The lore of Peyton Manning and “Omaha’’ – the famous call-out Manning barked at the line of scrimmage when he was playing quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts – has spawned a new revelation.
During the “Manningcast” during “Monday Night Football,” golfer Phil Mickelson sat in as a guest with Peyton and Eli Manning during the second quarter of the game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. At one point, Mickelson asked for clarification on why Manning barked out “Omaha.’’
“It told my teammates we’d kind of gone to Plan B,’’ Peyton explained. “It was just a few seconds on the clock. Everybody kind of has that word, kind of a trigger word that means, ‘hey, get ready the ball’s about to be snapped.’’’
Later in the broadcast, Manning shared the revelation with Mickelson – and the national TV audience.
“I don’t know if you know this, but in Indianapolis, before I said ‘Omaha,’ we actually had your name into our offense,’’ Peyton said. “We had a snap count called ‘Tiger’ and a snap count called ‘Phil.’
Peyton Manning, Stephen Curry, Charles Barkley and Phil Mickelson take part in a press conference after Capital One’s The Match: Champions For Change at Stone Canyon Golf Club on November 27, 2020 in Oro Valley, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images for The Match)
“It’s really irrelevant which one was on one and which one was one-two. You were in the Colts offense. How does that make you feel?’’
A moment of silence passed before Mickelson spoke.
“Like a Hall of Fame player,’’ he said.
No word how it made Tiger Woods feel.
Last week, Golfweek caught up with Manning during a crowded event to talk about golf, bourbon, football and his memories of Houston, all over a sip of the spirits he’s hoping will become a household name.