Lawmaker Pushes To Remove A Player’s Name From Bills’ Wall of Fame

The Wall of Fame at Highmark Stadium is meant to honor Buffalo Bills who have played significant roles in the team's history.  Now, there’s a push to have one of them removed.

The Wall of Fame was established in 1980 and includes names like Ralph Wilson, Marv Levy, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Steve Tasker, Andre Reed, and more.  They’re names that were definitely heard multiple times over the P.A. speakers while they were on the team.  On paper, it’s hard to argue that any of them don’t belong up there.  Their stats or their contribution to the team are indisputable.

But should their name be pulled from the wall if their off-the-field actions are questionable?

One player that has been on the wall for years has also been a hot topic for fans.  He was the first player to be added to the wall in 1980 and now, they want his name taken down.

Orenthal James Simpson.  Also known as OJ…or The Juice.

His off-the-field issues since he left the team leave him in the eyes of many as a criminal.  He was the main suspect years ago in the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.  There was a mountain of evidence against OJ but he was found ‘not guilty’ in the court and acquitted of all charges.  Many still find this to be one of the biggest fails of the justice system.

The trouble didn’t end there for OJ.  He was in trouble again 10 years later after breaking into a Las Vegas hotel room and taking sports memorabilia, which he claimed had been stolen from him, at gunpoint. He spent time in jail for that one.

Now, a lawmaker from South Buffalo is trying to get his name off the Wall of Fame.

His name is Assemblyman Patrick Burke and it’s Simpson’s character that he thinks is enough to urge the Pegula’s to pull his name down.

“While O.J. Simpson was a great player, he is not a person who exemplifies the values of the Buffalo Bills or the Western New York Community" - Assemblyman Patrick Burke

 

The question is, does the name on the wall represent the player, or the character of the man?  Because if his name is up there simply because of what he did on the field then you can’t take it down.  He was an amazing running back.  But he hasn’t been an amazing human.  He’s gotten himself into enough trouble that you have to wonder if his name on that wall tarnishes the legacy of the people who are named up there next to him.