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Penguins president/CEO David Morehouse reflects on Dan Rooney

The first time Penguins president/CEO David Morehouse met Steelers owner Dan Rooney, it was shortly after Morehouse had been hired, in April 2007, and a man named Barack Obama was gaining clout in the political world, the one Morehouse had recently left.

“He said, ‘I’m thinking of supporting this Obama fella for president. What do you think?’ ” Morehouse recalled Thursday, shortly after news of Rooney’s passing at the age of 84. “I said, ‘Mr. Rooney, I think you’ve earned the right to support whoever you want.’ ”

Rooney, who became the United States Ambassador to Ireland two weeks before his 77th birthday, earned the right to do pretty much anything he wanted in life, but his humility would never allow it.