Remembering the O.J. Trial

This is an incredible read by Bill Simmons Producer of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. A great recap of how insane that trial was.


http://grantland.com/features/sports-guys-vault-remembering-the-o-j-trial/

I can't believe it's been 20 years.
I had just graduated high school when OJ was arrested. I remember watching the chase on live TV at my buddies house. We got bored and watched part of Dazed and Confused (which we had probably watched 30 times by that point) and then flipped back to the chase to find that nothing had changed.

Biggest non-guilty verdict ever. Everyone knew he did it.

Cosmo_Kramer wrote:Biggest non-guilty verdict ever. Everyone knew he did it.

That article was great. They were talking about how the jury was too stupid to understand what DNA was and they just didnt believe the DNA evidence the cops presented. They said if it happened now with csi and NCis the defense would of had an easier time.

Oj got away with murder but he didn't get away with breaking and entering.

Was at Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee for Phish on the night of the chase, spent the night at a campground in Racine, wondered what all the OJ references were about until the next morning in Chicago we saw the news coverage while scarfing down pre-Chicago show pizza at Carmen's in Evanston.

Was working at a news radio station that night. Got off work at 10p, and this newbie intern comes in for his very first night of solo board op. I leave and go home, and about an hour later, I turn on the tv, and see the chase start. I get a call on my phone from the frantic intern about the news alerts going on at the station, and he's panicking wondering what to do.    I had to walk him through patching into the national coverage. What a first night for him.

The OJ trial was when I became convinced that the USA was doomed. I'm not joking. I lost faith in the rule of law; I saw the "real" racial divide which was that most blacks were easily persuaded to ignore facts and logic in defense of "one of their own"; I saw the media create celebrities out of nobodies and despicably destroy reputations of admirable people. And most of all- I saw the dawning of the ultra PC age in which the "N-word" was manufactured so as to provide additional protection from accusation of racial bigotry. All self-appointed aggrieved groups now have "approved" labels and ways in which they can be addressed with "proper" deference. The deference is what is demanded by the ultra PC to show that your mind is "right" and are aware of the consequences of pissing them off by speaking of them in anything other than glowing terms.

20 years ago today...

steveschneider wrote:20 years ago today...

OJ should have went Blues Brothers on them.

I was driving back from freshman orientation at MSU when I heard the news his wife was killed, though he wasn't considered a suspect "at that time".

Was in the CF bleachers at Tiger Stadium a day or 2 later during the chase.

The OJ chase was David Stern's worst nightmare.

Hakeem and the Rockets were playing Patrick Ewing and the Knicks in the finals (Jordan was playing baseball at the time).

With the series tied at 2-2, the NBA had game 5 on prime time on a Friday evening. And then NBC broke away from the game to cover the OJ chase. IIRC, they finally settled on split screen coverage of both events, but everyone I know flipped over to CNN to get uninterrupted coverage of OJ.

If they don't set OJ free how will he ever find the real killer?

I was celebrating birthday #10

Rodeo Burger wrote:The OJ chase was David Stern's worst nightmare.

Hakeem and the Rockets were playing Patrick Ewing and the Knicks in the finals (Jordan was playing baseball at the time).

With the series tied at 2-2, the NBA had game 5 on prime time on a Friday evening. And then NBC broke away from the game to cover the OJ chase. IIRC, they finally settled on split screen coverage of both events, but everyone I know flipped over to CNN to get uninterrupted coverage of OJ.

Isn't that one of the biggest pizza nights in America ever? I know I had just spoken at a graduation and my wife and I were going to go out after, but we went home and were mesmerized by it. We ordered one. I thought he'd kill himself.

Paroled

The juice is loose.

Was at work and missed the hearing. Followed Chris Mannix watching and doing both play-by-play and color on twitter:

OJ: "Nobody has ever accused me of pulling any weapon on them."

OK.
____

OJ: "I've basically lived a conflict-free life."

This is surreal.
____

OJ is giving this panel every reason to drop him back in prison. No remorse, just justifications--still a sociopath. Unreal.
____

This guy is wearing a Chiefs tie.

This whole thing is incredible.

Hang me. For what he went to prison for, and everything related to that case, I think the system worked. The court of public punishment can now issue their own verdict.