Barack Obama today received one of the top endorsements a candidate could receive out of Pittsburgh, where voters cling to their football. Dan Rooney, owner of western Pennsylvania's beloved Steelers, offered his endorsement to Obama following his speech this morning.

An excerpt from Rooney's statement:

This is not something that I do regularly but as I listen to the candidates in this race, I am struck that we continue to hear about the problems and the same challenges that we have been talking about for decades.

And the proverbial sports metaphor...

True sports fans know that you support your team even when they are the underdogs. Barack Obama is the underdog here but it is with great pride that I join his team.

No word yet on whom QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Hines Ward are supporting. Of course, Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, the great former Steelers running back, accompanied Obama on a recent bus trip in the state. The Bus is on the bus, if you will. Bettis, a former Notre Dame All-American, also provides Obama an Indiana endorsement.