the U.S. It became the subject of an ESPN “30 for 30” episode.
O.J.’s impact remains indelible. Before anyone ever heard of Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, Kylie, Kris, Rob, or anyone associated with the Kardashian brood, it was Robert Kardashian who literally served as O.J.’s lawyer and bag man in the days after the two murders.
Before America watched the Bronco chase, it was Robert Kardashian who read O.J.’s “suicide letter” to the world after he failed to turn himself in to police.
Among 658 words of lies and gibberish, Simpson wrote:
“Don’t feel sorry for me. I’ve had a great life, great friends. Please think of the real O.J. and not this lost person.”
Turns out they were one and the same.
Bill Speros (@RealOBF and @BillSperos on X) can be reached at bsperos1@gmail.com.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
More MLB: Red Sox Legend Backs ‘Worried’ John Henry
What should have been a quiet off-day for the Boston Red Sox has devolved into chaos.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was the subject of a profile article in The Boston Globe that didn’t paint a sunny picture of his tenure, including a tough nugget about his relationship with legend Theo Epstein. But Breslow’s harshest critic of the day was probably the father of one of his ex-players.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins made his second major league appearance on Sunday since being traded from the Red Sox in the deal that brought Willson Contreras to Boston. After Dobbins pitched well and featured his sinker more than expected, his father Lance Dobbins took to social media to excoriate the Red Sox and Breslow.
Lance Dobbins’ latest comments harsher than the first
We covered Lance Dobbins’ initial comments from late Sunday night that seemed to be directed at the Red Sox organization already on Boston Red Sox On SI. But on Monday evening, the elder Dobbins reentered the fray to absolve pitching coach Andrew Bailey of any blame, effectively throwing Breslow under the bus.
When asked if Breslow replacing Chaim Bloom as chief baseball officer led to Hunter throwing less sinkers and fewer four-seam fastballs in the Red Sox organization, Lance responded with this:
Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games! Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys…
— Lance Dobbins (@lpdobbins) June 1, 2026
“Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions. The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games!
“Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys always injured (pitchers and position players), it’s not by pure bad luck. Pitchers are having constant issues and hitters are always hurting hands and wrist. It’s not a league wide problem. It has to be fixed or we’ll never win because half of our starters will always be on the IL.”
That last point has to hit home for the Red Sox because star outfielder Roman Anthony (who debuted in the majors a couple of months after Hunter Dobbins) has now had two long-lasting injuries that occurred on swings — an oblique strain in September that ended his season prematurely, and a partially torn finger ligament that has held him out of action since May 4, with no end in sight.
Monday just wasn’t a good day in the public relations department for the Red Sox front office, or for Breslow in particular. But it’s worth noting that Dobbins has only made two appearances in a Cardinals uniform, allowing four earned runs in eight innings, taking a loss and earning a save.
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Scenic Six
Seasonal train rides, Bristol’s historic Fourth of July celebration, Duck Tour discounts, and more.
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Welcome back to Scenic Six.
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend. We visited friends in Wells, Maine and then explored nearby Ogunquit (recently named the best beach town in New England by Boston.com readers). Though the weather wasn’t the best, outdoor dining was still hopping and the streets were full of people. It’s always a good vibe in Ogunquit.
This week, I’m writing about two New England towns named among the most welcoming in America, a first-of-its-kind remote terminal for Logan Airport, the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in the nation, Boston Duck Tour discounts, and more.
These New England towns roll out the welcome mat
If you’re looking for a happy getaway, two New England towns were just named on a World Atlas list of 12 of the most welcoming towns in America: Bar Harbor, Maine and Burlington, Vermont. Both are hosting free festivals and other community events this summer, adding even more reasons for a Maine or Vermont escape this season.
Need a ride? Consider a seasonal train
I’m a big fan of train travel because it’s relaxing and stress free. The CapeFlyer between Boston and Cape Cod resumed this past weekend and the Berkshire Flyer between the Berkshires and New York City starts back up on June 12 (with expanded service).
Attend the oldest continuous 4th of July celebration in America
Believe it or not, Independence Day is just around the corner and one of the best celebrations in America is in Bristol, R.I., according to USA Today. The publication just named the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration among the best 4th of July celebrations in the nation (fun fact: this will be its 241st year).
Travel tips:
- Logan Airport passengers flying JetBlue and Delta Air Lines can soon skip airport security lines and go straight to their gate by using a first-of-its-kind remote terminal in Framingham, opening June 1.
- Celebrate America’s 250th birthday at Weir Farm National Historical Park in Ridgefield, Conn., the only national park dedicated to American painting, on June 14 (Flag Day) by attending the free event Art is Revolutionary. Guests will enjoy live music, plein air demonstrations, open house tours, refreshments, and art making activities.
Deals and steals:
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- Celebrate the 140th anniversary of Basin Harbor Resort & Boat Club in Vergennes, Vermont by booking the Summer Starts Early package, which takes 25% off weekdays and 10% off weekends on three-night stays taking place through June 18.
- Taking a Boston Duck Tour? Save up to $10 per ticket on tours departing before 10 a.m. by using the discount code EARLYDUCK. The discount is valid for online purchases only.
- Traveling by train? Save up to 60% off eight tickets on Amtrak when booking Amtrak Share Fares by using the code V291 on the Amtrak app. A two-day advance purchase is required.
I’ll leave you with this photo I took of the sunrise in Wells, Maine.
Where have you traveled lately? Please share your photos by sending them to [email protected] and they may be featured in an upcoming Scenic Six newsletter.
Whether you’re traveling this week or planning your next escape, enjoy the journey.
— Kristi
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