Obama Sides with the Steelers
EmailABC News’ Sunlen Miller Reports:
President Obama’s beloved Chicago Bears are not in the Super Bowl this year –- so he’s thrown his presidential support behind the other team “closest to his heart” –- the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In this Sunday’s match up of Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals, Obama made clear that even though the Cardinals have a compelling story the Steelers are still one of his long-time favorite teams.
“I wish the best to the Cardinals. They’ve been long suffering. It’s a great Cinderella story,” Obama said of the team that suffered a number of demoralizing late-season defeats just to come back late in the game to reach the Super Bowl. “Kurt Warner is a great story, and he’s closer to my age than anybody else on the field.”
Mr. Obama may have also indicated that his pick for this weekend might have a little something to do with not just his sports loyalty — but perhaps his political loyalties as well — referencing the support the team has given to him during his presidential run.
“Mr. Rooney, the owner, was just an extraordinary supporter during the course of the campaign. You know, Franco Harris was campaigning for me in Pittsburgh,” Obama said of the Steelers who campaigned with him through the lead up to the Pennsylvania primary.
Mr. Obama is expected to watch the Super Bowl game at the White House this weekend –- and his Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he might have a little bipartition party in the works.
“We’ll have some folks over probably this weekend to watch,” Gibbs said.
– Sunlen Miller
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Thanks – I’ve been waiting all week to hear which team he was supporting. Now I know for which team I should cheer.
What did he eat for lunch and breakfast today? What time does he get up in the morning?
Posted by: tjp612 | January 29, 2009, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
I think Obama will be in for a surprise, Just as the nation was when he won. So it will again when Warner leads the Cards to victory.
Posted by: Political Opinion | January 29, 2009, 4:46 pm 4:46 pm
“a little bipartition party”
Errr, what?
Posted by: BertieW | January 29, 2009, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
To political opinion:
I second that: Go Cards!
Posted by: cardinalsXLIII | January 29, 2009, 5:42 pm 5:42 pm
he has a right to choose a team just like any one else.
if he had said he was not picking a team
you would have something to say against
that.
Posted by: WHAT! | January 29, 2009, 5:59 pm 5:59 pm
Isn’t it divisive to pick a team in the super bowl? I thought his supporters say he is all about unity.
Personally I don’t care, just think its a funny. Maybe its because Pennsylvania has more electoral votes than Arizona.
Posted by: KR | January 29, 2009, 6:17 pm 6:17 pm
““Mr. Rooney, the owner, was just an extraordinary supporter during the course of the campaign. You know, Franco Harris was campaigning for me in Pittsburgh,””
So now these campaign donors have special access to the Obama Whitehouse!
Typical!
Posted by: BertieW | January 29, 2009, 8:40 pm 8:40 pm
It’s the Super Bowl. Who cares who he likes. I support him, but support the Cardinals. Big deal.
Posted by: AnaB | January 29, 2009, 10:34 pm 10:34 pm
BOOOOO! The President pick a team? Particularly based on political contributions? What did happen to unity? Maybe because Mr. McCain is from Arizona???
Shame on you Mr. Obama!!!
Posted by: Liz | January 29, 2009, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm
“So now these campaign donors have special access to the Obama Whitehouse!”
Right wingers are such sad creatures to get upset over this.
The Obama campaign was much closer to the Steelers especially Joe Biden.
For those who do not know, when Joe Biden lost his wife and daughter in a car accident, the Steelers visited his injured sons in the hospital and Dan Rooney gave them a ball signed by every Steeler.
But hey who am I to interrupt the bitter caterwauling of right wingers.
Posted by: Ryan C | January 30, 2009, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
Republican or Democrat, Steeler or Cardinal fan, Vegan or carnivore, now is the time to give our new President the remote control.
Gimme some uh them chips, though.
Posted by: Mike Licht | January 30, 2009, 2:09 pm 2:09 pm
So the Cards are now on Obama’s “enemies list” along with Limbaugh?
Posted by: malclave | January 30, 2009, 7:56 pm 7:56 pm
A President represents the whole nation. Another example of President Obama’s NOT understanding how to bring a nation together. Obama’s obviously a rookie and badly advised.
Posted by: Lee Whiting | February 1, 2009, 10:30 pm 10:30 pm
I think Mr President showed his true colors tonight.
He campaigned that he was for the underdog, the middle class, the poor etc,, he had a chance to demonstrate that by supporting the underdog team and he chose to support the 5 time Super bowl winning team, Like they needed another win. Didn’t our governor campaign for him on our time???? I hope Arizona will remember this and not give him there support for re-election in 4 years.
Posted by: RTaylor | February 1, 2009, 11:30 pm 11:30 pm
It seemed so strange for a President to openly endorse a team. The strangeness was even more obvious when Rooney said “I want to thank President Obama for his support.” I found myself wondering for a minute if the other team was from another country. It all seemed so un-American and “uncool.” Be open with us on matters of the country; that we appreciate. Given the very fine person that Kurt Warner is, this was a real turn off. Basically he’s saying “I’m following the money.”
Posted by: james | February 2, 2009, 8:38 am 8:38 am
Ryan C. I do not think Obama should have openly supported one team over the other. Just to clarify, I voted for him; not a right winger. But not a blazing liberal like you either, I guess. What the Steelers did for Biden was admirable but apparently you don’t know anything about Kurt Warner. What’s funny is that you apparently think Obama is “wild” about Biden and would make his decision on that. I think it had more to do with where Obama received support. I think he forgot that Arizona is not the only state that loves Kurt Warner.
Posted by: Ann | February 2, 2009, 8:45 am 8:45 am
so silly people getting upset that our President picked a team, hey he was honest, what’s wrong with that? People will nitpick at anything I guess.
Posted by: terri | February 5, 2009, 8:02 am 8:02 am