PERSPECTIVE: My conflicted view of O.J. Simpson

When I was a kid playing youth football in the 1970s, I absolutely revered O.J. Simpson as a football player.& From 1972 to 1977, Simpson was the NFL’s most dominant running back. In the years I played Little League football, I wanted to wear number 32 and was upset that the teams I played on never had his jersey available. But I always wore my blue number 32 as a practice jersey.& Given Simpson’s tumultuous life after his fame as a football player, sports commentator, and movie star, the only cheers that I can’t seem to get out of my mind came from Howard University students cheering his acquittal of murder charges in the death of his wife and her friend.& Late attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. holds onto O.J. Simpson as a not guilty verdict is read in a Los Angeles courtroom on Oct. 3, 1995. Left is F. Lee Bailey and second from left is Robert Kardashian. Photo credit: Myung J. Chun, The Associated Press/pool But the hard part about growing up is the harsh realization that our heroes are often flawed, sometimes disgusting, narcissistic human beings who are out of touch with reality — which oftentimes says more...