Sunday, September 23, 2007

Fred Williamson on O.J. Simpson

This is overdue, but I salute Eric Easter, the man hired nine months ago to upgrade the Web presence of Ebony and Jet magazines.

He has attracted a talented bunch of writers to EbonyJet.com. (I would’ve been one of them, but my head is in a place right now where I can’t deal with any kind of obligations to others. I just need to chill in the Batcave for a while.)

Easter launched a new feature on Friday – a recurring commentary by Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, ex-football star, American film legend. A brilliant concept!

The Hammer’s debut commentary is on the Juice. O.J., that is.

Here is part of what he had to say:
FRED WILLIAMSON: I play a lot of golf – three, four times a day. Great character analysis comes out on the golf course. The way a man reacts on the course is a true measure of his character.

OJ he’s a golf club thrower, he kicks the green, he makes holes in the green. The guy is not in control of himself. Golf brings out this quality in people. The way a guy handles himself, handles adversity on the golf course is the way that man is in life. It’s a true measure – works every time. The most obnoxious human being on the golf course is the man who throws his clubs, kicks the ground.

There’s no worse swing than Charles Barkley’s, we all know that. And when he misses a shot, he laughs. It’s funny to him. OJ goes berserk. It’s quite clear he is a man not in control of himself.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who plays golf three or four times a day? Is that 72 holes a day?

Anonymous said...

The Hammer does!

(I'm hammered after 18 holes; 72 would kill me daid.)

Anonymous said...

When the murder case first hit, my dad would hear stories at the country club from visiting golfers about OJ's golf rage.

I must say, I understand how golf is frustrating for people, I do. Happy Gilmore says more about what goes on in golfers' heads than they'd care to admit. But that's the thing: it goes on in their HEADS. the ones who get really crazy like that without the assistance of an alcoholic beverages are the ones that you gotta watch out for.

Great article. It amuses me, but doesn't surprise me, that OJ has his own version of the Memphis Mafia. Does Ike Turner have those kind of hangers on? Does Gary Glitter?

E-Boogie said...

I am so tired of OJ. Does he even deserve the space on this blog? I think we need to start a ban. Let's ban the use of the letters OJ (when used together, of course). No one mention his name. He's on his own this time!

Anonymous said...

I loved it when OJ said, "I don't hang out with thugs. I hang out with golfers." Bound together by their mutual love of the noble sport of kings, OJ and his merry band of golfers were inseparable on and off the course. Just a harmless bunch of hobbyists who wanted nothing more than to hit the perfect sand shot. Who, us? No thugs here. We're just golfers.

Anonymous said...

I've made similar assessments of character on the pool table.

I've liked Mr. Williamson since his appearance next to Donald and Elliot. As a first submission to that website, this one is well thought out and I like the way he writes.

Unknown said...

If golf really is a metaphor for life, then I'm just a hapless boob...

novelera said...

Fred Williamson's OJ comments struck a chord with me. Many, many years ago I married a pretty decent golfer. No one in my family played, so I'd never been on a course. He bought me a set of clubs and signed me up for golf lessons. It was fun. But I quickly learned to play with other people instead of my husband. He threw clubs, swore viciously and, once, left a very expensive set of clubs on the ground and walked off the course after a bad tee shot (knowing full well I'd schlep them to the car). A couple of years later, after a long-distance re-location to another state put a lot of stress on our marriage, he attempted to take out some of this rage on me. End of story, bye-bye. I'm not the victim type. Weeks of begging didn't work, and I divorced him.

Undercover Black Man said...

Welcome here, novelera. Sorry to hear about the marriage, but a great insight into human nature. Thanks for commenting.

Papa@home said...

More about the new OJ case at JuiceDeuce

Son of Issachar said...

OJ.....u would think if you got away with ...well u know, you ass would go chill somewhere where the drinks are cheap, 1 dollar equals ten dollars and the women don't know who the hell you are, right? ( maybe it's just me)that proves it,,,i agree with e-boogie we should have buried the name OJ not nigga.

Anonymous said...

Funny. I'm just young enough to remember Williamson as Sex Machine in From Dusk Til Dawn.
One of my fave ilm teachers, a guy at UVa named Kevin Everson showed us this clip. I was pleased to finally have someone who could appreciate it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTIklFsMjjU

Anonymous said...

I appreciate you thoughts about an individual's self control on and off the course but what about cheating in golf. How does that translate to off the course comparisons? Kenny PCC