Omaha

If you’ve been following NFL football this year – seen the Denver Broncos play at all – you’ve probably heard Peyton Manning yelling OMAHA during the snap count.  You may have decided that it was a signal that he was changing the play, or that the snap should come next, or…..

At an interview last week, Manning explained it this way:

“I’ve had a lot of people ask what Omaha means. Well, Omaha, it’s a run play,” Manning said Wednesday during his AFC Championship game week press conference.

Manning’s dead-pan delivery made it seem like he was actually trying to give a lesson in football. But we should all know by now that Manning wouldn’t dare give away any secrets to his pre-snap theatrics.

So Manning continued to elaborate on the Omaha call.

“But it could be a pass play, or a play-action pass, depending on a couple of things: the wind, which way we’re going, the quarter, and the jerseys that we’re wearing,” Manning said. “It really varies, really, from play-to-play. So there’s your answer to that.”

After yesterday’s AFC Championship, we do know one thing about Omaha – it is a serious money-maker.  A group of Omaha-based businesses - folks like Mutual of Omaha, ConAgra, CenturyLink, Cox Communication, First National Bank of Omaha, and of course, Omaha Steaks – banded together and pledged money, $800 for every time Manning mentioned their home town during the game.

Manning yelled OMAHA 31 times in Denver’s win over the Patriots.   That means $24,800 will be donated to the  ''Peyback Foundation,'' Manning's charity for at-risk youth.