OT: O.J. Simpson dead at age 76, per Reuters & family
One of the most newsworthy athletes of the last 60 years, on and off the field.
Death is said to be from cancer.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:36 PM ^
"I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said." (WFB)
April 11th, 2024 at 12:42 PM ^
I think there are weaknesses in the case against OJ. I also have my reservations about the officers that investigated the crime. I think it is far more likely than not that OJ was the murderer. But there are reasons he was found not guilty for the crime. If there wasn't he would have been found guilty.
That's kinda circular reasoning though. All they had to do was find 12 jurors like yourself. And I mean there's a reason the old adage goes, if you're innocent you want trial by judge, if you are guilty you want trial by jury.
But doesn't the fact that 12 jurors (plus how ever many others) found that there was doubt prove that there's doubt (however small)? I guess I can't wrap my head around the argument that there's undisputedly zero doubt when there are people who have looked at the evidence (including 12 jurors) and said there's some doubt here.
As an aside, I don't think I'd care so much if it wasn't for the hyperbole. I haven't seen a single person on here saying anything other than that OJ likely was the killer. But you have someone saying OJ probably did it, though there are a few things that don't quite add up (which seems like a perfectly reasonable take), and then other people jump down his throat saying there's absolutely zero doubt and essentially there's no way to think there's doubt unless you haven't looked at the evidence. There's almost always doubt of some sort. My guess is that the number of criminal cases in which there's truly no doubt is incredibly small. So it just seems like a weird hill to die on...
April 11th, 2024 at 12:43 PM ^
The gloves were stiff and somewhat shrunk by the time he tried them on and more importantly, he was wearing latex gloves and put the gloves on over those. Zero doubt in my mind that he did it. Fuhrman planting evidence (which I also don't doubt) also undermined the case.
That said, the racial aspect was probably the biggest factor in the acquittal.
this is hard to believe. Everything points to him.
He got off because the lawyers - wisely - made it about how racist LAPD was/is.
The issue, however, is that they actually were that racist. There is very little physical evidence, but the physical evidence that there is shapes the entire belief as to his guilt. And that evidence comes off as far too convenient. He leaves one of the gloves at the scene, but keeps one on, does not discard that glove after leaving the scene, and discards it on his own property? What?
I think the jury thought there a reasonable chance that evidence was planted because there is a reasonable chance that it was.
OJ did it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
One piece of evidence nobody got to hear about was OJ’s screamed confession to Rosie Greer, a ‘lay’ pastor thst allowed OJ to use the pastor-penitent privilege to prevent that going into evidence. Another guy on our team was working men’s central jail in that mod and was an ‘ear witness’ to the shouted confession.
Jeff Stuart? It is my understanding that he has stated that he is not even sure what he heard. Possibly you know more, though.
no, not him. it was hot off the presses at football practice long before there was any legal-beagle stuff going on in court/on TV.
Interesting stuff XM.
aaaannnd that caused me to do an interweb search (i'm not on FB/insta, etc) for the guy. found a recent interview of him, at retirement. an hour long TV/podcast type of deal. still the same great guy. he was our QB, played at a D-1 school, and was such a good athlete that sometimes we'd put him in at safety. i remember one night game he threw me (i was a TE) a TD pass down the seam that i had trouble picking up in the night/lights, and only caught it as it was about to bounce off my fask mask. whew.
that was, gosh, almost 30 yrs ago. we are getting so old.
Also: that he tried to flee the country (he had his passport and a disguise in the Bronco), which an innocent person almost certainly wouldn’t do. For some reason the prosecution never brought it up during the trial.
Innocent people attempt to flee. It is not uncommon if they know they are going to be charged.
April 11th, 2024 at 10:20 PM ^
as proverbs says, 'the wicked flee, when no man pursueth'.
there is or was a california criminal jury instruction on that issue, too, caljc,
April 12th, 2024 at 10:40 AM ^
An innocent person might flee the cops in the heat of the moment, but is unlikely to engage in this kind of premeditated act (gathering up a passport, disguise and thousands of dollars days after the murder occurred). Particularly an innocent person whose wife was just killed.
The verdict was a judgement on racism and coruption in police work not in OJs guilt or innocence.
I remember being stunned at the racial divide in how people viewed the evidence, the event, and the verdict.
The single most damning thing is probably the complete and total absence of any alternative suspect. They never produced one reasonable shred of evidence pointing to someone else.
There is one. And he is the only person in the world OJ would have covered for.
Can you enlighten the uninformed?
Jason Simpson
April 11th, 2024 at 11:57 PM ^
I had never heard of him (my first thought when I read the name was OJ's brother), so I looked him up. Among other things I found was a nice summary of the Jason-was-the-killer theory on Reddit, and while I can't speak for the accuracy of the purported facts, I'm not going to lie, it made a compelling argument...
LAPD tried to frame a guilty man.
April 11th, 2024 at 11:24 AM ^
Grim reaper found the “real killer”
April 11th, 2024 at 11:29 AM ^
OJ will always make me think of Dave Chappelle's racial draft where the black delegation tries to draft Eminem and they end up settling for OJ.
April 11th, 2024 at 11:31 AM ^
I remember them reading the verdict live on school intercom while I was in the cafeteria at lunch. I think I yelled something and everyone yelled at me to shutup . hahahah.. that's all i remember. But pretty shocking that this is still a memory I hold. Pretty bizarrely significant event in the 90s.
For all his alleged murdering, he sure had a lot of lives to live. From Football, to actor, to celebrity, to alleged murderer, to low points and depression/jail... quite a life.
April 11th, 2024 at 11:49 AM ^
You can remove "alleged."
April 11th, 2024 at 11:45 AM ^
Not being raised in the U.S., I didn't know crap about football at the time. I remember when the murder thing happened and they explained the background to it, I was like "Wait Nordberg from Naked Gun played football?"
April 11th, 2024 at 12:43 PM ^
LOL quite a different perspective, indeed.
April 11th, 2024 at 11:48 AM ^
RIP finally
April 11th, 2024 at 12:06 PM ^
I actively avoided paying attention to the OJ Trial and in retrospect I feel great about that decision.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:07 PM ^
Will never get old.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:09 PM ^
Probably the worst thing to come out of OJ is making the Kardashians famous.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:49 PM ^
Probably the worst thing to come out of OJ is making the Kardashians famous.
More like "Probably the worst thing to come out of OJ is making the Kardashians" (at least Khloe), amirite?!?...
Nah, definitely the murders. But 2nd worst thing.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:10 PM ^
For the first and only time ever, thank you cancer.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:11 PM ^
11+ minutes of Norm MacDonald making OJ jokes on SNL.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:15 PM ^
OJ and marcus allen used to come to the club that i bounced at in downtown LA. this was of course pre-murder. OJ was a non-entity, marcus was very gracious. mid-80's OJ was into white powder and lots of women. marcus was a straight shooter, so to speak.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:25 PM ^
I remember watching full replays, with commercials, from two games in the 1980 season (Purdue at UM as well as Rose Bowl win over Wash). OJ was probably the first Black athlete to get a lot of positive vibes from mostly white America (Joe Louis did too but before TV ads). By 1980, he was flying like Superman in the Hertz ads, vs. his hurdling in 1978. He even said "I'm not Black, I'm OJ"
Hard to believe that the Chase is almost 30 years ago. Remember taking a nap after dinner and waking up expecting to see Rudy T's Rockets beating the Knicks, only to see a car chase.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:32 PM ^
that chase went about 1/2 mile from my then-house in socal. IIRC it was a friday, sunny, had played golf in the afternoon.
mrs XM went to school with nicole in their younger years.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:48 PM ^
It was a Friday. During Game 5 of the Rockets/Knicks NBA finals. Same day Arnold Palmer played in his last US Open.
...and news of OJ's death:
- Broke during the Masters - which could be Tiger's last.
- Arnold Palmer's Last US Open
- Broke on a day the Knicks and Rockets play games.
- Knicks vs. Rockets in NBA Finals
- Broke during the MLS soccer season.
- 1994 World Cup
- Getting that world cup in the US is why MLS soccer was created the first place.
My parents, when they were living in Pittsburgh, had friends come up for the Open that year. I remember them coming back to our house that evening talking about what happened on the course that day and then all the TV coverage switched to the Bronco chase. It was a surreal time watching it all unfold.
April 11th, 2024 at 12:52 PM ^
Eric Dickerson & OJ...2 running who's style of running can never be dupicated. Both ran upright...something that isn't going to prolong ones carrer.
1st NFL game I ever went to was Thanksgiving Day 1976; Bills v Lions. Scoreboard said “Lions Menu — Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce and Juice.” OJ set the (since broken) single game rushing record that day. What a surreal day the Bronco Chase was; started with news that OJ was missing as he failed to appear at his attorney’s office and ended with the slow speed chase down the freeway to his house.
Amazingly, the Lions won that game vs. Buffalo. OJ was literally 100% of their offense. Bills back-up QB (Gary Marangi) went 4-for-21 for 29 yards and a pick. That borders on the level with Russell Bellomy at Nebraska, but Russell wasn't on an NFL payroll.
If the coffin fits…you must acquit.
OJ Simpson… not a Jew.
His greatest life accomplishment may have been avoiding dying in prison
That trial was a shit show. I had a partner at work who was obsessed with it and every morning, she'd offer up a breakdown of the prior day's events and we'd sometimes watch it at lunch. The media coverage was out of control -- I think it was the precursor to the way media covers events today.