Listen To Peyton Manning Yell His Iconic Omaha Over And Over Again
By Paulo Acoba
Listen to Manning say Omaha a couple of times in a row and it starts to get a bit hypnotic.
Lots of quarterbacks are known to have their go-to word or phrase they’ll yell out before snapping the ball and getting down to business on a play and for Peyton Manning that word is “Omaha.” Earlier last week (Oct. 23, 2015) NFL’s official youtube went ahead and released number 36 in their top 50 sound FX’s and it’s a supercut of every time Peyton Manning yelled Omaha during a playoff game with the Denver Broncos against the San Diego Chargers. Have a look at the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1IZdqPYuts&
When Peyton Manning was questioned on what exactly Omaha means shortly after that San Diego Chargers matchup, Manning was a bit standoffish about the question and he left us with more questions than answers.
"“I know a lot of people ask what Omaha means,” he said back in January 2014. “Omaha is a run play, but it could be a pass play or a play-action pass depending on a couple things: when, which way we’re going, the quarter and the jerseys that we’re wearing. So it varies, really, play to play. So, that’s — there’s your answer to that one.”"
Thankfully, his brother Eli Manning was a bit more forthright with an official response that he gave during a Giants town hall meeting back in June.
"“There was actually a sheet that said ‘Omaha’ at the top, and basically ‘Omaha’ was maybe we change the play, or maybe when I was changing protection, or Diehl had to tie his shoe or something and was taking forever and the play clock’s running down. And ‘Omaha’ just told everybody to put their hand in the ground, shut up, and the ball’s about to be snapped."
The way we see it, it’s a small yet effective three syllable word that instantly centers his linemen and the entire team that “things are about to go down.” In a manner of tenths of a second, Manning is able to get his team on the same page as he is. It’s a concise yet concrete example of how Manning controls the cadence of play and ultimately is an effective quarterback. Others should take note. And they ultimately did win that day, 24-17.