O.J. Simpson: the man, the myth, the legend. From football hero to harden criminal, there's no doubt that O.J. Simpson is a huge figure in our pop culture and history. Last week, the Nevada parole board granted O.J. Simpson parole after being charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault back in 2007. Simpson, along with five other men, barged into a Las Vegas hotel room and had beaten the hotel owner while he attempted to repossess some sports memorabilia the owner had purchased from him. Simpson is expected to be released from prison in three months.

But who could forget the infamous 1995 murder trial of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. The "trial of the century" was really an American soap opera from the very beginning. From the two-hour police chase to the infamous glove fitting, audiences were glued to their televisions until the final jury verdict was read. However, even after the grand jury found Simpson not guilty of the murders, the question still remained: did O.J. Simpson really murder Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman?

To this day, the country is still divided between the people who believe that O.J. Simpson was innocent and those who do not. And in 2007, when Simpson was arrested for the second time and sentenced to up to 33 years, many people felt that it was an overdue justice sentence for the 1995 murder case.

But before the 1995 murder trial, O.J. Simpson was looked at like a God among men. Heisman Trophy winner, NFL superstar, and an extensive Hollywood career, O.J. Simpson was an American hero and larger than life; which is what made his downfall so unreal. During the 1995 trial, so many people were baffled and refused to believe that Simpson could be capable of such a horrendous act. It was like finding out that Batman was trying to destroy Gotham City.

It was only because of his heroic aura that O.J. Simpson was found not guilty for the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Let's face it, if Simpson was just an average man, he would have been thrown in prison in a heartbeat. And while a large part of that is a race issue, another part has to do with the public's treatment towards professional athletes. In America, we idolize our athletes more than we do our military or government officials. The incomes of the highest paid lawyers and doctors do not come close to the income of a professional athlete. Criminals today like Brock Turner and Aaron Hernandez use their athletic backgrounds to be excused for their barbaric crimes. And while it's bad that athletes use their backgrounds as an excuse to be set free, what's worse is that we as a society accept these excuses.

O.J. Simpson is guilty of murder and assault, just like Aaron Hernandez was guilty of murder, just like Brock Turner was guilty of rape, and just like all the other athletes who have committed they are obviously guilty for. And I will not be celebrating O.J. Simpson's release.