Got to the heart of OJ Simpson’s struggling tradition in the NFL, it was the absence of response to his death from a sport at which he stood out.
Simpson, whose death at the age of 76 was revealed on Thursday, was among the best running backs of perpetuity. He played in the NFL for 11 seasons, led the league in hurrying on 4 events and was chosen to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. His induction into the hall came 10 years before the murder trial, where he was controversially acquitted of eliminating his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her pal Ronald Goldman, that would eclipse his playing profession.
That trial, which ended his image as an adorable retired football star, discusses the silence. When Jim Brown, a likewise skilled running back, passed away in 2015 the NFL tweeted a homage within minutes of the statement of his death. “We are sad by the death of the famous Jim Brown,” checked out the tweet. “One of the best gamers in NFL history, a real leader and activist. Jim Brown’s tradition will survive on permanently.” On the other hand, the NFL’s only tweet on Thursday early morning was an appearance back at the 1989 draft.
On the NFL’s main site, which typically posts prolonged homages to previous stars when they pass away, frequently with video from the league’s substantial archive, Simpson’s death was reported with company copy. There was no appearance back at his biggest video games or finest goals.
ESPN, the traditional voice of sports in America, aired a section in which press reporter Jeremy Schaap assessed Simpson. “Anyone who has actually seriously taken a look at the proof … would need to pertain to the conclusion that he was a killer,” stated Schaap. “And so am I filled with sadness today? I’m not.”
NFL groups publish homages to social networks when among their previous gamer passes away, even if they just had a quick time with the franchise. The Buffalo Bills, where Simpson played many of his profession and ended up being one of the most well-known guys in America, did not acknowledge his death on their social media accounts on Thursday. Numerous hours after Simpson’s death the most current tweet on the Bills’ X account was a delighted birthday message to