Peyton Manning had to know it was coming as he stepped up to the podium Wednesday.
The Denver Broncos quarterback became a subject of national fascination this week over his use of the word "Omaha," barked out 44 times during Sunday's divisional playoff win over the San Diego Chargers. CBS mics picked up Manning's pre-snap jargon and sent it into the homes of 41 million viewers.
FedEx Air & Ground Players of Year
Peyton Manning set new NFL single-season records for passing yards (5,477) and touchdowns (55). Was it the best performance for a quarterback in 2013?
Now people wanted to know: What does it all mean? One reporter had the courage to find out.
"Is that like a fan written-in question?," Manning began, drawing laughs. "I'm not sure. I don't know how to answer that."
Oh, but he did. Get out your pencil and paper, Bill Belichick. All the secrets are about to be yours.
"I know a lot of people ask what Omaha means," Manning continued, "and it's -- Omaha is a run play, but it could be a pass play or a play-action pass depending on a couple things: the wind, 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."
We can all exhale. One of life's great mysteries has been solved. Any questions?
The latest "Around The League Podcast" interviews Carolina Panthers star Greg Hardy and looks ahead to the conference title games.
