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

[purple haze]

 

 

I was a little underwhelmed, probably because of the hype.

 

Primarily, no mention of OJ's leg problems as a kid.

 

I get that they are trying to appeal to non-sports fans with this particular 30 for 30 but they could have mentioned that he was a 5 time All Pro and that he actually had more yards per scrimmage and 23 TD's in 1975.

 

I always thought that was his best year, the last game of 1973 really blew up his rushing stats but he nearly passed Jim Brown's old record a second time in 1975 and he did a lot more in the pass game.

 

Not sure if they are going to get to him being traded to SF in the next episode or not.......they kinda' left it like he retired a Bill.

Yeah, but it would be redundant to speak of '75. The zenith is 2G's in '73. Although, arguably,

75 was a better all around year. The 2G's speaks of his athletic greatness because it was unique and herculean and something, I would imagine, most of the country would recall hearing about. That accomplishment relaunched his star and led to the bigger endorsements and film appearances which we see today all the time, but back then? From a storytelling perspective I would focus on that too. Anything else would be anticlimactic. As long as this documentary will be they still can't throw in everything.

 

Ultimately, the director has done a masterful job of giving OJ's story context, why he was the way he was, and why what was to come later, in terms of reactions, mistrust, anger surrounding his trial ran as deeply as they did.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Wow, 5 parts is a lot.

 

Here's my guess how they break it down:

 

Part 1: Childhood through USC

Part 2: the NFL playing days (the only fun part!)

Part 3: Media darling and movie star

Part 4: Murder and Trial of the Century

Part 5: Life after the trial

 

probably the first three take an half an hour and the rest of the shows goes over the murder, the trial, and his thefts landing him in prison.

[plenzmd1]

Cool to see Kenny getting so much air time.

[dave mcbride]

I was a little underwhelmed, probably because of the hype.

 

Primarily, no mention of OJ's leg problems as a kid.

 

I get that they are trying to appeal to non-sports fans with this particular 30 for 30 but they could have mentioned that he was a 5 time All Pro and that he actually had more yards per scrimmage and 23 TD's in 1975.

 

I always thought that was his best year, the last game of 1973 really blew up his rushing stats but he nearly passed Jim Brown's old record a second time in 1975 and he did a lot more in the pass game.

 

Not sure if they are going to get to him being traded to SF in the next episode or not.......they kinda' left it like he retired a Bill.

His 1973 season was pretty great so I'm not going to say his 75 season was better (largely because tds for a guy that good are pretty randomly distributed and dependent on the rest of the offense--OJ had no problem scoring tds, after all). The season that stands out for me was 1976--1503 yards in a 14 game season with over 5 ypc and playing for a wretched team that started Gary Marangi for half the season. All the attention was on OJ but he still lit it up. Edited June 12, 2016 by dave mcbride

[machine gun kelly]

I don't share the same infatuation so many have had over OJ. He was one of our all time great players, and remember watching him as a little boy.

 

I remember him in the Towerin Inferno, the Naked Gun movies, and so on. What he did was reprehensible. I looked at the thread to read some of your thoughts, but I have no interest in watching this series.

[GRHater69]

The best times to be a Bills' fan in the 70s was from '72-'75. In '72 Saban had just come back and he was bound and determined to change the culture and get OJ the ball more. You saw the early results as Simpson lead the NFL in rushing for the first time. We all know what happened in '73, but for me '75 was the year that will haunt the decade. OJ had his last really great season, Ferguson was in his 3rd year and really starting to develop. The team was coming off it's first playoff season in nearly a decade. But they had a TERRIBLE defense and could really only win by outscoring people and that caught up with them. If they had even a middle of the pack D that year they might have gotten to the playoffs again and done some damage.

 

As for the 30 for 30, too much time on the LAPD. Getting a little tired of that being the root cause of all the problems in that area. The country just wasn't ready for integration, it was everyone's fault, not just the police.

[jethro_tull]

I thought it was very well done. The viewpoint seemed to slam OJ for not using his celebrity to unite with other black militants at the time to advance racial justice and equality. That he sold his out for his own gain, in stark contrast to Mohammed Ali who sacrificed his career and potential endorsements for the cause of his race.

While this may be true, OJ's actions were extremely important to the cause of racial equality. He was literally the first african american superstar embraced and loved by white mainstream america. by not acting defiant and militant, he paved the way for many others.

[26CornerBlitz]

I thought it was very well done. The viewpoint seemed to slam OJ for not using his celebrity to unite with other black militants at the time to advance racial justice and equality. That he sold his out for his own gain, in stark contrast to Mohammed Ali who sacrificed his career and potential endorsements for the cause of his race.

While this may be true, OJ's actions were extremely important to the cause of racial equality. He was literally the first african american superstar embraced and loved by white mainstream america. by not acting defiant and militant, he paved the way for many others.

 

I don't believe it was a slam at all, but instead a comparison and contrast that showed choices other athletes in the 60's made vs. what OJ did.

[BADOLBILZ]

Yeah, but it would be redundant to speak of '75. The zenith is 2G's in '73. Although, arguably,

75 was a better all around year. The 2G's speaks of his athletic greatness because it was unique and herculean and something, I would imagine, most of the country would recall hearing about. That accomplishment relaunched his star and led to the bigger endorsements and film appearances which we see today all the time, but back then? From a storytelling perspective I would focus on that too. Anything else would be anticlimactic. As long as this documentary will be they still can't throw in everything.

 

Ultimately, the director has done a masterful job of giving OJ's story context, why he was the way he was, and why what was to come later, in terms of reactions, mistrust, anger surrounding his trial ran as deeply as they did.

 

Yeah I just think it's not a 30 for 30 if they don't talk more actual sports.

 

The omissions would have taken all of 10 seconds or less.........they could have cut 10 seconds of Joe Bell whispering some bullsh*t and I don't think it would have stalled the story.

 

I didn't find the first installment very engaging either way though.

 

There are a lot of great TV shows/programming available now so the bar is pretty high if I am going to waste my time watching a non-sporting event.

 

But perhaps the rest will be more interesting I just didn't think it got off to a start commensurate with the hype.

[purple haze]

 

As for the 30 for 30, too much time on the LAPD. Getting a little tired of that being the root cause of all the problems in that area. The country just wasn't ready for integration, it was everyone's fault, not just the police.

In the context of OJ's story and what we would see later during the trial, it is important for people to know the history of the LAPD relationship to the black community. It is directly relevant to his acquital and the divergent reactions afterward. The present is not lived in a vacuum. Threads from the past can usually be found running through the present.

 

I would also say, the root cause of the problems in that area and other areas like it, is not the police. They are a sprout from the root, but the root runs deeper than them. When you say the country just wasn't ready for integration, it was everyone's fault... who exactly are you referring to not being ready? Then my next question would be why weren't those people ready, as integration was seen as a akin to equality: equal access, equal treatment, etc.

[purple haze]

 

I thought it was very well done. The viewpoint seemed to slam OJ for not using his celebrity to unite with other black militants at the time to advance racial justice and equality. That he sold his out for his own gain, in stark contrast to Mohammed Ali who sacrificed his career and potential endorsements for the cause of his race.

While this may be true, OJ's actions were extremely important to the cause of racial equality. He was literally the first african american superstar embraced and loved by white mainstream america. by not acting defiant and militant, he paved the way for many others.

I don't know if the Juice's actions were that important, ultimately. In a vacuum, his desire to be seen for his talent and excellence were understandable. However, he was embraced and loved by white mainstream America because he was perceived as not black; meaning that he made white America comfortable in his silence about injustices that were occurring daily. So is that really love? For instance, with all of the inequality that existed at the time OJ was at USC, he was able to, with his talents, be accepted. But the people he grew up with, what of them? He can be treated grandly, but the people he grew up with could find mistreatment in various forms, or his relatives, etc. He was selfish. But that was his right to live as he wished. The truth of it is, there was only one OJ. His talent was rarified so someone else making it in the way that he did was unlikely. Also, don't miss the fact that OJ was a star athlete. If he were a "regular" person his path would have been a lot different. And I say all of that as someone who was/is a huge fan of OJ's talent.

 

This is why the Muhammad Ali's and Jim Brown's are so highly respected and loved. Not that they were saints or perfect people by any means, but because they were stars, yet they remembered how they were treated before they were stars, and they also recognized that the rest of the community they grew up in were not afforded the same basic respect they had access to once they were "known."

 

I wouldn't call demanding equality, to be treated with respect, to not be brutalized, militant. I would call it intelligent to fight back in a way that makes people confront the issue.

 

 

Yeah I just think it's not a 30 for 30 if they don't talk more actual sports.

 

The omissions would have taken all of 10 seconds or less.........they could have cut 10 seconds of Joe Bell whispering some bullsh*t and I don't think it would have stalled the story.

 

I didn't find the first installment very engaging either way though.

 

There are a lot of great TV shows/programming available now so the bar is pretty high if I am going to waste my time watching a non-sporting event.

 

But perhaps the rest will be more interesting I just didn't think it got off to a start commensurate with the hype.

I hear you. Nothing can be all things to all people. I think most of the regard for the documentary is because it is more than just sports. I think all of the 30 for 30s could have taken similar tacks if they had chosen to. In this specific instance though, the cross-current of race, class, sports, celebrity are so deep into OJ's story they had to be included or what you would have had was a who done it or an NFL films fluff piece and we have already seen those things were OJ is concerned. Edited June 12, 2016 by purple haze

[bbb]

The best times to be a Bills' fan in the 70s was from '72-'75. In '72 Saban had just come back and he was bound and determined to change the culture and get OJ the ball more. You saw the early results as Simpson lead the NFL in rushing for the first time. We all know what happened in '73, but for me '75 was the year that will haunt the decade. OJ had his last really great season, Ferguson was in his 3rd year and really starting to develop. The team was coming off it's first playoff season in nearly a decade. But they had a TERRIBLE defense and could really only win by outscoring people and that caught up with them. If they had even a middle of the pack D that year they might have gotten to the playoffs again and done some damage.

 

As for the 30 for 30, too much time on the LAPD. Getting a little tired of that being the root cause of all the problems in that area. The country just wasn't ready for integration, it was everyone's fault, not just the police.

 

If not for a horrific call in Miami, they probably would have made the playoffs. I was at the game the next week, with the ref being hung in effigy in the tunnel and drunk fans plunking Chuck Foreman in the eye with a snowball.

 

That season started so great until the Giants MNF game.

 

[Buftex]

 

Yeah I just think it's not a 30 for 30 if they don't talk more actual sports.

 

The omissions would have taken all of 10 seconds or less.........they could have cut 10 seconds of Joe Bell whispering some bullsh*t and I don't think it would have stalled the story.

 

I didn't find the first installment very engaging either way though.

 

There are a lot of great TV shows/programming available now so the bar is pretty high if I am going to waste my time watching a non-sporting event.

 

But perhaps the rest will be more interesting I just didn't think it got off to a start commensurate with the hype.

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...

[GRHater69]

I would also say, the root cause of the problems in that area and other areas like it, is not the police. They are a sprout from the root, but the root runs deeper than them. When you say the country just wasn't ready for integration, it was everyone's fault... who exactly are you referring to not being ready? Then my next question would be why weren't those people ready, as integration was seen as a akin to equality: equal access, equal treatment, etc.

 

It was everyone's fault, I wasn't there so I'm going on what I've seen in documentaries and read in books. Change like that needs to happen gradually, the govt. can't force it.

[chaccof]

That's funny, i don't care who you are....

[BADOLBILZ]

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...

 

 

I've seen most of the 30 for 30's.......so yeah.

 

I am a hurricanes football fan and a Michigan basketball fan so there are a bunch of them that couldn't have been directed more at my interests.

 

This one is definitely different.......it's intended to appeal to a much broader audience than sport.

 

Actually I expected less sport content.......but I was disappointed for the lack of compelling story telling.

 

I can see where much of the content might be only there to set up later content........as was the case with OJ dissing Harry Edwards and the black-gloved Olympic athletes toward the end of episode 1.

 

Like I said......hopefully it gets better.........I assume it will and that I will like it.

 

It's important to keep in mind that the reviewers who saw it probably saw it all at once so the slow start might not have been much of a consideration in their reviews.

[Wayne Arnold]

I was a little underwhelmed, probably because of the hype.

 

Primarily, no mention of OJ's leg problems as a kid.

 

How is that relevant? Serious question.

[BADOLBILZ]

 

How is that relevant? Serious question.

 

 

I was always told that one of the great things about OJ was that he had a condition as a child where could barely walk or had to wear leg braces and then when he later became synonymous with great running ability that made it seem all the more amazing.

 

Or maybe that was just Forrest Gump.......I don't remember.

 

They spent a lot of time talking about obstacles he overcame.......that seemed more than noteworthy.

 

Again.......maybe they come back to that later when they are trying to see-saw back and forth between the good and the bad of OJ.

[YoloinOhio]

A few things that I didn't know. It really sets the background. It basically starts with OJ the recruit and the political climate and goes until he meets Nicole. I won't ruin any details but that's part 1.

just watched and I thought it was fascinating. Definitely two revelations that made me think "wow"... I loved the old USC and Bills footage and the electric company song. Guess he really hated Buffalo. Mostly, he felt he was above it. Edited June 12, 2016 by YoloinOhio

[Peter]

I've seen most of the 30 for 30's.......so yeah.

 

I am a hurricanes football fan and a Michigan basketball fan so there are a bunch of them that couldn't have been directed more at my interests.

 

This one is definitely different.......it's intended to appeal to a much broader audience than sport.

 

Actually I expected less sport content.......but I was disappointed for the lack of compelling story telling.

 

I can see where much of the content might be only there to set up later content........as was the case with OJ dissing Harry Edwards and the black-gloved Olympic athletes toward the end of episode 1.

 

Like I said......hopefully it gets better.........I assume it will and that I will like it.

 

It's important to keep in mind that the reviewers who saw it probably saw it all at once so the slow start might not have been much of a consideration in their reviews.

I am a Canes fan as well.