Tom Brady
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 25: Tom Brady attends during the NTT IndyCar Series109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis 500 is known for spectacle, speed and surprise celebrity appearances over Memorial Day weekend. But Indianapolis Colts fans never hold back their passion, despite the season.
But few moments during this year’s race weekend packed as much unexpected drama as when NFL legend Tom Brady showed up to the annual event.
As the seven-time Super Bowl champion appeared during a pre-race ceremony, a chorus of boos rained down from the crowd at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a video from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The moment was brief, but indubitable. To understand the reaction, fans have to circle back to one of the NFL’s most iconic and emotionally-charged rivalries.
The Brady-Colts rivalry runs deep and fuels fans’ boos
For over a decade, the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts battled for supremacy in the AFC, with Brady and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning as the headliners. From 2003 to 2010, the rivalry helped define the NFL, with each game—especially in the postseason—feeling like a heavyweight title bout.
The Patriots often had the upper hand. Brady’s Patriots won four of the five playoff matchups against the Colts, including two AFC Championship Games. The rivalry was personal for fans in Indianapolis, who often saw their team’s Super Bowl hopes dashed by Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.
The lone postseason win for the Colts over Brady came in the 2006 AFC Championship Game, when Manning led a dramatic comeback to secure a trip to Super Bowl XLI—and a victory over the Chicago Bears. For many Colts fans, that win was more than just a ticket to the Super Bowl; it was redemption.
Deflategate controversy deepened Colts fans’ resentment toward Brady
If postseason heartbreak wasn’t enough, the rivalry took an uglier turn in 2015 when “Deflategate” was unveiled to the world. During the AFC Championship Game that year—a lopsided Patriots win over the Colts—accusations emerged that Brady had used underinflated footballs to gain a competitive edge.
While the NFL’s investigation led to Brady’s four-game suspension and sparked months of debate, many Colts fans felt the scandal only confirmed what they had long suspected: that the Patriots, and Brady, weren’t always playing by the rules.
The fallout only deepened the animosity between fan bases. Though Brady has since moved on from the Patriots and Deflategate has largely faded from national discussion, in Indianapolis, those wounds still haven’t fully healed.
For Colts fans, Brady is more than just a Hall of Fame quarterback. He represents a decade of heartbreak, near-misses, and controversy. His presence at an Indiana sports institution like the Indy 500 struck a nerve, reminding fans of the days when their team’s championship dreams were routinely dashed by No. 12 in red, white, and blue.
Make no mistake, Indianapolis is Colts country. No matter how much time has passed or how many accolades Brady has earned since, the flame of the emotional rivalry clearly hasn’t been extinguished.
Brady’s career is undeniably historic. He holds nearly every major quarterback record, won seven Super Bowl rings and transformed two different franchises into dynasties.