OJ Simpson's Rise to Fall - Essay Example

O.J. SIMPSON O.J. Simpson was one of the greatest football players of all time. He had a long and storied career playing for a major NFL team in the United States of America. He was famous before many other sports figures became the kind of big celebrities they are today. He was a role model for many millions of young men and women. But then something terrible happened. One night off of Rodeo Drive, he found his wife with another man. He allegedly killed them both.After a long-lasting and widely televised trial O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the murders of both his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman.

However, despite this acquittal, his name had been tarnished and there were few people that believed in his innocence. In fact, in interviews that followed the trial, several of the jurors even voiced their opinions that they believed Simpson had probably committed the murders but due to errors in evidence handling they had produced a verdict of innocence. Though, Simpson was found innocent in the criminal trial this was not the last time he would appear in court regarding the murders. In 1997, after being sued for damages in a civil trial by both the Brown and Goldman families, Simpson was found liable for wrongful death and was ordered to pay $33.

5 million dollars to the two families.After both the criminal and civil trials Simpson went on to live life as a free man. Snapshots were often taken of him enjoying time with friends, spending afternoons on the golf course, or picnicking with his children. Photos lead some to believe that Simpson had resumed living a normal life but this was not the case. The public had turned against him. He found it difficult to find work. His career, as he knew it, was over. His endorsements were gone. He was no longer a person people admired, and few people wanted to have their names attached to anything to do with Simpson.

He owed large amounts of money to lawyers, the families of the victims, and his children. The type of stardom Simpson had become accustomed to in prior years had ended. The only type of publicity he now received was negative. He became an embarrassment and a mockery of the judicial system. He lost his fan base and had very few valuable supporters. With little income he could no longer make ends meet and eventually filed for bankruptcy. Simpson became a mere, shameful, and pathetic shadow of the famed athlete and actor that he once was.

His legal issues did not cease after the murder but instead he found himself under the microscope time and time again. He is now serving a nine-year jail sentence for several offences including kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon. This once powerful and widely admired man had fallen. When the name O.J. Simpson comes to mind now one does not think of his many touchdowns, past endorsements, or short movie appearances, one thinks of a white Ford Bronco chase, a bloody glove.Works consulted"Simpson Sentenced to at Least 9 Years in Prison".

New York Times. 2008-12-05. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/us/06simpson.htmlPeters, Nick. (1988) "College Footballs Twenty-Five Greatest Teams." The Sporting News. Number 9 Southern California Trojans 1967"O.J. Simpsons lawyers request another trial." CNN. October 10, 2008."OJ Simpson faces break-in charges.” BBC. September 17, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6997950.stm"O.J. Simpson found guilty on all counts." Las Vegas Sun. October 3, 2008.