USC remains silent on O.J. Simpson’s death, underscoring complicated connections to football star

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When O.J. Simpson’s death from prostate cancer was announced, the University of Southern California made no public acknowledgement of it. The silence is atypical for the school , but it’s an obvious statement in itself about the complicated relationship with one of the most accomplished athletes in USC history. That disconnect largely has been the standard for institutions in Los Angeles and across the nation for the past three decades since Simpson was charged with killing his former wife and her friend in 1994. So it’s difficult to remember that until the public course of Simpson’s life changed forever in his late 40s, he was widely perceived as an embodiment of the American dream.