Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady added his name to the list of several athletes who spoke out against the killing of eight people in three massage parlors in the Atlanta area on Wednesday. Per a report by Kate Brumback and Angie Wang of The Associated Press, a white gunman killed eight people, six of them were women of Asian descent, in the latest and as of now, the worst case of an attack against the Asian American community. The Asian American community has been subjected to attacks in the past weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic. The suspect, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, was arrested after committing the worst mass killing in the United States in almost two years.
On his Instagram story, the 43-year-old Brady issued a touching message, calling for “more love please” with two heart emojis. He also shared the Instagram post of Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, who is of South Korean descent, and accompanied it with the caption “Peace and love. I am praying for those affected by these senseless crimes.” Brady’s Instagram story was captured by Facebook group Tom Brady Fanatics.
Koo condemns killing
Koo and Brady were teammates with the New England Patriots in 2019 after the kicker was signed to their practice squad. Earlier, Koo posted a lengthy message on his Instagram condemning the attack, saying “he’s deeply saddened by the events that took place in Atlanta yesterday.” Koo also called on authorities to address this pressing issue, adding that “ignoring it won’t help us do that.” The kicker hopes that his post would help raise awareness on hate crimes against all people, per a report by Michael Rothstein of ESPN.
Aside from Brady and Koo, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Atlanta Hawks guard Trey Young also expressed outcry over the killings, per Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today.
Bucs sign kicker Ryan Succop
After signing edge rusher Shaquil Barrett to a four-year deal worth $72 million, the Buccaneers inked kicker Ryan Succop to a new three-year deal.
According to Luke Easterling of USA Today, the Buccaneers gave Succop a contract worth $12 million, where he would get $6.25 million in guaranteed money and $8.25 million over the first two years. The Buccaneers signed Succop to a one-year deal last season, and he did not disappoint as he made all of his field-goal attempts in the postseason, helping the Buccaneers win their first Lombardi Trophy since 2002.
Shipley to return as coach
Halfway through last season, Buccaneers’ veteran offensive lineman A.Q. Shipley suffered a career-ending neck injury. While the injury ended his playing career, it opened a new opportunity for Shipley to return to Tampa Bay as a coach; Easterling Easterling said that Shipley has agreed to a multi-year contract to return to the Super Bowl champs as a coach. Shipley played for six teams in his 12-year NFL career, twice with head coach Bruce Arians with the Arizona Cardinals and the Buccaneers.
