Lot # 3316: 1967 O. J. Simpson "The Two Friends Award" Display - Rare "O. Jay Simpson" Signature - JSA

Fascinating plaque commemorating the 1967 "The Two Friends Award" bestowed upon O. J. Simpson and Pat Cashman by Atlanta's "The 100% Wrong Club." Both Simpson and Cashman were members of the University of Southern California football team, and each has signed in blue ballpoint pen underneath their pictures. Simpson has signed "O. Jay Simpson," a rare variation dating mostly to his collegiate days, while Cashman has signed his name along with the inscription "Mr. Rankin Smith, Best of luck to the Falcons, Pat Cashman USC #1." Rankin Smith was a prominent Atlanta businessman and founder of the Atlanta Falcons. This award, and the club responsible for its presentation, has a fascinating backstory. According to The Journal of Sports History, the "100% Wrong Club" united Black newspapers, colleges, and businesses in a “strategic congregation” that used the power of sport to both strengthen Black institutions and advance racial integration in American athletics. As noted on the award, in 1956, they designed "The Two Friends Award" to commemorate an "enduring friendship on and off the field of play." The inaugural winners were Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The offered plaque is noted on the bottom as a reproduction plaque presented to the coaching staff and members of the USC football team by Delta Air Lines. Measuring 17 x 13 inches, the plaque is on heavy particle board with a glossy front layer. It displays multiple minor condition issues, including staining along the bottom edge and the reverse as well as separation and cracking of the top layer in the top two corners. The important portraits and signatures are undisturbed. This represents a fascinating collectible from the early days of Simpson's professional football career. The size/weight of this item requires that there will be an additional shipping charge for this lot. Full LOA from James Spence/JSA.