The greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, was mercilessly booed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the Indy 500 on Sunday.
Hasn’t enough time passed, Colts fans?
Brady was 16-4 against the Colts throughout his career, including a 4-1 record against Indianapolis in the postseason. During the Peyton Manning era, the Colts couldn’t get past Brady’s New England Patriots in the 2003 AFC Championship Game and the 2004 AFC Divisional Round. Indy’s lone playoff victory against Brady came in the 2007 AFC Championship Game. Manning’s Colts went on to win the Super Bowl. They got their redemption — but clearly, the fans never forgot.
But those days are long over. They’ve been over. It’s been more than a decade since the Patriots and Colts met in the NFL playoffs.
Still, fans haven’t forgotten — or forgiven — Brady for his longevity and dominance.
The Patriots are wrapping up their rebuild with quarterback Drake Maye and new head coach Mike Vrabel. The Colts have had their share of quarterback experiments since Manning left for the Denver Broncos, including a run with Andrew Luck that ended prematurely, a carousel of bridge QBs, and now Anthony Richardson.
Alex Palou won his first Indy 500 on Sunday, becoming the first Spanish driver to win the event. Sports history was made. Elsewhere in Indianapolis, the Pacers dropped Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals to the New York Knicks on Sunday evening. Ironically, the Pacers are 0-4 all-time in games played on the same day as the Indy 500.
But online? Everyone’s still talking about Brady.
The NFL is king. But racing fans are no joke.
Fox trotting out Brady in a branded firesuit for coverage of the race — in one of his many rival cities — was the ultimate troll move. He also participated in a ceremonial first lap with Jimmie Johnson before the race. How could anyone expect Indiana fans to react any differently?
Brady took the booing in stride, smiling and waving to the crowd that hated him so much.
Manning and Brady are both carving out successful broadcasting careers. They’ve remained cordial over the years. But Sunday’s chorus of boos toward the NFL legend shows that, despite having a Lombardi Trophy in their case, Colts fans still need more time to heal.
