The Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame has adorned Highmark Stadium's ring of honour since O.J. Simpson began the tradition in 1980; 31 placards adorn the home of Buffalo football. It represents the best of the Buffalo Bills.
There's Elbert 'Golden Wheels' Dubenion, whose play helped popularize AFL football and force the leagues to merge into the NFL we know today. You find Billy Shaw up there too, the only player in the Hall of Fame who never played a single NFL snap. The voice of the Bills, Van Miller, or Mike 'Hit Heard Round The World' Stratton.
It is a place for legends.
The Wall of Fame - Celebrating Bills for all time
Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Darryl Talley, Steve Tasker, Joe Ferguson, Jack Kemp, Marv Levy, and someday Josh Allen. It is the greatest honour the Buffalo Bills can bestow upon its alumni, and a rare recognition. The new Highmark Stadium is coming. However, the very first member of The Wall of Fame, O.J. Simpson, may not be among the names on the new one.
When Buffalo created the Wall, it was specifically to embrace the greatest player to grace the Buffalo Bills uniform. At the time, it was neither an ambiguous or even interesting discussion. O.J. Simpson was that player. The Juice, loose or not, was far and away the most talented and remarkable athlete to play for the Bills.
After his induction, it only made sense to add to the list, and it became the pinnacle of achievement for Bills players and staff- To create a career so impactful on the community that your name is never forgotten. But some things should be forgotten- Or if not forgotten, simply not celebrated.
The O.J. Simpson issue
The problem is as obvious as O.J. Simpson's inclusion in the original Wall of Fame. In 1980, he deserved to be up there, but much has changed in 46 seasons; This is true for the Bills, the world, and for O.J. Simpson. He's one of the most prolific running backs in football history, and guilty of numerous crimes following the conclusion of his playing career.
With convictions for armed robbery and kidnapping, amongst other things, his public record is forever stained. Though he was not criminally charged for two counts of murder, in one of the most notorious and public trials in American history, he was found liable for the two murders civilly. That responsibility for death has become the immediate impression of O.J. Simpson.
Why now?
Though O.J. Simpson was celebrated by the Buffalo Bills in 1980, things have changed. The team didn't remove him from their ring of honour, but they hold no obligation to celebrate the man once again. Plans for the new stadium feature giant Bison statues, and Bills vice president of design Frank Cravotta had plenty to say about them. He sat down with ESPN to discuss these plans, and more. That statue grouping will be called the "Family Circle", and honour members of the Bills Wall of Fame. There will also be recognitions within the stadium, like old Highmark had.
"The area will include dedications to each member of the team's wall of honor, surrounding the Bison with their history. There will also be space for dedicating those names inside the stadium and area for the group to be expanded in the coming years. As to whether former running back O.J. Simpson, whose name remained in the former Bills stadium, will be a part of that, Cravotta said that there hasn't been a decision and that the design team is preparing for both possibilities."Alaina Getzenberg writes - ESPN
In preparing for both outcomes, the Buffalo Bills confirm that O.J. Simpson may not be part of the new celebration. It's a decision that would toe the middle ground. Many believe O.J. Simpson should be celebrated forever; In doing so, one can ignore his life after the game, imagine him as nothing more than an athlete. Others would state that in celebrating a man, we celebrate him entirely- Much of O.J. Simpson's life is not to be celebrated.
It isn't erasure to simply choose not to celebrate O.J. Simpson's career once again, as has been done before. The Bills' new Wall of Fame defines excellence, impact on the community, the team, and the world. Considering the company that The Wall holds, and will hold, would O.J. Simpson's inclusion anew discredit the remainder? Only time will tell.