There’s Never Enough of the Juice in Florida

There was no reason for Diane Pucin to make such a big deal about O.J. Simpson taking a few hours out of his busy schedule to visit the USC football team during its practice. [“Simpson Has No Place in This Family Practice,” Dec. 30].

I’m certain he was just taking a break from his full-time efforts to find the “real” killers.

Barry P. Resnick

Orange

*Steven Sample, Pete Carroll and Mike Garrett: Do you mean to tell me you had no contingency plan on how to handle a potential visit from O.J. Simpson?

Maurice Sanchez

Coto de Caza

*O.J. Simpson addresses the Trojans before the Orange Bowl? Who’s next? Manson? Sirhan Sirhan? The Night Stalker? Son of Sam?

Timothy J. Keck

Long Beach

*

What’s next in our immoral role model society: Mark David Chapman signing album covers at a Beatlefest Concert?

Larry Campa

West Linn, Ore.

*

While remembering their glorious past, the Bruin family is mentioning Ralph Bunche, Arthur Ashe, Jackie Robinson and Rafer Johnson. The Trojan team and coaches, on the other hand, “hold in the highest regard” O.J. Simpson. Fight on?

Jimmy Sogg

Los Angeles

*

USC didn’t have the decency to invite John Robinson to the 20th reunion of the 1978 national championship team he built and coached, but allowed O.J. Simpson to attend the team’s practice and worse, address the players in the locker room.

Perhaps it is time for the school’s athletic department to spend less time rebuilding its football program and give some overdue attention to its broken moral compass.

Joseph R. Carlucci

Cerritos

*

I’m glad to see Pete Carroll, Justin Fargas and Carson Palmer are helping O.J. Simpson get over his little “ordeal.” I guess that is what being a member of the so-called Trojan family is all about.

Chris Pisano

Rancho Palos Verdes

*

Pete Rose is banned from baseball. But O.J. Simpson can mix with USC athletes in their locker room?

Sol Taylor

Sherman Oaks

*

Neither Justin Fargas nor Carson Palmer can remember the televised events of 1994-95 involving O.J. Simpson (when they were about 13 or 14), but both of them can remember Simpson as a football star, a hero? Simpson’s gridiron career was ending about the time these two would have started walking.

Better call your pest control company quick, because the Trent Lott virus has spread far west of the Mississippi.

Blaise Jackson

Escondido

*

I read with disgust Gary Klein’s Dec. 29 article about O.J. Simpson being “warmly received at USC practice.” Particularly galling was Pete Carroll’s statement that “At ‘SC, our guys hold a Heisman Trophy winner in the highest regard. For them to get a chance to see him and visit with him was very special for them.”

Shame on Carroll for seemingly totally abdicating his primary role as teacher to young college students. Rather, his comment, along with the apparent attitude which it represents, merely serves to perpetuate the insular and often dangerous “jock” attitude that if you can run with a football or dunk a basketball you are worthy of adulation and perhaps even idol worship, despite whatever crimes you have committed off the playing field.

The article ends with Simpson “rousing” the troops by declaring, “We are ... SC.” To me that now means “Short memory, morally Challenged.”

Gary Meyer

Studio City

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Diane Pucin’s article about O.J. at the USC practice has no place in the sports section. Stick social opinions on the opinion page where they belong. Or wherever gossip belongs. The article is a slap at our entire judicial system and American way of life. O.J. was acquitted. End of story. That is the system we currently live by.

I do not care about O.J. at all; it is our freedom I care about. This nation is becoming a police state quick enough as it is. What is next, not allowing people accused of a crime to visit practice? Let Plaschke write about those people offended, just keep it off the sports page.

Bob Taeger

Lompoc

*

Whatever measure of respect the USC football team and its players may have earned through their many game-day accomplishments this season vanished the moment they welcomed O.J. Simpson back onto the field.

No matter the final score of this week’s Orange Bowl game, this USC team has sadly proven to the world that it is filled with too many young men who are already lost when it comes to understanding the values of human life, dignity and truth.

Howard Smith

Ojai

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If USC and its alumni are serious about sending a message to the players and public that O.J. Simpson is not welcome in its football program, then we should expect to hear it directly from USC athletic department administrators. In the meantime, allow the players and coaches to continue to play the brand of Trojan football we enjoy so much.

Gene Kininmonth

Los Angeles

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The Times and other media are to blame for ever mentioning O.J., Heisman Trophy or not. Who would photograph, film, interview, report, publish, or acknowledge him in any fashion? Only those lacking of any class whatsoever.

Kevin Park

North Hollywood

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It was great to see O.J.’s triumphant return to the Trojan practice field. It’s too bad Nicole couldn’t have been there to see it.

Robert H. Williams

Monterey Park