Almost a Steeler

They say our memory is the 2nd thing to go when we get old. The 1st thing is, ummm, I forget.

 

I sure as hell am glad that Joe Greene fella was there at #4 instead of OJ...for numerous reasons

 

Just think, if the Steelers had sucked just a little bit more, an interception or fumble or two at critical times, they might have finished badly enough to pick OJ. If they had, they would not have taken Franco in 72. There would have been no Franco’s Italian Army, no Immaculate Reception. Without the Steelers run in the 70s, there would probably have not been the impetus to build Heinz Field (and PNC), and develop the Northside. We might still be going to games at a crumbling Three Rivers Stadium.
OJ might have married Patti Burns, and later two timed her with Lynn Cullen and pushed her off the Racer at Kennywood when he caught her with Myron Cope (an unknown waiter at Primanti’s strip club) canoodling in The Old Mill.
I had better go get a cup of coffee before I start to write a bad Star Trek mirror universe Steelers episode. In fact I may have already started. Oh ****…..

 

Had to look stuff up, myself. But I grew up in WNY and my memory was that Bills were out of the OJ Derby as the season got late, but Philly gave them a reprieve. I actually went to OJs first pro game, It was Bills vs the Super Bowl Champ NY Jets in the ‘69 AFL opener. I still have the ticket stub, $4.50 got you an end zone seat in the dumpy old War Memorial Stadium, affectionately known as The Rockpile.

 

There was no way Hollywood OJ would have been interested in ‘local’ talent. But it’s not hard to imagine a ‘70#s Dynasty based on OJ vs Franco. Especially in the ‘74 to ‘76 timeframe. But the minute the season ended he’d be in SoCal ASAP.

 

Well, you never know what happens in an alternate timeline. Instead of Capricorn One, Roots, and the Naked Gun movies, he might have quenched his acting thirst by being Handyman OJ on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. And instead of using Renegade as music at the stadium, the Steelers could have used Backstabbers….by The O’Jays.
As far as local talent goes, I would bet there are some of OJ’s progeny around Buffalo.
Anyway, enough about alternate timelines in which OJ was a Steeler. For my money he was the dumbest dumbass in history. He had life beat. All he had to do was smile and wave and not stab anyone to death, and they would continue to back dumptrucks full of money up to his house. And he probably had as many women to sleep with as he wanted. Instead, he ended up a social leper, cleaning toilets in prison.

 

I don't know about that. There's a LOT of competition for that title.