The family of former NFL player, OJ Simpson, has today, Thursday, April 11th 2024, announced his demise. OJ Simpson, in full stands for Orenthal James Simpson.
Simpson is said to have died on Wednesday, the 10th, at his home in Las Vegas, at the age of 76.
OJ, whose murder-related controversy made him more of a household name than his NFL prowess, has been living in a hospice.
Earlier this year, he dismissed suggestions that he was going into a hospice, although it was known he was battling prostate cancer.
OJ Simpson’s Brilliant NFL Career
OJ Simpson was the pride of the NFL fraternity in his hey days. He was named “Player of the Year” in two consecutive years, 1972 and 1973. He managed the same feat in 1975 as well. He then went on to become a Hall of Fame inductee in 1985.
Simpson’s career began to thrive while still a student at the University of Southern California, even winning the Heisman Trophy. A year after winning the trophy, OJ Simpson was drafted into the NFL. That was in 1969.
Simpson’s prolific career included 9 years with the Buffalo Bulls, and 2 years with the San Francisco 49-ers.
OJ Simpson the American Star
When OJ Simpson’s career was at its peak, he was said to be among the three most recognizable faces in the US.
He was also the first professional footballer to grace the Rolling Stone cover. That was in 1977, a year before he hosted the Saturday Night Live show. The only other professional athlete to host the show before him was Fran Tarkenton, who was a Quarterback.
OJ Simpson even acted in movies. He appeared in The Naked Gun, The Towering Inferno, and more. He appeared in commercials as well.
The Murder Charge that Overturned OJ Simpson’s Fortunes
In 1994, OJ Simpson was accused of stabbing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown to death, alongside Ron Goldman, who was her friend.
Although a jury acquitted him of the murder charges a year later, a US court found him guilty of the murders in 1997, following a civil suit instituted against him.
It is said that OJ Simpson did not even pay the full amount of damages awarded the families of Brown and Goldman.
The murder of Nicole Brown, Simpson’s ex-wife of German descent, caused a hue and cry across the US, and Simpson’s acquittal made the situation worse. It did not escape public notice that Simpson had physically abused Nicole before she filed for divorce.
OJ Simpson is an appropriate example of how an individual can fall from grace to grass and not have the wherewithal to rise again.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Photo courtesy of BBCMoscow has accused Kyiv of attacking the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on 7th April 2024. Nevertheless, reports indicate that the damage caused on the Russian-controlled plant was minor.
Immediately after the attack, the Russian media called the attack a nuclear terrorist activity by Ukraine. In response, Ukraine denied the allegation, indicating that Russia was trying to misinform the world and stir more tension.
Overview of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
The Zaporizhzhia plant, located in Southern Ukraine, is one of Europe’s largest nuclear facilities. The plant was built in the 1980s, and so far, four out of its six original reactors have been shut down.
In 2022, the Russian army seized the plant as soon as the Russian government invaded Ukraine.
Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear agency, claimed there was a series of attacks in the first week of April this year. These attacks allegedly wounded three staff members and left one in critical condition.
Meanwhile, Inessa Kovalenko, the administrative secretary for the Internal Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has accused Russia of trying to divert attention. She alleges that Russia has been ignoring the concerns of the IAEA, choosing instead to accuse Ukraine of terrorism.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has also had a discussion with French President, Emmanuel Macron, regarding the recent dangerous nuclear plant attack.
Minor Damage Caused to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant
Russia alleges that the 7th April attack on the nuclear plant happened three times, a position that IAEA experts have confirmed.
Fortunately, the team’s inspection revealed the attack did not cause any structural damage to the plant.
However, the dome roof of one of the units showed minor damage. Significant structural damage to an installation such as the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant can put the region’s life and property in grave danger.
According to analysts, both Russia and Ukraine are mishandling nuclear safety, something they consider an unwarranted risk.
Meanwhile, Zelensky and Macron have agreed to keep the situation under control by engaging IAEA through conference calls.