Back to the 60s

Don't laugh; I'm watching a documentary on ESPN. I would never win a prize for World's Biggest Sports Fan, but I do occasionally enjoy an episode of 30 for 30. (Incidentally, I don't understand the logic of the name of the show. Most of the episodes are at least sixty minutes long, and I don't get what the first thirty stands for.) I have, over the years, watched a lot of football, basketball, and hockey -- the latter being the only sport that interests me in the least.

The documentary I'm watching today -- after getting bored with Law and Order: SVU reruns as I lie flat trying to get my back back in shape; I messed it up painting/prepping -- is about O. J. Simpson. It starts from the early years, in the mid-60s, so I'm learning about a lot more than O. J. I was born in 1961, so while I'm familiar with many events of the 60s from reading about them, it's not like I really remember much. I do remember hearing about the Watts riots as they happened (and since); there were similar riots in D.C. at the same time, and even into the 80s much of the damage had not been fixed. I also heard family members and others in my small circle talk about such events, but obviously that was from a rather limited perspective.

One of the most interesting aspects of the documentary so far (and I'm only about forty-five minutes into a five-part series) is the contrast of O. J. with other Black athletes of the time. He had no interest in boycotting the 1968 Olympics, nor did he want to involve himself in any of the civil rights issues of the time. According to many other athletes of the time -- both Black and White -- O. J. didn't think of himself as a Black athlete. He was, in one insider's words, "seduced by the White culture of USC." None of the people who have been interviewed have said any of this with rancor. For the most part, they seem amused and charmed by his ability to smooth authorities and avoid conflict. Even though we know how it all turns out, I'm finding the early years intriguing.