Buffalo Bills: Things we know this week near the end of May

The Buffalo Bills handed out the No. 32 for the first time in decades. While the number was indeed available it is still an interesting choice.

Senorise Perry has every right to wear number 32 with the Buffalo Bills. O.J. Simpson’s jersey number is available and was never retired in Buffalo.

It may have been an unofficial rule under the Wilson family ownership before the murder trial in 1994, onset in 1977, that no one would be given that jersey number. Following the murder trial, it was probably just a topic no one chose to address and just left that number alone.

I am sure if some big-name running back equivalent of wide receiver Terrell Owens signed as a free agent and 32 was his lifetime number, the number 32 would have been worn many seasons ago.

Implying “would have” is purely speculation. We could be dealing with a player who will not feel comfortable wearing that number purely based on the previous 32 was on the front cover of the scandal National Enquirer paper and every one of those celebrity gossip magazine publications.

So, the running back this year who is going to be fighting for a roster spot or even landing on the practice squad has a long road ahead of him with a crowded position. That said, he has the green light to wear the number as no management in Buffalo will stop him to honor the player being Simpson.

The reason is because of O.J. Simpson, the man. Separating the two of them is so very hard to do as human beings. Based on his accomplishments as a player, being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, clearly on the Bills’ Wall of Fame, you would think that when jersey numbers were being retired, which is not many in Buffalo, his would have been certainly retired. If separating the player from the man was possible or even desired.

I would not remove any honors he already received. That is the end. Nothing else. No future honors, jersey retirements, highlights.

We are in a time that the youngest players out of college were not even alive for the O.J. trials. The average age player was not alive when Naked Gun was in cinemas. Some players at the end of their careers, such as Tom Brady, were born in 1977 which was the year Simpson was traded to San Francisco where he only played a couple seasons.

So maybe, possibly, Adam Vinatieri, born in 1972 and the oldest player in the NFL, watched O.J. run for Buffalo in 1977 at age five and remembers it. I don’t think so. The Hertz rental car commercials with O.J. running through the airport…. nope…no rookie players were alive for those. O.J. broadcasting games while showboating the football helmet with one half of it being the Bills and the other half being the 49ers, just a memory of an older veteran player.

We have made it clear that no one would stop Perry from sporting number 32, certainly not out of respect. Not out of any kind of entitlement.

That being said, why would anyone want to wear that number for the Bills? Not I. I would not want to ever be mentioned in the same sentence as that man. I would not want to ever wear that number for that small chance that someone would bring his name up in the same conversation as me.

If wearing his number somehow got him attention, he probably would be giddy.

Now the question I propose to you is if the Naked Gun movies are considered classic comedies or are they jaded and hidden away in the archives with no desire of bringing them out for show and tell. Officer Nordberg. Funny movies. Not quite the same as prior to 1994.

It is a bit disturbing how things change based on personal lives. Fat Albert and Cliff Huxtable were part of my childhood, but now I can not help myself from having no interest in ever watching them again with Bill Cosby’s situation.

So, I have no interest in seeing Officer Nordberg ever again. As much as any player has the right to wear number 32, surely, I would stay far away from that number if I played for Buffalo. Please don’t call me Shirley.

Things We Know About the Buffalo Bills This Week:

–Eric Wood has been hired as Bills’ new radio color commentator alongside John Murphy. Mark Kelso decide to move on from his 13-year career on the radio and spend more of his time with his NASCAR Interests.

-The Buffalo Bills have extended the contract by two years of pass rushing expert Jerry Hughes.

-The Bills have had a handful of injuries to the group of free-agent signings during the OTAs.  Coach McDermott was optimistic that the key players will work their way back in to position to play the season. He may be a bit overly optimistic with some of these injuries, but he has faith in the medical and training staff.