O.J. Simpson, to The Athletic: I might be sitting next to a murderer

The Athletic is running through their list of the NFL's top 100 players ever and today, that means O.J. Simpson comes up at No. 41. Buffalo writer Tim Graham talked to Simpson for it, wrote the story and people are not thrilled.

The question for the board: If you vote Simpson into this group, do you write the feature? And do you do it differently? Honestly, I don't have a major issue with how it was written.

NFL 100: At No. 41, O.J. Simpson 'prayed for fame' — no matter the cost

 

That story was probably done about as well as it could have been. You can feel all of Simpson’s deflections, yet the writer kept pressing the issue. And the Yary and Hill contributions were both solid.

 

What people aren't thrilled? Article is fine. Has anyone even written an article where OJ talks about all that?

 

It got an “awesome” vote from me.

 

Why I'm slashing for the Athletic

 

Where was the public outrage in 2018 when ESPN dedicated 10 hours of programming to its 30 for 30? (There was no public outrage, because the documentary was fair and critical and enthralling)

The Athletic’s article is also fair, critical and well-done. It isn’t some puff piece Q&A. I think the critics — and there were many — did not actually read the article; they just saw a headline about OJ Simpson being highly ranked on some list and being interviewed.

 

This.

... and this. It's a compelling update on an all-time tragic American story. And Yary's quotes are gold.


For another exceptional read, tackle this:
Gold teeth to gold jacket: The stories that made Edgerrin James a legend

 

The terribly-misunderstood OJ, who was acquitted of murder but had the hammer drop on him in Nevada because of his perceived light treatment in the previous case.

Give me a break.

He was a great NFL player. In the sports realm, it stops there.

 

I agree 100%. This reminds me of the uproar about LT and whether he was a first-ballot HOFer because of his post-NFL arrests for hiring under-age prostitutes. Ultimately, he was enshrined in Canton in his first year of eligibility. A superb player but a lousy human being.