By AP
May 22, 2009

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama may be a Chicago Bears fan at heart. But at least on Thursday, the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers were his football favorites.

The president celebrated the Steelers’ title at a White House ceremony. Obama and the players also met with wounded U.S. service members and assembled care packages for troops serving overseas.

Obama joked that no matter how big those Steeler players are, he told them he’ll always be a Bears fan first. But the president said he rooted for the Steelers over the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl.

Steelers president Dan Rooney campaigned for Obama in Pennsylvania during last year’s presidential election. In March, Obama named Rooney as ambassador to Ireland.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press