Why Indy 500's crowd mercilessly booed Tom Brady and what is the beef about

Tom Brady received a cold welcome at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday

Published on: May 27, 2025, 11:43:48 IST

Edited by Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Tom Brady received a cold welcome at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday (May 25) when the audience collectively decided to boo the former NFL player. The shocking reaction came as a result of decades of sports rivalry coupled with unforgiveness from a dedicated fan base.

Tom Brady was booed at the Indy 500 on Sunday (Getty Images via AFP)

Though the uniform chorus of disapproval rang loud and clear from the crowd in the stands, Brady seemed to take it in stride during the pre-race ceremony for the Indy 500, an annual automobile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The reaction likely came as a result of the noted rivalry between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts back from the days when Brady was a quarterback for the former and pitted against Peyton Manning, then quarterback of the Colts. This decades-long rivalry between two of the greatest quarterbacks in history was a multi-storied tale that includes fiascos like ‘Deflategate’ where the Patriots were accused of using deflated footballs in a playoff match against the Colts. Though Brady denied any wrongdoing on his part, an investigation into the incident suspended him from a few games. The Patriots were fined and docked draft picks.

Brady’s all-too-compulsive 16-4 win record against the Colts in playoffs and season was a bitter pill to swallow for the Indianapolis crowd when they saw their rival on home ground.

People also took to social media to react to the video of Brady being ‘booed’ with many expressing support for the former football sensation and others backing the audience instead.

Brady was at the event to ride alongside race car driver Jimmie Johnson. Having retired from the NFL in 2023, the 47-year-old currently works as a sports commentator at Fox.

By Stuti Gupta

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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