The name game isn't by coincidence; it's the result of a concerted effort by Goldman, as well as his daughter, Kim.

Simpson has the most asymmetrical resume in the universe - renowned Southern Cal tailback, Heisman Trophy winner, Hertz pitchman, Pro Football Hall of Famer, Foster Grant sunglasses TV commercial endorser, wife-beater, network broadcaster, liar, double-murderer - and possibly armed robber of sports memorabilia.

For about 10 years now, Goldman has been trying to collect on a $38 million civil court judgment from the most infamous white Ford Bronco passenger in history. Simpson hasn't willingly offered one red cent.

But Goldman keeps hounding Simpson without mercy. He and his daughter have been relentless in their pursuit of justice.

Who can blame them?

More victims should be as vigilant and aggressive in seeking justice as the Goldman family. Goldman's son and Kim's brother, Ronald, was murdered in Los Angeles on June 12, 1994.

But with the luck of a frightened and naive jury and the late Johnnie Cochran running the court circus, Simpson walked free on Oct. 3, 1995. And the Goldman family - left frustrated, empty, disillusioned and puzzled by the criminal jury's verdict - wants judicial equity with no statute of limitations on time.

After a federal bankruptcy court in July awarded the Goldman family the rights to Simpson's original book, If I Did It, the Goldmans decided to publish the book from their perspective and with their own value-added imprimatur on the cover, The Confessions of the Killer.

The Goldmans spearheaded a national movement late last year to prevent this book from being published under the auspices of Simpson. A few days ago while appearing on Oprah Winfrey's show, the network talk-meister, during a replay of the segment on CNN's ''Larry King Live,'' seemed to chastise the Goldmans for wanting to publish the book under their watch, saying, ''You all are not going to make a lot of money off of this book; you're getting 17 cents per book.''

Winfrey, who has called the book ''despicable,'' has said she would neither endorse nor read the book.

Denise Brown, the sister of Simpson's murdered former wife Nicole Brown Simpson, also is vehemently against publishing the book. It's a shame that Denise Brown and the Goldmans, who once stood in lockstep for all those years against Simpson, suddenly are at odds.

But the Goldman family wants to exhibit control - and not be controlled by Simpson. They ultimately want to call the shots against a double-murderer, regardless of what the Roving Reverends of Recompense - Jesse and Al - may say.

The Goldmans simply are victims who are taking a stand. They obviously abhor the phrase: ''Just let it go.''

Some say it's been 13 years, so they should have found closure by now. The Goldmans, instead, say closure doesn't exist for them.

That's the way it should be for families of murder victims, especially when the killer was set free. The Goldmans have vowed to be dogged in their pursuit of Simpson for the rest of his natural life.

Why should they just acquiesce and ''let it go.'' Why should they say ''no mas.''

We see that gutless ''just let it go'' attitude of surrender with the clueless hip-hop crowd's code of ''no snitching.'' If you see a murder committed, don't tell the police.

''Just let it go.''

Some misguided supporters uttered that same catch-phrase when trying stupidly to validate and defend Michael Vick during his dogfighting/dog-killing/dog gambling controversy.

''Just let it go; they're just dogs,'' some said.

During a panel discussion at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Las Vegas in August focusing on the unprecedented number of mind-boggling sports scandals this year, one of the panelists said sources had told him that Vick had been warned several times to get out of dogfighting. Vick apparently had been told that his contract may one day be an endangered species as a result. For six years, the egotistical and defiant Vick obviously didn't heed the admonishments.

What do Vick and Simpson, two former NFL players, have in common today? They have been blinded by their own haunting and gripping narcissism.

Now look where Simpson is; look where we are.

Now, look at the Goldman family

How can any U.S. citizen, with a straight face, including Oprah's intimations, advise the Goldman family: ''Just let it go.''

You don't let it go when justice didn't make a national public appearance alongside the grieving Goldman family.

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* GREGORY CLAY is assistant sports editor for McClatchy-Tribune News Service. Readers may write to him at gclaymctinfoservices.com or McClatchy-Tribune News Service, 700 12th Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20005-3994.