The Chase, 20th anniversary (running thread)

[Gator]

In the next few weeks, we'll be hearing a lot of the O.J. Simpson chase, which happened on June 17, 1994. Personally, I was watching the NBA finals between the Rockets and Knicks when the local affiliate broke in. I know ESPN did a 30 for 30 on the subject, which was really well done. I would recommend it.

Figured this thread could serve as a "Where were you when you watched it?" and all the stories on the 20th anniversary. For better or worse, it's a moment that, in a way, changed the face of how people viewed the news.

 

[Gator]

Link to the ESPN doc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4A1ayt3Jwc

 

[wicked]

I was covering a high school football all-star game. Got home in time to hear Captain Jenks slip through the ABC screeners...

 

[wicked]

And I first thought this was about the Charlie Sheen-Kristy Swanson movie.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I was covering a high school football all-star game. Got home in time to hear Captain Jenks slip through the ABC screeners...

Possibly one of the best pranks ever.

 

[Sea Bass]

And Baby Booey to you all...

 

[cjericho]

Al Michaels calling to say it was a prank was also great. You could just picture Peter Jennings' face.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I was at a restaurant with friends. It was a normally a pretty loud burger and beer joint. But once the coverage of the chase started, it was silent. Just whispers.

We finished and walked down a block to our local. Same thing there. Jukebox was off. Volume on all the TVs on the chase were up. Everybody watching and shaking their heads between beers.

 

[poindexter]

We've gone through this a million times, but that wasn't Captain Jenks.

 

[wicked]

I stand corrected. Thought Jenks had taken credit for it.

 

[Bob Cook]

I was working my once-a-month Friday night shift at the Daily Journal in Franklin, Ind. I had just come back from my rounds picking up, naturally, the police reports when the Bronco was rolling across the fuzzy color TV in the office.

 

[Huggy]

And Baby Booey to you all...

I see O.J and he looks real scared.....

 

[wicked]

We've gone through this a million times, but that wasn't Captain Jenks.

This YouTube page claims it was "Maury from Brooklyn"; I've never heard of him, and I used to listen semi-regularly around that time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP8TwjRMdS0&feature=kp

 

[Mizzougrad96]

And Baby Booey to you all...

I see O.J and he looks real scared.....

Most of the call sounds like the caller is straight out of "Song of the South"

"There OJ be goin..."

 

[Mizzougrad96]

"Peter, by the way, just for the record, this is Al Michaels and that was a totally farcical call. Lest anyone think that was someone who was actually across the street. He said something in code at the end that was indicative of mentioning the name of a certain radio talk show host..."

 

[Steak Snabler]

I was at an outdoor music festival and knew nothing about it. Got home late that night to all the replays. A classic "WTF?" moment.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I remember watching that with a couple of my college roommates and we were laughing so hard tears were rolling down our faces. That was one of those moments where you're just in shock at how perfectly played the prank was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_n_FE4S7Jk

Here's the entire clip with the explanation as to how it was pulled off. It's over 20 minutes, but it's time well-spent.

Nothing compares with hearing it as it was happening though...

 

[Huggy]

I remember watching that with a couple of my college roommates and we were laughing so hard tears were rolling down our faces. That was one of those moments where you're just in shock at how perfectly played the prank was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_n_FE4S7Jk

Here's the entire clip with the explanation as to how it was pulled off. It's over 20 minutes, but it's time well-spent.

Nothing compares with hearing it as it was happening though...

Felt the same way listening to the Stern guy who got though to CNN the night of the Princess Di auto wreck. I kept telling the wife, "There is NO way this is not a Howard Stern prank." And it was!

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I remember watching that with a couple of my college roommates and we were laughing so hard tears were rolling down our faces. That was one of those moments where you're just in shock at how perfectly played the prank was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_n_FE4S7Jk

Here's the entire clip with the explanation as to how it was pulled off. It's over 20 minutes, but it's time well-spent.

Nothing compares with hearing it as it was happening though...

Felt the same way listening to the Stern guy who got though to CNN the night of the Princess Di auto wreck. I kept telling the wife, "There is NO way this is not a Howard Stern prank." And it was!

Wow, I missed that one and that's from someone who listened to Stern almost daily for 20+ years.

 

[RubberSoul1979]

We'll never see a year like 1994 again. To wit...
- Bobby Bowden wins a national title (when the state of Florida was the epicenter of college football
- Tanya Harding battles Nancy
- Michael Jordan plays baseball
- USA hosts the World Cup (to date, the highest average attendance for a World Cup ever).
- USA beats Colombia in said World Cup for first WC win in 44 years.
- O.J.
- Rangers break curse, win Stanley Cup
- An insane MLB season -- Gwynn chases .400, Matt Williams and Griffey Jr. chase Maris record, Expos have the best record while drawing 35,000 per-game in their last homestand, a sub-.500 team threatens to win the AL West -- goes down the drain because the strike.

I was a sophomore in high school, when certain things in the sports world seem larger than life, but man, what a year.