Tom Brady took a stand in comments on social justice protests (Video)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ new quarterback speaks on the protest across pro sports

This week was an important moment in sports history, as the pro athletics world stood still for the second time this year. Following the shooting of African American man Jacob Blake at the hands of a Kenosha, Wis., the NBA, MLB, NHL and NFL paused games and activities to raise awareness for the social injustices and police brutality that continues to occur in the United States. Plenty of NFL stars have used their platform on media appearances to speak about the ongoing protests.

During a conference call on Friday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tom Brady was asked about the protests regarding the Blake shooting and the ongoing societal issues. Brady didn’t give specific thoughts on the shooting, but said that he’ll look to his teammates regarding social injustices and that he’ll “listen and learn.”

Sports went on pause to raise awareness for racial injustices

Back in May, the sports world demanded justice for George Floyd, a Minneapolis man who was killed by a police officer who kneeled on his neck for nearly eight minutes. The Players Coalition shared a letter demanding criminal justice reform shortly afterwards, which Brady shared through his Twitter account. Prior to that, Brady signed a letter from the Players Coalition which was sent to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray, demanding a federal investigation into the death of Ahmaud Arbery.

On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic. The remaining teams in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Fla. also opted against playing. Two days later, the NBA and NBPA agreed that postseason games will resume on Saturday after reaching agreements on establishing a social justice coalition, converting all NBA arenas into polling locations for the upcoming presidential election and creating ad spots to promote civic engagement.

After the demonstration by the Bucks, the MLB, NHL, and NFL followed suit. Ten MLB games were postponed the past two days, while NHL players sat out of the Stanley Cup Playoff matchups scheduled for Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, nine NFL teams opted against practicing to instead have discussions on how to improve their respective communities.

Athletes are using their platforms to raise awareness for systemic racism and police brutality, and you can expect similar demonstrations that we’ve seen from the other professional sports leagues during this upcoming NFL season.