If anything struck at the heart of OJ Simpson’s troubled legacy in the NFL, it was the lack of response to his death from a sport in which he excelled.
Simpson, whose death at age 76 was announced Thursday, was one of the greatest running backs of all time. He played 11 seasons in the NFL, led the league in rushing four times and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. His introduction to the audience came ten years before the murder trial, where he was controversially acquitted of murder. his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, who would overshadow his playing career.
That process, which put an end to his image as a beloved retired football star, explains the silence. When Jim Brown, an equally talented running back, died last year, the NFL tweeted a tribute within minutes of announcing his death. “We are heartbroken by the passing of the legendary Jim Brown,” the tweet said. “One of the greatest players in NFL history, a true trailblazer and activist. Jim Brown’s legacy will live on forever.” In contrast, the NFL’s only tweet on Thursday morning was a look back at the 1989 draft.
On the NFL’s official website, which usually posts lengthy tributes to former stars as they die, often with video from the league’s vast archive, Simpson’s death was reported with a copy from the agency. There was no looking back on his best games or best touchdowns.
ESPN, the mainstream voice of sports in America, aired a segment in which reporters Jeremy Schaap reflected on Simpson. “Anyone who has seriously looked at the evidence… would have to conclude that he was a murderer,” Schaap said. ‘And so am I filled with sorrow today? I am not.”
NFL teams post tributes on social media when one of their former players passes away, even if they only had a short time with the franchise. But the Buffalo Bills, where Simpson played most of his career and became one of America’s most famous men, did not acknowledge his death on their social media accounts Thursday. Just hours after Simpson’s death, the most recent tweet on the Bills’ X account was a happy birthday message to one of their former wide receivers, Steve Tasker. Simpson’s other professional team, the San Francisco 49ers, and his college team, USC, also chose not to mention his death on their X accounts.
High-profile athletes like LeBron James, who often responds to the deaths of former sports stars, have remained largely silent. Caitlyn Jenner, who was an Olympic champion when Simpson’s football career was at its peak, tweeted “Good riddance.” Former NFL receiver Torrey Smith was one of the few football players willing to say anything remotely positive about Simpson.
“The amount [of] journalists/media companies using OJ’s court photos to announce his death are disgusting! Whatever you think of him, he was innocent in court and has children here,” Smith wrote.
But while the sports world remained largely silent, Simpson’s death was soon trending on X. Many of the most popular tweets were about Simpson being welcomed into Hell.