No, OJ Simpson was not honored alongside sports legends Willie Mays, Jerry West, and Bill Walton during the ‘in memoriam’ segment of Thursday’s ESPY Awards. This portion of the ceremony was dedicated to honoring athletes who have passed away in the last year, and it is unsurprising that Simpson, a controversial figure, was not included.
Earlier this month, however, Simpson was controversially included in the ‘in memoriam’ segment at the BET Awards. This decision sparked widespread criticism, given Simpson’s infamous history. Simpson, a former Buffalo Bills star, was acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman in what was dubbed the ‘trial of the century’. However, he was later found liable for their deaths in a civil trial. Simpson’s legal troubles continued, and he served nine years in prison for armed robbery before dying of cancer in April at age 76.
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith was vocal about his disapproval of Simpson’s inclusion at the BET Awards. On his podcast, Smith stated, “In the eyes of most people, regardless of an acquittal, OJ Simpson is a double murderer.” Smith criticized Simpson’s defense attorneys for accusing the LAPD of racism during the 1994 trial and expressed his belief that Simpson never truly cared about the black community until his indictment. “We should never be given a reason to talk about him again. We certainly shouldn’t be celebrating O.J. Simpson. I’m sorry. Not when two people were damn near decapitated and he was the prime suspect,” Smith said.
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The controversy extended beyond the BET Awards. The Heisman Trophy Trust also faced backlash for a post on their X account that mourned Simpson’s passing, stating, “The Heisman Trophy Trust mourns the passing of 1968 Heisman Trophy Winner OJ Simpson. We extend our sympathy to his family.” The post was met with heavy criticism from fans, one of whom wrote, “No one is mourning but you and his kids,” while another asked, “Is this a parody account?”
ESPN avoided similar criticism at the ESPYs by omitting any mention of Simpson. However, this was not the case in 1998, when host Norm Macdonald made an infamous joke about Simpson during his monologue. Referring to Simpson’s decision to sell his Heisman Trophy to pay the $33.5 million civil judgment to the Goldman family, Macdonald addressed 1997 Heisman winner Charles Woodson, saying, “And there’s Charles Woodson! How about that? What a season he had. He became the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. Congratulations, Charles, that is something that no one can ever take away from you.” Macdonald then paused before adding, “Unless you kill your wife and a waiter, in which case, all bets are off.”
By omitting Simpson from the ‘in memoriam’ segment, ESPN managed to steer clear of the controversy that has surrounded other organizations’ decisions to honor him, focusing instead on celebrating the lives and legacies of athletes whose contributions to sports are untainted by such scandal.
