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ESPN to televise O.J. Simpson parole hearing

By Dave Stevenson

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 17: O.J. Simpson watches his former defense attorney Yale Galanter testify during an evidentiary hearing in Clark County District Court on May 17, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison as a result of his October 2008 conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial, claiming he had such bad representation that his conviction should be reversed. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 17: O.J. Simpson watches his former defense attorney Yale Galanter testify during an evidentiary hearing in Clark County District Court on May 17, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison as a result of his October 2008 conviction for armed robbery and kidnapping charges, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial, claiming he had such bad representation that his conviction should be reversed. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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ESPN will be airing the parole hearing for former NFL star O.J. Simpson.

On Thursday, July 20, former NFL star running back O.J. Simpson will plead his case to a parole board. He is currently in prison serving a maximum 33-year sentence after being convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery charges back in 2008. This stems from an incident in Las Vegas, during which Simpson attempted to get back memorabilia that was his. In today’s sign of the Apocalypse, ESPN will be airing the parole hearing.

"The hearing will take place at 10 a.m. PT on Thursday, July 20, from Nevada and will be broadcast in a video pool, with networks including ESPN airing it live."

ESPN is taking advantage of the parole hearing to potentially get some more ratings leading up to it. The network will air a special Outside The Lines episode, 90 minutes in length, with Jeremy Schaap leading the way. It will include a timeline of the events that led to Simpson’s incarceration.

To be fair to ESPN and the other networks, there is a lot of public interest in his case. So it’s hard to blame them for satisfying what the public wants. Recently, Simpson’s case has gotten much more interest, largely due to two outstanding television series about O.J. and his infamous murder case. Don’t be surprised if ESPN uses the parole hearing as an excuse to promote O.J.: Made in America, their special series about Simpson’s career and his quick fall from stardom.

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According to Sports Illustrated, O.J. stands a pretty good chance of getting parole. He has been,  by all accounts, an excellent inmate, helping to mentor younger ones. Simpson has even been involved in sports, helping to umpire and referee sports games among the inmates. As crazy as it sounds, “The Juice” might be loose once again. And it could happen as soon as this week.