On Thursday morning, the family of O.J. Simpson announced on social media that the former football star and notorious murder suspect had passed away at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer. His death certainly put the sports media world in a difficult situation when discussing his rather controversial legacy.
Obviously, Simpson was a legitimate superstar on the football field at both the college and professional level, winning the Heisman Trophy with the USC Trojans and the NFL MVP with the Buffalo Bills. But he was also the subject of one of the most high-profile murder trials in history after he was arrested and charged with murdering his wife and her friend back in 1994.
Simpson was ultimately acquitted of the charges. However, given the evidence against him, many continue to believe that he was guilty of the murders. A 1997 civil trial found him liable for the deaths, where Simpson was ordered to pay millions in damages. This put the sports world in a bit of an awkward place as they reported on his death and talked about his legacy as he was a star athlete who was legally never found guilty, though his guilt is widely presumed.
So most outlets and reporters simply stuck to the facts when reporting Simpson’s death, longtime ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap did not hold back in giving his perspective on Simpson’s legacy.
Jeremy Schaap offered his reflection on O.J. Simpson's death.
"Anyone who has seriously looked at the evidence… would have to come to the conclusion that he was a murderer. And so am I filled with sorrow today? I'm not." pic.twitter.com/bSaVryiyok
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 11, 2024
Following a report from Shae Peppler Cornette on SportsCenter, Schaap joined the broadcast to discuss his perspective, sharing a memory of covering the police investigation at the O’Hare Plaza Hotel, where Simpson was staying during the beginning of the investigation, as police were searching for the murder weapon.
Schaap acknowledged that Simpson was ultimately acquitted, but he thinks that the evidence against him is overwhelming and isn’t filled with sorrow about his death.
“I think we have to keep in perspective here – yes, he was acquitted. But anyone who has seriously looked at the evidence – anyone who saw Ezra Edelman’s brilliant film for ESPN about O.J. Simpson – would have to come to the conclusion that he was a murderer,” Schaap said. “And so, am I filled with sorrow today? I am not.”
Schaap’s words offered an honest and thoughtful perspective on Simpson’s death amid a sea of stale statements and meme-worthy jokes.
