People will pay for anything

As we approach the five-year anniversary of the end of his infamous trial, O.J. Simpson has found a new way to cash in on his notoriety: the Internet.

Simpson recently participated in an online chat, answering all sorts of queries about his life, enough to last 2-1/2 hours.

Amazingly, people paid $9.95 per question to talk to him.

The questions Simpson answered were about the relationships with ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and houseguest Kato Kaelin, according to the Associated Press.

Nobody should get in the way of folks eager to spend nearly 10 bucks a pop to ask Simpson questions that likely would be repeated if he did an interview with the National Enquirer. After all, the chat proves a market exists, and people are gullible enough to pony up the cash.

Judging by last week's successful response, chats and other similar appearances could be a new source of cash for Simpson. They might also be his only source of cash. Although acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in 1995, the case turned him into the Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle of the 1990s.

Unlike Arbuckle, whose career was ruined following his murder trial, Simpson seems to do well living off the case that forever tarnished his reputation.

Chris Ledermuller is the opinion editor of the Summer 49er.