Obama smiled after he said that. But for those who think his opinion won't have an impact, they might want to remember where the forward pass came from.

The flying wedge was all the rage in college football in the 1890s and early 1900s, a mass formation that was simple, successful - and shockingly violent. After 18 players died and 149 were seriously injured during the 1905 season, President Teddy Roosevelt demanded something be done. His meetings with officials from Harvard, Princeton and Yale led to the formation of the NCAA.

That, in turn, led to the outlawing of the flying wedge - and the introduction of the forward pass.

Obama also talked on the campaign trail about making sure colleges are enforcing Title IX in both academics and athletics. His daughters, he said in June, play sports and are "the beneficiaries of the doors Title IX opened.''

There are other sports-related issues the future president cares about, Giannoulias said. Like tackling the growing childhood obesity rate. Keeping steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs out of athletics, a pet cause of his presidential opponent, John McCain, and even President Bush, who once mentioned steroids and sports in a State of the Union Address.

"There are issues within the sporting world, the athletic realm that are going to be important, and I think he'd have a good perspective on it,'' Giannoulias said.

Olympic types are also hoping Obama will travel to Copenhagen next year to sell Chicago to the International Olympic Committee. The Windy City is a finalist to host the 2016 Games, and Obama has already made several pitches for the cause.

The Olympic stadium would only be a few blocks from Obama's South Side home, and he's already imagined what it would be like to finish his second term by welcoming the world to his adopted hometown.

"I can't think of a better way than to be marching into Washington Park,'' he said this summer, " ... and announcing to the world, 'Let the games begin.'''

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