O.J. was there

Yes, the USC Trojans won the Orange Bowl in a rout, 55-19, and locked up a national title. Hard to miss among the illustrious alumni on hand was Orenthal James Simpson, one of the's school's most famous athletes. ABC had the good sense (apparently) to resist the impulse to air shots of The Juice sitting in the stands. But ESPN showed it could use some institutional memory in the truck. Sports By Brooks posts:

ESPN embarrassed itself last night during pregame coverage of the USC-Oklahoma Orange Bowl game. ESPN-TV reporter Jill Arrington, while listing celebrities in attendance at Pro Player Stadium, included O.J. Simpson as one of the "celebrities at the game."

Arrington also noted it was the first time Simpson had been to a USC football game in person in ten years.

The stunningly oblivious Arrington never mentioned the obvious reason why it's been exactly ten years since he's been to a Trojan game (Simpson's double-murder trial was ten years ago).

Brooks also lays into what he calls "an embarrassing puff piece on Simpson penned by Los Angeles-based ASSOCIATED PRESS writer John Nadel...Simpson's *alleged* murderous activities aren't noted until the ninth paragraph of the story. Before that mention, Nadel called Simpson 'the best-known former USC student, surpassing the likes of actors John Wayne, Tom Selleck and Ron Howard; Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, and astronaut Neil Armstrong.'"