Tom Brady sends love to Vinicius Jr. as racism battle is linked to Colin Kaepernick's bold 2016 protests
Tom Brady spoke up in support of Vinicius Jr. this week.
This week, Vinicius Jr. came forward to speak about the racial abuse he was subjected to during Real Madrid's La Liga match against Valencia. Vinicius himself made sure to engage, identifying those who made racist comments at the stadium.
Reaching out to say his piece via social media, there has been an influx of support from the athlete online.
Tom Brady was one of the first few stars to comment on Vinicius' post. While his comment was short, Brady made sure to relay his message:
"Vini ❤️" Tom Brady wrote under the post.
Vinicius hasn't minced his words, stating that this isn't the first time this is happening to him.
“It wasn’t the first time, or the second or the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it’s normal, as does the federation, and the opponents encourage it,” Vinicius said to Associated Press. “The league that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano (Ronaldo) and (Lionel) Messi now belongs to racists ... But I’m strong and I will fight until the end against the racists. Even if far from here.”
Vinicius' words are linked to Colin Kaepernick's protests
Tom Brady commenting on Vinicius' Instagram isn't the only way NFL is linked to this incident.
Following the incident, Bleacher Report's 5asidepod commented on the matter. Considering Vinicius' words, it was eventually compared to former QB Colin Kaepernick.
Now an activist, Kaepernick took the world by storm when he took a knee during the national anthem in 2016. Though there were some positive responses and support, criticism ended up overpowering most of the situation. Few saw it as a disrespect towards the country, their flag, and their national anthem.
Kaepernick stood his ground, responding to the backlash.
However, his kneeling ended up affecting his seemingly promising NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers. Even though support has increased and gotten vocal, Kaepernick hasn't played a game since January 1, 2017.
In 2017, Brady spoke about Kaepernick being 'blackballed'. Though he claimed to know less about the matter, Brady complimented Colin as a player and said:
"I have no idea if he's being blackballed. I think he was a...I competed against him. I thought he was a damn good quarterback. And he's played at a high level, brought his team to Super Bowls. You know...that's how I feel about him."
Years later, as awareness increases, Kaepernick continues to focus on the causes he supports as an acitivist.