Jim Irsay Denies Ex-Patriot Bill Belichick’s Eye-Popping Claim

The Patriots-Colts rivalry took multiple bizarre directions through the 2000s and 2010s, and it seems like neither side let go of their grudges.

Of course, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning highlighted the rivalry, which escalated with Indianapolis’ bombastic claim of deflated footballs that led to “Deflategate” in New England in 2015.

Bill Belichick rejuvenated another conspiracy when he appeared on the “ManningCast” this week. The Kansas City Chiefs crowd at Arrowhead Stadium is known for being one of the loudest outdoor experiences in the NFL, but it paled in comparison to a 2007 incident.

“I’ll tell you, Peyton, the crowd noise there at Arrowhead wasn’t as bad as it was when you guys piped in music at the RCA Dome,” Belichick told Manning, per Pro Football Talk. “And then when the music skipped — when the crowd noise skipped, that’s when we knew you were pumping it in.”

The throwaway comment was a moment of laughter on the “ManningCast,” but Colts owner Jim Irsay never was one to let someone else have the last word.

“Reminder… ‘piped-in crowd noise’ myth —1000% fictional,” Irsay posted on X on Tuesday. “And the ‘skip’ was TV broadcast. We get it, though… visiting teams couldn’t believe that 60,000 in an intimate domed stadium could make that much deafening noise! A credit to Colts fans.”

Pro Football Talk highlighted CBS’ official statement about the ’07 Patriots-Colts matchup where the network noted it was a broadcast issue when it came to the skip in noises. But it seems like something Belichick hasn’t gotten over 17 years later.