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.
