I took my dad down to Miami last weekend to see the Roy Jones Jr. fight, maybe some of you saw it on HBO. Major title fights usually draw celebrities, so I wasn't surprised to see some of them at the fight that night. Mostly local celebs, Miami Dolphins Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas & Nick Buoniconti. Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds were there too, among others.
The surprise of the night was seeing OJ & Johnny Cochran sitting in the front row, ring-side seats. Obviously OJ's $500.00 ticket was a gift, right? He could never afford a seat like that with those millions he owes from that pesky civil case.
The part that amazed me was that out of all the celebrities there, people were going nuts to see OJ. They wanted to talk to him, some cheered him from their seats. There was always a group trying to get near him to get his autograph. Seriously, I don't think I glanced over at him once when there wasn't someone with their arm around him posing for a photo, which The Juice appeared all too happy to provide. Never erasing that sick smug smile from his face, you would have thought it was "OJ night".
It was amazing to see him call the ring card girl over by his seat attempting to schmooz her. She was the only one who didn't appear impressed, but rather disturbed at the experience. Everyone else near him, I mean everyone seemed thrilled to be close to him.
It really made me sick to see people embrace that homicidal lunitic. I guess people have short memories.......as long as it's not their daughter/wife/mother smeared all over the crime scene photos.
Other than that though, the fight was one of the best I've seen in a long time. I don't know if you happened to see how Jones's knockout unfolded, but he backed himself in to the ring ropes and put both hands behind his back. When Glen Kelly was suckered in to throw a punch, Jones ducked to the left and uncorked a sick punch that sent Kelly down for the 3rd and final time. Great fight!
Anyway, just thought I'd share my OJ story, because before last weekend, I thought most of America was as repulsed by his sight as I still am.