In his book “Top of the Rock,” Littlefield also remembered how much Ohlmeyer was by Simpson’s side, often to the “detriment” of NBC. “Don spent countless afternoons in prayer sessions with O.J. and Rosey Grier. He was at the L.A. County jail far more frequently than he was in the office.”

. . .

Preston Beckman, who was NBC’s head of scheduling at the time recalled the network’s daily 2:30 p.m. programming meetings — and how the Simpson trial was always in the air, yet never discussed. Ohlmeyer would quickly leave to see Simpson after those meetings.

“It was always hanging over us, what was going on. We all knew where Don was off to as soon as the meeting was over,” Beckman said. “We knew it was a topic not to bring up or discuss in that room… I remember a few weeks after the verdict, he called me and Warren up to his office and sort of thanked us for the way we handled all of it. We were able to continue to work and do our jobs and never bring it up with him. We kind of just accepted what was going on and didn’t make an issue of it. And that was that.”

Well, not quite. Although Ohlmeyer never publicly cited Norm MacDonald's O.J. Simpson jokes as a reason (he didn’t mince words about Simpson as the killer) — and even former execs like Beckman can’t confirm this for sure — it’s widely documented that his dislike for the comedian led to Macdonald’s ouster as “Weekend Update” anchor on “Saturday Night Live.”

“It’s possible; I do know Don always had a bug up his ass about Norm Macdonald; maybe that was the reason,” Beckman said. “That was an ongoing complaint of his. ‘We gotta get rid of him.’ It’s possible.”