The Charleston RiverDogs, the Yankees' affiliate in the Single-A South Atlantic League, announced Thursday that they are canceling "OJ Trial Night." On Monday, the team revealed its promotional schedule, which included the May 26 event based on the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial.
"After taking a step back and having further reflection on the overall message that was being conveyed, it was the responsible thing to do," RiverDogs president Dave Echols said, per the Charleston Post and Courier.
Good call, Dave!
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If you think that "OJ Trial Night" at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park already sounds dumb enough on the surface, just read through the RiverDogs' description, which has since been removed from the promotional schedule:
"The trial of the century gets a juicy new spin. We will finally receive the verdict that everyone has been waiting for ... pulp or no pulp?
"Fans will act as our jury, voting with custom paddles to reach verdicts on various topics throughout the night. The eyes of the nation will be upon us. Fans will receive an 'OJ Trial' shirt upon entering the stadium. If the shirt don't fit, you must ... see if we have a different size."
Simpson was acquitted of multiple murder charges in 1995 for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The families of the victims were later awarded $33.5 million as part of a separate civil suit in 1997.
Apart from the obvious stupidity of "OJ Trial Night" — it's funny because the team went with juice instead of horrifying murders! — it doesn't exactly fit alongside other promotions like Crossword Puzzle Day, Babe Ruth Shirt Giveaway and Peanut-Free Night.
Don't think so hard next time. Put a few hot dogs in a cannon, throw up the dance cam and call it a day.
