“The Juice Is Loose”! OJ Paroled…NOW WHAT?

What a week, “The Juice is Loose,” “The Freeze is on at Ole Miss,” Let’s begin with something I call “Parole Board Hearing Humor.” Having never participated in a parole board hearing, I always assumed this was serious business. For those of you who might have missed the OJ Simpson hearing, for the record, a parole hearing is a hearing to determine whether an inmate should be released from prison to parole supervision in the community for the remainder of the sentence. Serious, right?

Well, lemme tell ya, there were plenty of lighter moments in OJ’s parole hearing! Like when Connie Brisbee, the chairman of the board noted that this hearing was far more crowded than any other in memory (chuckle). Now, on a roll, she followed that up by misidentifying Simpson as “90 years old.” (big laugh from those in attendance. Simpson, still sharp as a tack at 70 years old, followed that up by saying sometimes he feels like he’s 90 years old. I’m sure 9 years in the slammer will do that to a man!

Not to be outdone, OJ Simpson delivered some memorable lines of his own. “I’d never, ever pull a weapon on anybody.” (I laughed) My other fave was “I’ve basically spent a conflict free life” We call that selective memory in the business and by the business, I do mean the industry.

What now for OJ Simpson? Obviously, the terms of his parole will determine what he CAN or CAN NOT do. You might think a life of seclusion from here on out with his family and friends? But, OJ Simpson is a STAR and has been since he was 19 years old. Despite his misdeeds, if there’s a buck to be made, there’s a market for OJ Simpson. Interviews? ESPN or FOX Sports? Autograph signings? Comic-con conventions? How bout a PODCAST with some of the other “mighty” who have fallen, Pete Rose, Michael Vick and Colin Kaepernick?

What about endorsements? Back in the day, OJ endorsed everything from Dingo Boots…

To Hertz

Would anybody take a chance on OJ Simpson today? He served his time? Paid his debt to society, this is a country of second chances?

How bout OJ Simpson for Triple B’s? You know, the Big Baller Brand!

Hell, if I’m Lavar Ball, I’m giving OJ a call! What kid in America wouldn’t kill for a pair of “The Juice is Loose” sneakers??!!

– Christopher Rude
Co-Host of “The Rude Awakening”
@ChristopherRude

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