The echoes of perfect seasons and deflated footballs never truly fade in Indianapolis. It’s a city where gridiron ghosts still rattle the rafters of Lucas Oil Stadium, especially when a certain GOAT rolls into town, even if he’s riding in an IndyCar. Tom Brady stepping onto the hallowed asphalt of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2025 Indy 500 wasn’t just a celebrity cameo; it was a primal trigger for 400,000 throats, unleashing a torrent of boos. And his old partner-in-crime, Rob Gronkowski, presiding over the post-race bacchanalia known as the Snake Pit, had just one word for it: “Rude.”

Picture the scene: The smell of ethanol and adrenaline hung thick in the May air, and roughly 30,000 hyped souls surged into Turn 3–the infamous Snake Pit. This wasn’t just any victory lane. Revived by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2019, the modern Snake Pit is a throbbing, EDM-fueled festival smack-dab on the track. And its Grand Marshal? None other than Gronk, sunglasses on, mic in hand, ready to unleash his Gronkian energy. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he bellowed as the crowd erupted, “Welcome to the Snake Pit!”

Amidst the raging beats, the PA announcer dropped another name: Brady. The reaction wasn’t applause. And so, talking with Julian Edelman later, Gronk didn’t mince words on the Dudes On Dudes podcast: “They booed him, they booed him, which is—rude.” Edelman, ever the realist, countered, “Which is rude, but it’s honestly predictable. Yeah—at Indy 500, they hadn’t beaten him for freaking 30 years.” Touché.

Brady’s Patriots had owned the Colts, going 16-4 against them, including playoff heartbreakers that still stings. That 2014 season AFC Championship shellacking (45-7) and the whole Deflategate saga? Yes, Indy doesn’t just forget. They engrave that on their souls.

In fact, Pat McAfee’s wife, Samantha, a die-hard embodying that generational Colts fandom, captured the sentiment perfectly on Instagram: “Hearing 400k+ humans boo Tom Brady was a true highlight of the day. Sorry, but my Colts blood runs thick. The finger was a bit much, that’s on me.”

Gronk further admitted: “I feel like I’m at home right now, because I’ve owned the Colts my whole entire career when I was on the Patriots. And when you own a team for so long, you feel like you’re at home when you’re in the city.” Classic Gronk jab. But sensing the delicate balance of Midwestern hospitality, he quickly pivoted. “Well, the New York Knicks beat my Boston Celtics, and the Pacers are playing the New York Knicks right now—so go Pacers.”

“That’s crowd work,” Edelman marveled. “That’s how to work a crowd right there. And, you know, Robbie G knows how to work a crowd.” But how did Brady respond to the boos?

Well, Brady, channeling his calmness, just smiled and waved through the vitriol but later, he trolled the haters on IG: “P.S.: It was great to get in one more successful drive in front of a bunch of Colts fans 😂.”

Tom Brady’s presence reminded fans of the old rivalry!

Tom Brady had taken the ceremonial pre-race hot lap with Gronk, a symbolic cruise before the real engines roared at 234 mph. But the Snake Pit boos? That was pure, uncut sports history echoing across generations. The NFL legend was there for two things: The ceremonial first lap and to conduct his duties as a part of Fox’s broadcast.

But fans simply couldn’t forget his NFL days. After all, the Colts fans have many reasons to dislike Brady. Throughout his career, Peyton Manning was his biggest rival. Their games against each other gave some of the best memories for football fans to remember, where Brady’s side would often emerge victorious.

He holds a 12-3 record against Indianapolis (regular season). In fact, playing against the Colts brought out the best in Brady. He threw 33 touchdowns in 15 games against them and that right there is his highest touchdown total against any team outside the AFC East.

Such rivalries live in the collective memory of a city, sparked by a name, a face, a ghost of games past. Gronk called the boos “rude,” but in the passionate, raw language of sports, it was perhaps the highest, most grudging form of respect – the sound of a city forever marked by the excellence, and the controversies.