In Brentwood, A Big Chill Settles On O.J. Simpson -- Agent Drops Him; His Country Club May Do The Same

LOS ANGELES - O.J. Simpson may still have his Ferrari and his Bentley, but life outside the gates of his Brentwood mansion has become decidedly chilly since he won his freedom.

In short order since his release, Simpson has lost his agent, seen a national TV interview founder, gone wanting for pay-per-view specials and - closer to home - heard the members of his once-intimate country-club crowd talk about freezing him out.

At the Riviera Country Club, women are circulating a petition for his ouster, his picture is punctured by a thumb tack on a locker-room bulletin board, and even a former golfing buddy says: "He is persona non grata."

The man who had traded on a ready smile and a quip now finds himself unable to open doors with his abundant charms. One lawyer close to Simpson's defense team doubted that Simpson can heal the rifts the way other celebrities tainted by scandal have. He said that Simpson's situation is very different from that of Michael Jackson and Woody Allen, who were marked by accusations of having sex with minors, or boxer Mike Tyson, who was convicted of rape.

"Allen, Tyson and Jackson still had talent to sell. This guy had credibility to sell," said the attorney of Simpson. "He doesn't have that anymore, and he can't play football anymore. He has more problems than any of them, even though he was acquitted."

Simpson and his supporters seem incredulous that, after nine months of trial and an acquittal, he still must defend himself. An ally wryly noted that the former football superstar was bashed both for agreeing to an interview on NBC and then for backing out.

For his own part, Simpson has ignored the advice of some public-relations specialists who have said he can best resurrect his image by lying low for a time, demonstrating his sorrow over the murders and then slowly emerging for selective appearances.

Instead, Simpson told The New York Times this week that he has not taken to heart public-opinion polls that show a vast majority of Americans believe he murdered his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Simpson's attempts to go public, in fact, have resulted in an NBC switchboard flooded with protest calls.

The hostile response to Simpson is also playing out at the Riviera Country Club, the retreat in Santa Monica Canyon that was once his home away from home.

"Some people are talking about getting up and walking out if he shows up," one old duffer in a porkpie hat told a circle of friends gathered in the dining room this week. "That's not what you do. You just cold-shoulder the guy. Give him the silent treatment. He'll get the message."

Simpson played his last round of golf at Riviera on the day his ex-wife was slashed to death.

The disdain extends beyond the golf links where media moguls and admirals of industry hobnob, though.

A sign near Simpson's house illustrates some of the community's sentiment: "Welcome to the neighborhood. Home of the Brentwood Butcher."

At many pricey restaurants, maitre d's have gotten word from patrons that they would walk out if Simpson is seated among them, said Dominick Dunne, the author who covered the trial and who is convinced of the former footballer's guilt.

A few people, however, say they are willing to welcome Simpson back with open arms. Before his arrest, Simpson occasionally dined at Patrick's Roadhouse, a trendy Santa Monica diner with a celebrity clientele.

"He used to come here all the time, and I would treat him just as I did before," said proprietor Bill Fischler. "I would never allow a legal problem to come between us." Information from Associated Press is included in this report.