Tom Brady’s appearance at the 2025 Indianapolis 500 was supposed to be a celebratory moment. Instead, it turned into a viral mess, thanks in large part to one Colts fan’s middle finger.
No one captured the mood at the Indy 500 better than Samantha McAfee, wife of former Colts punter Pat McAfee.
Samantha McAfee’s Viral Reaction to Tom Brady at Indy 500 Sparks Colts Nation Laughter
While Brady, now a FOX Sports analyst, was waving from a two-seater IndyCar alongside Jimmie Johnson and Michael Strahan, McAfee was letting her feelings fly.
“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,” she posted on Instagram.
The crowd’s boos were loud, but her middle-finger salute said even more. Her reaction quickly went viral, sparking laughter and plenty of Colts pride online.
The tension between Brady and Indianapolis runs deep and dates back more than two decades, with two controversial moments that still sting for Colts fans.
It started with the infamous Tuck Rule game on Jan. 19, 2002. While it involved the Raiders, it’s remembered as the start of Brady’s rise and the Patriots dynasty that would repeatedly block the Colts from Super Bowl glory.
The rule — turning an apparent fumble by Brady into an incomplete pass—set off years of accusations that the NFL favored the Patriots. Referee Walt Coleman explained it like this: “Brady’s arm had been moving forward before he pulled the ball back to his body, the pass was incomplete.” That led to a New England win and eventually a Super Bowl ring, while Colts fans were left fuming.
Then came Deflategate in the 2014 AFC Championship Game. Brady was accused of using under-inflated footballs, allegedly to achieve a better grip. After a $22 million investigation, he was hit with a four-game suspension in 2016. That only made Colts fans hate him more — and that feeling hasn’t faded.
When Tom Brady appeared onstage today during a pre-race Indy 500 ceremony, he was met with boos.pic.twitter.com/4F3B8Teet9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 25, 2025
That hostility came to a head at the Indy 500. As Brady took his lap around the track, a clip caught the moment the crowd erupted: “Yep, those are boos.”
To his credit, Brady kept his cool and smiled through it all. Whether he’ll ever respond publicly is unknown. But one thing’s for sure — McAfee and Colts Nation made their point loud and clear.
16-4 Pats vs Colts #salty