OJ Simpson’s Legacy Belongs to the Buffalo Bills
by Betty Jean Grant
Betty Jean Grant
There are many issues and concerns that are being talked about in the Buffalo community, chief among them are the abrupt resignation of the Buffalo Public School Superintendent, and the omission of College Football and professional football Hall of Famer, Orenthal James (OJ) Simpson from the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame. Due to the pending intervention of the mayor and possibly the Buffalo Common Council becoming involved, I have decided to stay away from that ‘can of worms’!
What I have chosen to do is to organize a massive campaign to request the Bills organization to do the right thing and return OJ Simpson’s name to the wall of the Buffalo Bills stadium, where he has been for the past 46 years! His removal from the Wall of Fame has not been explained, except to say that after 46 years on the wall and holding the record for 3 of the 5 highest yards for rushing (1. OJ. Simpson; 2. OJ Simpson; 3. Cookie Gilchrist; 4. OJ Simpson; 5. Thurman Thomas.) “He is not ‘Fit’ for either the wall inside the stadium or the Family Circle outside, near the entryway.
Let us not forget who was, and is, the only player to exceed over 2,000 yards in a single 14 game football season. Let us not forget who was the first Buffalo Bill to be inducted into both the NFL’s and the Bills Halls of Fame. Let us also not forget that OJ Simpson did not do all these record-breaking feats all by himself. OJ had all of the Bills’ players and the members of the community, where the latter was known as the Buffalo Bills’ 12th Man, as he ran and carried them and fans, across America, into the history books. To omit OJ’s contribution to the game of football will be to omit the hardships and team loyalty of those Buffalo Bills’ players who made the period between 1969 1977, one of the best times to be a part of football in Buffalo.
The Committee to Keep OJ Simpson on the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame is still collecting signatures on a petition to present to the current owners of the Buffalo Bills. We have collected 1,547 signatures online through Change.Org. I have personally collected over 3,000 signatures on paper sheets. There are thousands more being gathered at churches, festivals, and barber and beauty shops. This writer believes this initiative is successful, because many people are happily signing their support.
They are signing because they believe that what “The Juice” accomplished for himself, the Bills and their fan is what got him to the Hall of Fame and that is the only thing we should be focused on. The Petition signers said that the laws of America and the courts system worked, and a verdict was rendered. They also reminded me that if I believed in the criminal justice system, I cannot be selective and only agree or respect the process if it goes a particular way.