Jump to content

ESPN 30 for 30 - O.J.: Made in America


YoloinOhio

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 192
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Have you ever watched other 30 for 30 documentaries? Most of them are about more than just sports. Keep in mind, there are about 6 more hours to go in this thing... obviously, this one isn't for you... personally, I thought it was excellent. To those complaining about the time spent on LAPD and things other than OJ, my hunch is that this is all setting us up for the final installments on how a man so guilty, got away with murder, and why opinions of his guilt (especially at the time) were so divided along racial lines. Obviously, we are all Bills fans, so Simpson is a huge part of our history...but as you heard one of Nicole's sisters mention last night "we weren't a "football family", so we didin't know who OJ Simpson was" when their sister started dating him. Without the homicide, as great a player as he was (and he really was), he would be remembered as one of many great old-timers. But Simpsons' story, because of the time and place it took place, is just that much more remarkable. The guy who didn't want to be associated with the civil rights movement while coming up, and things were good for him, had to reap whatever benefits that movement created to save his skin. And even though it was all pretty transparent, it was allowed to happen...

 

Great post!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So is OJ a sociopath or does he suffer from CTE, or both?

 

Funny - my wife and I asked the exact same question while watching the first episode.

 

I think it's both. In hindsight we can see that OJ displayed many signs of sociopathy considering his lack of willingness to do anything that didn't directly benefit himself. His resistance to helping out in the civil rights movement and the reasons for it (hurting his brand, "I'm not black, I'm OJ") spoke volumes imo. As did the statements from people who worked with him regularly throughout his career stating in interviews that they couldn't figure out if there was more behind OJ than the calculated, polished cardboard cutout who was able to perfect his public persona through the 70's and 80's.

 

Combined with that you have the fits of rage that are common among CTE sufferers. And back in the late 60's through 70's there was no concussion protocol in football whatsoever. Football was a rougher sport, lack of medical advancements, little to no knowledge of concussions, countless carries during his 11 year NFL career, etc. There is absolutely no question that OJ Simpson's brain contains an abundance of CTE.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking of OJ being a sociopath (or psychopath?) did you guys hear the story that Jeff van Gundy told on air during the NBA game fri night? He said that al cowlings once told pat Riley that OJ made him slow down the bronco during the car chase so that he could listen to the end of the Knicks-rockets playoff game that night.... This is what was important to him at that point in time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking of OJ being a sociopath (or psychopath?) did you guys hear the story that Jeff van Gundy told on air during the NBA game fri night? He said that al cowlings once told pat Riley that OJ made him slow down the bronco during the car chase so that he could listen to the end of the Knicks-rockets playoff game that night.... This is what was important to him at that point in time.

 

I heard that but not sure if I buy it. The chase seemed to be the same speed the whole time. I remember hearing the frantic calls to OJ from John McKay and Jim Cheyunski of all people, etc. and it sure didn't sound like he was paying attention to the basketball game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@billsupdates

O.J. Simpson 30 for 30 starts Saturday: Time, TV channel for ESPN documentary http://trib.al/63L53mp

Part 1

Saturday, June 11, 9 p.m. on ABC (premiere)

Tuesday, June 14, 7 p.m. on ESPN (re-air)

Part 2

Tuesday, June 14, 9 p.m. on ESPN (premiere)

Wednesday, June 15, 7 p.m. on ESPN (re-air)

Part 3

Wednesday, June 15, 9 p.m. on ESPN (premiere)

Friday, June 17, 7 p.m. on ESPN (re-air)

Part 4

Friday, June 17, 9 p.m. on ESPN (premiere)

Sat. June 18, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN (re-air)

Part 5

Saturday, June 18, 9 p.m. on ESPN (premiere)

Watch ESPN

All five parts of the documentary will be available on WATCH ESPN beginning on June 14.

 

 

Is there a place to watch these after they air? Missed episode one and likely will miss it again tongiht

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@WGR550

DeLamielleure: "OJ was one of the best teammates you could ever have. He'd always take care of the offensive line. We never bought dinner."

DeLamielleure: "The only question I have about OJ is why was he not a voice, like Ali, for African Americans."


DeLamielleure: "OJ didn't play at least 4 quarters in 73. If he had played those he would've had 2500 yards. He only did it in 14 games."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DeLamielleure: "OJ didn't play at least 4 quarters in 73. If he had played those he would've had 2500 yards. He only did it in 14 games."

 

I remember thinking at the time - why pull him after he hit 2000. Keep going! I have no idea now how much time was left now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So is OJ a sociopath or does he suffer from CTE, or both?

 

He definitely had CTE but if he wasn't a sociopath he was at best a sever narcissist. I think that the CTE was definitely the source of his anger issues and highly aggressive behavior. But his choices regarding his career stemmed from being either a sociopath or simply a narcissist (Which most highly successful people are).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember thinking at the time - why pull him after he hit 2000. Keep going! I have no idea now how much time was left now.

They pulled him, then later revised his yardage total as I recall. It went down some I believe, but stayed over the 2,000 mark. Would love to hear from anyone with the details.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just finished watching the first episode and I think it's really tremendous filmmaking or television or whatever you want to call it. It really does an incredible job of setting him up for what he was that time period for the overall story of black and white in America, which is what it's about as evidenced by the title. Superb editing and storytelling, especially for someone who didn't know much about him (i, on the other hand, remember clearly as a kid being pissed that Gary Beban won the Heisman when OJ was a junior.). But the doc was great.

 

Love Badol as a poster and guy but don't understand the criticism. It's a 5 part series. It didn't and shouldn't have got into the mid Bills years much. They were setting the stage for the series, and OJ being a hugely likeable guy and cultural and racial phenomenon, before the crazed killer that he had become, as if this was a pilot episode. It was superbly done, IMO. And I didn't like the recent mini series as much as a lot of people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing I didn't like though, although I am not sure about it, was that I think they took Booker Edgerson's comments out of context. His relationship with OJ was in the early years. And definitely OJ hated Buffalo his first couple years. But he came to love Buffalo for more years than he hated it. Sure he didn't like the weather. And it wasnt LA or the media capital of the world. But OJ didn't want to clearly get out of Buffalo until his last couple years when he couldn't run. From 73-76 or more he loved it and said so repeatedly. I think they took things Edgerson said and applied them for different times, or Edgerson had a certain opinion of him from the time he was on the team. He retired in 1970 before OJ was even really good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing I didn't like though, although I am not sure about it, was that I think they took Booker Edgerson's comments out of context. His relationship with OJ was in the early years. And definitely OJ hated Buffalo his first couple years. But he came to love Buffalo for more years than he hated it. Sure he didn't like the weather. And it wasnt LA or the media capital of the world. But OJ didn't want to clearly get out of Buffalo until his last couple years when he couldn't run. From 73-76 or more he loved it and said so repeatedly. I think they took things Edgerson said and applied them for different times, or Edgerson had a certain opinion of him from the time he was on the team. He retired in 1970 before OJ was even really good.

 

I was thinking the exact same thing as you. Like Jim Kelly, he didn't like it early, but then he at least publicly seemed to really like it in his prime........I loved when he'd always openly root for the Bills when he was on NBC..........And, then he came here a lot in the years before his Vegas thing - tailgating, playing golf, etc. I know it's a totally different him at that point than the "star" OJ. But, not sure if he would have done that if "he hated the place."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing I didn't like though, although I am not sure about it, was that I think they took Booker Edgerson's comments out of context. His relationship with OJ was in the early years. And definitely OJ hated Buffalo his first couple years. But he came to love Buffalo for more years than he hated it. Sure he didn't like the weather. And it wasnt LA or the media capital of the world. But OJ didn't want to clearly get out of Buffalo until his last couple years when he couldn't run. From 73-76 or more he loved it and said so repeatedly. I think they took things Edgerson said and applied them for different times, or Edgerson had a certain opinion of him from the time he was on the team. He retired in 1970 before OJ was even really good.

 

 

I noticed that too.

 

There have been a few liberties taken with this 30 for 30..........like in the 4 falls of Buffalo with the Bills blaming Chuck Dickerson for losing SBXXVI to Washington and not mentioning at all that Bruce Smith caused the biggest stir that week by calling out Bills fans as racists because of some hater mail he got......but in this case I think the standard should be held a little higher for a Ken Burns-esque matter-of-record epic like this.

 

I mean, it tends to reason that he preferred CA to Buffalo but at least get it from someone who was with him at the time.

 

That might have been hard to find because it seemed that when women weren't involved OJ was pretty good at staying in character.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...