Tampa, Fla. ? There’s more than just a Lombardi Trophy on the line when the Steelers and the Cardinals play in the Super Bowl.

There’s the prospect of being the first team to be invited to the White House to meet the new president, Barack Obama.

The election of the first African-American commander-in-chief has created a titanic shift in the locker room, turning a fringe benefit into a cherished reward.

Players who once ignored the political system spent more time this season watching the news instead of sports.

Some voted for the first time; others engaged in fierce debates over tax policy rather than the play of the day.

Come Sunday, Pittsburgh and Arizona will take the field knowing the team that scores the most points likely will get a chance to meet Obama in person.

“That would be very special,” Steelers linebacker James Farrier said Wednesday. “Everybody is excited about our new president. Being the first African-American president, it’s a great time in our country.

“We definitely want to be the first team to go meet him after the Super Bowl. That would be one of the highlights of being in the Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl.”

Steve Breaston echoed Farrier’s perspective.

“History has been made with Obama,” the Arizona receiver said. “I would be ecstatic if we could be the first team to go in and shake his hand.”

A day after the Steelers won the AFC championship and the Cardinals added to their surprising playoff run by claiming the NFC title, Obama took the oath of office in the nation’s capital.

In central Florida, Arizona defensive end Bertrand Berry was filming a promotional spot with his daughter, but he took time off to watch history unfold.

“It was really emotional for me,” Berry said. “I don’t believe I stopped crying the whole time. It’s a big moment for a lot of obvious reasons. It just showed that in time, things can change. Even though the country is in the situation it’s in now, with the economy and everything else, we can only go up from here.”