FOXBORO, MA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on November 23, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Image: Getty)
Peyton Manning is known for being an icon in Tennessee, and on Wednesday night the former NFL MVP quarterback was applauded yet again in the state.
Manning, 42, attended the Memphis Grizzlies‘ home game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday and after he appeared on the Jumbotron, the crowd at FedEx Forum clapped and cheered for him, as he played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers before being selected as the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. Manning, who led the Vols to the SEC Championship in 1997, went on to win two Super Bowls after playing with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. The 14-time Pro Bowl quarterback was also named the Super Bowl MVP after the 2015 season and retired shortly after leading the Broncos to a national championship victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Fans’ love for Manning at FedEx Forum on Wednesday quickly turned to disgust, however, as a doppelganger for New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was spotted sitting next to the former quarterback. The man was even wearing Belichick’s signature grey hoodie and bore the controversial coach’s demeanor, and was loudly booed by fans. Belichick — a three-time AP NFL Coach of the Year — has led Tom Brady and the Patriots to five Super Bowl titles since joining the team in 2000. New England, which finished the regular season 11-5, will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
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