Barack Obama: 44th President, Steelers Fan (at Least on Super Bowl Sunday)

Some Cardinals' players might be using the opportunity to meet Barack Obama as motivation for winning the Super Bowl, but the country's 44th president will almost certainly be a Steelers' fan on Feb. 1.

Owner Dan Rooney, a life-long Republican, campaigned heavily for Obama in the months leading up to the election, and on Monday, traveled to Washington to hand-deliver the AFC Championship game ball.

The relationship between the two unlikely allies dates back to Jan. 2008, when Rooney watched Obama thank supporters following his surprising victory at the Iowa caucuses.

"This is the greatest speech I've seen since John Kennedy," Rooney told his son, Jim. "This guy connects with people like no one I've seen since John Kennedy. He convinced me that this is more than just a good politician. I want to stand up and say something for this guy. I want to be involved in this."

Three months later, Obama was in Pittsburgh attending a conference on steel manufacturing, and would spend close to an hour talking to Rooney. And that was that for the Steelers owner.

"The whole time, Obama spoke to my father. I mean meaningful conversations about different things. There was a bond there, and you could see the development of mutual respect. My father really appreciated that. That day, he announced his support."

Rooney told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that "[Obama]'s a Bears fan first, he admits that ... But he's a Steelers fan. He said it, and all his staff, they're rooting for us [in the Super Bowl]." So there you go. That Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill was a huge John McCain supporter probably didn't hurt, either.

So while Obama's Super Bowl allegiances may come as a disappointment to some Cardinals players, on the upside, they've been dealt the ultimate "no respect" card. So there's that.