Signatures for OJ Simpson Made It to the Buffalo Bills’ Family Circle

by Betty Jean Grant

Betty Jean Grant

As many of the readers know, the Committee to Preserve OJ Simpson’s place in the Buffalo Bills Legacy has been gathering signatures, which is a protest against the decision made by the Bills Organization to delete the name, awards and record OJ Simpson accumulated while playing for the Buffalo Bills, from 1969 to 1977.

The committee started collecting signatures to counter the Bills’ decision to remove OJ’s name from the Wall of Fame. The Buffalo Bills’ official reason was that OJ Simpson’s contributions to the Bills Organization were not going to be on the wall of the new stadium, even after being on the old stadium’s walls for over 46 years. The Buffalo Bills’ spokesperson used a quote that stated that due to the team’s focus on Family Value, OJ is not a fit for the image they wanted the Family Circle to display.

So, soon after that devastating announcement, some Buffalo Bills Football fans and supporters organized a committee and started a petition drive to gather signatures to present to Mr. Terry Pegula and to ask him to reconsider the decision made to remove OJ’s name without input from the fans and ticketholders of the Bills Football Team.

Over a period that included the middle of July to the middle of September, the committee secured the signatures and contact information from residents of WNY and also, from the internet, secured the signatures of 1,800 world wide online supporters—Buffalo Bills fans who live in Canada, China, France and Thailand, etc. The committee collected more than 5,000 signatures at festivals and community events such as Friday Night Live, Healing by the Water in Freedom Park and at concerts in Ralph Wilson Park.

On September 16th, (the day before the Buffalo Bills’ 1st Home Game), the committee drove to Orchard Park to hold a press conference to show the group delivering the Petition to Mr. Pegula or a representative from the Bills Organization. The only member of the football team to show up was a security detail who told this writer that I could not hold a press conference or do a video in the Family Circle because it was private property.

I reminded the gentleman that the Bills Organi zation had designated the area as a Public Park and that the citizens have open access to the ungated area that was reserved for public enjoy ment. I also brought to his attention that the citizens of New York State have an $850,000,000 investment in the 2.2 billion-costing, Highmark Stadium. Furthermore, I pointed out to this gentleman of security that there were other persons also in the Family Circus and that they were taking pictures, too!

This writer was able to do the press confer ence only with other members of the committee talking to the security personnel away from me and the members of the media that were there. The press conference went national. It was shown on local and national newscasts. Former NFL Tight End, and national, sports podcaster Shannon Sharpe took the press conference nationwide. The telecast of the press conference filmed by Spectrum was carried by many outside of the local, Buffalo market.

At this point in time, because no Bills repre sentative was present to receive the thousands of signatures, the Committee to Preserve OJ Simpson’s Place in the Buffalo Bills Legacy will continue to gather signatures until they are given to the football organization. To sign the petition, send a text or email to: 716-602-5877 or bettyjeangrant@gmail.com.