NEWSTom Brady Booed by Crowd at Indy 500: Watch the Awkward Moment
Tom Brady got booed by the crowd at the Indy 500 during a pre-race ceremony.
Tom Brady didn’t exactly get the red carpet treatment at the Indy 500 this weekend.
On Sunday, May 25, the NFL legend stepped on stage during the pre-race ceremony, but as soon as the announcer said his name, the crowd made their feelings loud and clear.
“He's driving seven times, Super Bowl champion and five-time NFL MVP, Tom Brady,” the emcee said, following a shout-out to NASCAR Cup Series champ Jimmy Johnson, who got a much warmer reception, per a Fox video on X.
Tom Brady got booed at the Indy 500.
Even with the crowd turning cold, Brady didn’t seem to flinch, as he kept smiling and waved to the stands like nothing had happened.
The chilly response may have had less to do with Brady himself and more to do with football history. The Patriots and Colts have one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries.
Fans might still be mad about Tom Brady's Deflategate scandal.
According to Bleacher Report, Brady knocked the Colts out of the playoffs four times. Additionally, the now-infamous 2014 AFC title game — a.k.a. the beginning of “Deflategate” — also involved the two teams.
Deflategate became a full-blown scandal and launched a major NFL investigation. The league accused Brady and the Patriots of using under-inflated footballs during that playoff game against the Colts.
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After a lengthy review, a 253-page NFL report concluded that the Patriots were to blame. Brady was said to be "at least generally aware" of the scheme. As a result, he was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season, while the team was fined $1 million and lost two draft picks.
The NFL player and his team was accused of using under-inflated footballs in 2014.
However, Brady never backed down.
"I didn't alter the balls in any way," he said back in 2015.
Years later, he even poked fun at the whole thing during The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix in 2024.
"But where's Roger Goodell?" Brady said, throwing shade at the NFL commissioner. "Remember Deflategate? The NFL spent 20 million dollars and found that it was 'more probable than not' that I was 'generally aware' that someone may have deflated my footballs. You could've just given me the 20 million and I would've just told you I [bleeping] did it."
Tom Brady now works for Fox Sports as a commentator.
Now, over 10 years removed from the controversy, Brady is in a new phase of life.
He retired from the NFL in 2023 and is currently signed to a 10-year deal with Fox Sports as a commentator. The network even covered the Indy 500 live.
"It's been really fun to sit and watch these games from the 50-yard line," Brady shared on the “Let’s Go!” podcast in September 2024.
"Although I'd much prefer to be on the field playing, because it's a lot more fun down there. But I’m not doing that anymore. But just watching from above and seeing how these guys are performing is pretty cool," he added.
