The Neverending Story Continues

Survey says: Area wants new Snapper stadium

Cue the Field of Dreams reference, please?

One of the most famous lines from a baseball movie is, “If you build it, he will come,” the immortal words Kevin Costner hears in “Field of Dreams.”

Will a recent feasibility study allow the Beloit Snappers Baseball Club to move a step closer to its own “Field of Dreams?”

And if a new stadium is built, will fans come?

Dennis Conerton, Snappers board chairman, believes so.

“It’s very encouraging,” Conerton said of the study, which indicated that 75 percent of participants voted favorably for a proposed year-round multipurpose event facility and new stadium for minor league baseball in the Beloit Gateway Development area on Interstate 90.

...

The Snappers average close to 90,000 fans per year at Pohlman Field. The study indicated that a stadium built in the Beloit Gateway Development area could draw as many as 200,000 fans per year—more than double the current attendance rate.

HOWEVER:

Money remains the No. 1 obstacle in funding a new stadium/multipurpose facility. The estimated cost of new accommodations for the Snappers is between $5 million and $10 million dollars. That money would be raised through a capital campaign that 66 percent of those surveyed said was feasible.

Good luck, Snappers. I really want to retire the graphic up top.

A different point of view

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus was at the game last night.

His thoughts on Eric Arnett are at this post:

Future Shock
The Things I See: Eric Arnett vs. Ian Krol

Rather than excerpt anything, just clink on the link and read it all.

To fill your RDA of Goldstein, Brewerfan.net did an interview with Goldstein to get his impressions of the rest of the Rattlers.

Since everyone (and by everyone I mean 2 people) is pointing out that I called Eric Arnett 'Kevin Arnett' on twitter today, I am just going to bring up this one exchange.

BF: How did Khris Davis strike you as a left fielder?

KG: Defensively? I have no idea. How do you judge a left fielder on one game? His reputation is that of a solid but unspectacular type.

He's right. You really can't judge Davis in left field based on one game...Especially since Pete Fatse played there the whole game last night?

Now, if you'll excuse me I have to find my shovel.

If I were so inclined I would use a smiley face here, but instead I will just point you to one of the post tags here.

A new graphic

Thanks to a photoshop wizard on staff, I now have a graphic for every time I post something about The Neverending Story that is the attempt at a new stadium in Beloit...


Try not to smile when you see that. Just try.

That graphic is so good, I might go back through the archives and post this picture all the old stories on this topic.

You call it a virtual tie...

...I call it a copout...business schools call it a great marketing idea.

We're all right.

The contest held by the West Michigan Whitecaps to select a new food item to be served at Fifth Third Ballpark has come to a conclusion with more than 23,000 votes logged, resulting in what is believed to be the tightest race in food voting history. Consequently, Whitecaps management has called it a virtual tie and will be adding both fan favorites from the voting contest to the menu this summer.

The winning entry is the Cudighi Yooper Sandwich, which received 6,984 votes. In second place was the Declaration of Indigestion, with 6,982 votes. Third place, and the only other item to receive a substantial number of votes, was the Chocolate Covered Bacon, with 6,326 votes. Pigs across West Michigan will be happy to know that the bacon delicacy did not make the cut to be served at Fifth Third Ballpark in 2010.

If you don't know what the Cudighi Yooper Sandwich is, then you probably haven't been to the Upper Peninsula. Cudighi is a spicy sausage found throughout the U.P. The sandwich is a sausage patty smothered in cheese, pizza sauce, peppers and onions. The idea for this sandwich was submitted by Katie Weber of Marquette.

The second place finisher is the "Declaration of Indigestion," a half-pound foot long hot dog covered in a Philly cheese steak (steak, cheese, peppers and onions) and served on a gigantic sub roll. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to disband from the tyranny of healthy eating, they should consume the Declaration of Indigestion, a unique item created by the Whitecaps food and beverage staff.

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one baseball team to dissolve the bands of good taste which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the concession stand, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God are overthrown, a decent respect to the opinions of fankind requires that they should declare the menu which impels those fans to the stadium???

Lansing now with field naming rights, too

A couple of weeks ago Oldsmobile Park, the home of the Lansing Lugnuts, became Cooley Stadium.

Now, the Lugnuts have apparently sold the naming rights to their field.

Jackson National Life Insurance Co. is adding its name to the Lansing Lugnuts playing field.

The minor league baseball team will start its 15th season next month on Jackson Field after the insurer bought the naming rights in a deal announced Monday.

The first Jackson I thought of was...

But that's probably just me. What a combo though.

I don't even know where to start with this...

But, then again...it is Bleacher Report.*

I'm still digesting the topics and thoughts in this article: Heartland League (High-A) Could Work for AL & NL Central

The central premise...

Are you a fan of a team in the middle of the country? For some portion of us, the subject of minor league team affiliations is, for whatever reason, a fascinating one.

In this article, I offer some rationale for several of those teams (Astros fan, here) to begin working toward formation of a new high-A league, largely based on two midwestern independent leagues' success.

Join me on this journey if you dare...

Where Eagles Dare is an awesome movie. Where Mehring dares is...well, just click and try to follow the thread.

Basically, the idea -- I think -- is to move AL Central and NL Central High-A teams out of the three current High-A Leagues to replace cities in the Midwest that already have Independent League teams. And it is all based on attendance!

Also...Astros fan?!?! Hey, we found one!!!!

I can't fault the author for writing a 'think piece' but realities of leases and PDCs and business models and the National Association and current ownership of the affiliated teams and current ownership of those independent teams and territories and a host of other issues put this piece out around Jupiter.

Stupid reality!

Sorry.

*-A note for Cardinals fans and others who are humor impaired. This post is laced with sarcasm. It may be above your recommended daily allowance. Also, please keep in mind the tags on this post.

Beatles fans, forgive me

Picture yourself in a seat near the field here,
With potatoes as salad and burgers as pies.
The stadium calls you, you answer quite slowly,
A girl takes your order for fries.

This attempt at re-writing a classic song by The Beatles was inspired by this announcement over at the Timber Rattlers website.

All-You-Can-Eat Seats available for season ticket packages

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have added a new seating option to their current season ticket packages. Fans may now purchase a spot in the new All-You-Can-Eat section on the first base side of Time Warner Cable Field. The seating area features a field level view, barstool seating, unique countertop space, and an all-you-can-eat buffet.

There is an artist's rendering of the new seating area over at the story. But, here at Rattler Radio, we wanted to give a little bit more.

So, here is the artist's rendering for the first and third base sides and the progress made by the construction crew on those areas as of noon today. Click for a larger image.







The re-write up top couldn't have been any worse than this? Could it?

Call off the season

Baseball Prospectus has it all figured out*.

Follow the link to see what a series of computer simulations has discovered for the records of the teams in MLB for the 2010 season.

To take a little suspense out of the click, the computer has the Brewers finishing Tied for 4th with the Astros in the NL Central.

*-Kidding. These projections provide a baseline for future performance.

We all have our windmills

Everybody has that one topic that make them rage at the unfairness of it all.

Well, not me...I have several.



But, nothing gets Jeff Johnson from the Cedar Rapids Gazette going with a full head of steam like the Kernels-Angels partnership.

OK, we get it, Cedar Rapids Kernels. You like the Los Angeles Angels.

No, you absolutely LOVE the Los Angeles Angels. This is a bro-mance of the strongest kind.

The Kernels recently renewed yet again their Player Development Contract with the Angels, extending the Midwest League’s longest marriage. The Kernels’ PR machine has cranked out more and more press releases on the Angels in the past few months.

Then there’s the upcoming Hot Stove Banquet. Former big leaguer Bobby Grich is the featured speaker. Oh, yeah, he used to play for the Angels.

Two of four members of the club’s 2010 Hall of Fame class are Angels: second baseman Howie Kendrick and GM/former minor-league head Tony Reagins. Enough already, Kernels. No matter how hard you try, Cedar Rapids will never be an Angels town. Not now, not ever.

Terrific organization, but very few around these parts care about it.

The fact that you are inducting Reagins and Kendrick into your Hall of Fame ahead of some very obvious omissions is laughable. Not nearly as laughable as Shawn Wooten going in in 2002, but that’s another blog post for another time ….

Read on for some omissions and for all the members of the Cedar Rapids Kernels Hall of Fame.

Let me be clear...Jeff is a very good writer and it is always a treat to talk to him when the Rattlers are in Cedar Rapids. In fact, he just helped me with a little research project on why a 1960's Foxes game in Cedar Rapids was postponed...(Football...Canadian Football was involved).

That's why I am using the 'mehring the jerk' tag on this post.

I'm a little confused...

...more than usual after reading Jim Street's mailbag at the Mariners site.

It didn't set in until after the third answer though. The first two segments of the column deal with Rattler alumni (they have been bolded in the excerpts below)...so, here are Street's answers.

First about the rotation:

But as of right now, the rotation looks like this: right-hander Felix Hernandez and left-hander Cliff Lee at the top, followed by any combination of lefties Ryan Rowland-Smith, Garrett Olson, Luke French and Jason Vargas, and right-handers Ian Snell and Doug Fister.

Heading into camp, I would think Snell and Rowland-Smith are the leading candidates for the third and fourth spots in the rotation.

Next about the catching:

If you ask [Rob] Johnson how he's doing, he would say "great" and has no doubt that he will be completely healthy by Opening Day despite having three surgeries during the offseason, including one on each hip. He continues to rehab at the Peoria Sports Complex and I will check with him later this month when I visit the facility before returning to Seattle for the annual FanFest (Jan. 30-31) at Safeco Field.
...
[Adam] Moore is still regarded as the best all-around catcher on the roster, but I believe the organization would prefer sending him back to Triple-A at least to start the season.

Now here is the part that absolutely throws me...In full...

What teams can we expect to see guys like Joe Dunigan and Alex Liddi play for next season, and how far away are they from their big league debuts? Is there a chance of a September callup for these guys in 2010?
-- Ben T., Spokane, Wash.

The two blue-chip prospects had superb seasons for Class A High Desert (California League) in 2009 and I would expect both of them to begin this season at Class A Wisconsin (Midwest League).

Dunigan was among the small number of Class A players invited to play in the Arizona Fall League. He gradually improved during the six-week season and was, according to Javelinas manager Kevin Bradshaw, the most improved player on the team that won the championship.

The reports on the Italian-born Liddi are exceptional. He was among the leading hitters in the California League last season (.348), and he could be on the fast track through the farm system. That being said, I doubt that either would make their Major Leagues debuts this season.

Really, Jim? Setting aside the fact that Clinton is now entering its second season as Seattle's Midwest League affiliate, wouldn't a move from the Cal League to the MWL be a demotion? Don't you mean West Tennessee? Harwell knows I've made a lot of mistakes on this blog...in fact this morning, I forgot to include Jorge Sosa's performance in the Alumni Report and I intend to fix that soon...but, really, dude?

I do not like to do this....

But....

Stop back later. There is some exciting news -- Timber Rattlers related news -- that will be released later today.

Right now, I have to head out for a meeting.

First, we laughed....

Then, we heaped tons of scorn on this article at Ballpark Digest. But, only on the parts related to us.

The title:

Fox Valley fertile area for new ballparks?

The main gist is for the possibility of a new stadium for the Green Bay Bullfrogs of the Northwoods League. Which is great. Good for them. Go read the details here.

This is the part of the Ballpark Digest story where we had laughed scornfully....or scornfully laughed...

Meanwhile, we've heard the front office of the Timber Rattlers has quietly begun discussions of whether to pursue a replacement for Fox Cities Stadium, a rather basic facility opening in 1995 in suburban Grand Chute. The goal would to bring a ballpark back into Appleton. There's nothing wrong with Fox Cities Stadium, but it lacks some money-makers (i.e., suites) and its location isn't very scenic. There have been meetings with architects, but so far (we're told) everything is happening at the early-discussion phase.

I believe the kids on-line react in this manner when they see something as outlandish as this on-line...ahem...let me know if I get this right:

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Did I do that correctly?

We are not...repeat, not, looking to build a new stadium in Appleton. We are doing fine...with our three suites...right here at...and let me be clear on the name of the stadium since it has been our name for the last three freaking years...TIME WARNER CABLE FIELD at FOX CITIES STADIUM!

This seems along the lines of the guy who runs the blog that agitated for the Omaha Royals to become a Cubs affiliate....Oh, wait. I misstated.

That should be: This seems along the lines of the guy who ran the blog that agitated for the Omaha Royals to become a Cubs affiliate. Actually, he agitated for the Iowa Cubs to leave Des Moines and move to Omaha. I am almost positive that he had no idea how Minor League Baseball in general -- and Player Development Contracts to get specific -- works when it came right down to it.

He always claimed to have inside information that said a deal would happen any day now...any day now....Well, since the Royals broke ground on their new stadium, that blog was deleted.

http://omahacubs.blogspot.com/

But, you can still do a cache search for some of the pages...like this beauty right here.

Well, it took a lot longer than expected and everything else semmed to get effed up along the way, but it was finally announced today that the Omaha-based Ricketts family has purchased the Chicago Cubs.

We were informed about their offer long before the public and have been secretly told that the family had an interest in moving their AAA farm team to Omaha. As reported, this was contingent on the Omaha Royals leaving the metro area which was this close (fingers are really close together). Unfortunately, the Royals and Sarpy County decided to build a new stadium in a corm field. If you haven't been by the location at Hwy 370 and 126 St, make the drive down. Then tell me how often are you willing to go there to watch a baseball game? If you're anything like me, it's not very often and I live 20 minutes or so away.

I also believe that -- based on that bolded and italicized sentence -- he had no idea of the penalties for tampering. It's pretty serious business.

But, I believe in world peace and that I'll win the lottery one day. So take it for what it is worth.

I think that the guys at Ballpark Digest are better than this. But, still....

Bhanklwiohfywaos!!! Dang. That was wrong. I'm pretty sure I did it right the first time.

@Brewers 3, Astros 2

Boxscore

Casey states his case
Rookie of year award possible

What a month the rookie is having.

Casey McGehee has gotten more regular playing time lately, forcing his way into the Milwaukee Brewers everyday lineup and into the rookie of the year discussion as he sits at the top or near it in four offensive categories.

He also leads the majors in runs batted in for September with 19, his latest coming in the eighth inning Friday night to give the Brewers a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros at Miller Park.

McGehee has his average up to .306, which is second among National League rookies behind Florida's Chris Coghlan at .308, and his 59 RBI are best.

"I've really been trying not to focus on stats or stuff like that because you start trying to get to numbers, all the sudden some at-bats are more important than others and you can't do that in this game," McGehee said. "This game is hard enough as it is. I'm just really trying to focus on putting good at-bats together."

He's doing a good job of that right now.

It would probably be unfair to put up a link to this Right Field Bleachers post by Tyler before the season. You know, the one titled, Can you Just Not Make the Team Already, Casey McGehee?

I mean, it would be unfair to link to that post without linking to this post that includes a comment from Tyler about how wrong he was in that first -- by his own admission "intentionally unfair" -- post.

You know me. All about fairness.

I'm looking for a word

Even after 101 wins, attendance records, and a Midwest League Championship, TinCaps fans were robbed. ROBBED, I say!

Rule robbed fans of title celebration

These were baseball fans. And Wednesday night was the end of it for them, a 2-0 victory over Burlington that left the TinCaps one win away from a sweep of the best-of-five and the franchise’s first league title in 17 seasons.

Champagne? Confetti? A chance to salute a champion in person?

All that would happen 400 miles to the west, on the banks of the Mississippi River.

I don’t know who makes the rules in the Midwest League, or what the reasoning is behind them. But the rule that says home-field advantage in the best-of-five championship series will be decided not on merit but on what year it is – this year it’s the Western Division that gets it – needs to be swatted out of the yard posthaste.

It is, after all, why a team that won 64 games in the regular season (Burlington) gets home field over a team that led the minors in wins with 94.

Next year, If the TinCaps are in the Championship Series with 78 wins going against a team from the West with 89 wins and are hosting games 3, 4, and 5, I expect the same argument to be made. And without the We deserved it last year logic.

It’s why a team that averaged 5,407 fans a game gets two home games, and a team (Burlington, again) that averaged 948, dead last in the league, gets three.

Yes. This comparison is spot on. The the cities of Fort Wayne, IN and Burlington, IA are almost exactly alike...(I'm being sarcastic)...

Your honor, I move that this paragraph be held up as an exhibit of someone who either does not understand market size and its effect on average attendance or is just forgetting it to make a point. That's...oh, what's the word...

Look, I get that this is a baseball thing. Until Bud Selig decreed that whichever league won the All-Star Game would get the home field in the World Series, it alternated from year to year just like it does in the Midwest League. Unlike every other sport I can think of, you didn’t have to earn it. It was just handed to you if it happened to be the right year.

It says here that’s absurd and always has been.

ABSURD! That's what that previous paragraph was...absurd!

Plus, the rule guaranteed a June phone call or e-mail from Dave Skoczen when he was the voice of the West Michigan Whitecaps. That's when he would ask all eight broadcasters in the west when the games for the Finals in the Western Division Stadiums would start. Now, that too, was absurd.

Final note that could have added a little information to this column. I wasn't there, but I am almost positive that George Spelius...you know, the MWL President was at the game. Might not that have been an ideal time to ask him that question? Maybe?

Or, if the President wasn't available, I would almost guarantee...No, make that guaran-DAMN-tee that Dave Walker was at the game. Who's Dave Walker?

Well, this description from a 2007 article at the Bees website from the time when he was named King of Baseball at the Winter Meetings might give a little bit of a clue.

Minor League Vice-President/COO Pat O'Conner was elected to succeed [Mike] Moore as President during the Winter Meetings and also has worked closely with Dave over the years. "Dave Walker has been a leader in Minor League Baseball for many years and this award is simply recognition of long and meritorious service to the game of baseball. His commitment to Minor League Baseball, the City of Burlington and the Burlington Bees is an example of what Kings do. It is a well deserved honor."

Dave has served as the President of the BBA since 1987. This is a volunteer position for the board that oversees the operation for the Burlington Bees which is a community-owned franchise. Dave is also one of two original members of the Minor League Baseball Board of Trustees that was formed in 1992. He served as Chairman of the Board from 2001-02. In addition to his work with the BOT, Dave was an industry leader in communicating with elected officials in Washington, D.C. when the game's anti-trust laws were being challenged.

Dave's full-time position is General Manager of the Best Western Pzazz hotel as part of the FunCity complex in Burlington, Iowa. The Pzazz serves as the designated hotel for visiting Midwest League teams and officials which keeps Dave in contact with more than just the Bees throughout the year. Dave has served on many civic committees throughout the years, but always lists his work with the Bees as the most rewarding. His work as one of the leaders in the Great River Gateway Project helped secure a $5.25 million state grant from the Vision Iowa fund for tourism and community development. Part of that project was a $3 million renovation of Community Field, home of the Bees.

Maybe you could have asked him? Maybe you could still ask him? And bring up that attendance thing to him, too. But, let me know first. I want to be there.

Funky Feather

Oh, Hornsby. This is where I came in.

Doin' the Funky Feather: One man's cheer, a stadium's celebration

Although there's always a certain amount of energy surging through the Dow Diamond when the players take the field, it is when the Great Lakes Loons score a run, and the song "Sandstorm" by Darude begins, that it is at its greatest.

That's because it's Funky Feather time.

The recently named Funky Feather is a dance -- no, more of a cheer, well, maybe a cross between a dance and a cheer -- in which sometimes 5,000 fans pump their fists alternately in the air to the "Sandstorm" beat in support of the Loons. If you missed a few games this summer, it sneaked up on you, although at least one man's version has been ongoing for more than a year.

"I don't know how it got started in the games," said Loons intern Steve Addington, who is given much of the credit for the Funky Feather version of the cheer, and for getting fans involved in what has become a phenomenon, resulting in videos, T-shirt sales and graphics on the jumbotron.

When I first saw them do this, I thought that they were doing an homage to Cousin Luke and Cousin Butch...The Bushwhackers! (Just watch the ring entrance and the crowd)

Then, after the Loooooons scored the 500th run against the Rattlers in that three game series...I got annoyed by it.

As a reference here is the song that I got really sick of in Midland..

One more exceprt for the article

It's like the people were waiting for permission to party. Prior to the marketing students leading the charge, visitors to the diamond could see people squirming in their seats when the Loons would score, the "Sandstorm" music would start, and Tim Lamparski of Midland, a really energetic fan, would get up from his chair and pump his arms up and down while swaying to the fast-paced beat. It was a dance he practiced at home, he said, and one that earned him a spot on the big screen quite often at the games.

...and you'll need to click the link to see the T-shirt. My question: Can you buy that shirt any time or only after the Looooons score their first run of the game?

Apparently, I need to check in now

Tarp pull -- off the field. Thank, Hornsby. -- and finishing up the column for Sportsbubbler.com have occupied most of the morning.

Staff meeting, game notes, stat packs, and probably a few other things will keep me occupied for the next few hours. Oh, and I may actually try to duck out for lunch at some point today, too. I will try to have the regular posts up around 2 or 3 this afternoon.

Until then...I don't know...Maybe get some work done?

When....

the Kid sees what I've been working on today he is going to feel so remorseful for leaving that stuff in the comments.

I'm only going to say, you'll know it when you see it.

Mistakes Mehring has Made...

in the last two days.

I am going to write a book about all the mistakes of my life and call it A Million Little Pieces. It will be well-reviewed and I'll appear on Oprah.

Yesterday. In this post, I stated that Liam Hendricks was signed out of Australia in 1007 by the Minnesota Twins. Everyone knows that the Twins were still the Washington Senators in 1007.

Also, yesterday: In this post -- and due to my misunderstanding -- I flipped Evan Frederickson and Wily Peralta as the starter and the reliever. Frederickson is starting tonight. Peralta is relieving.

The following one didn't make it out on the web, but it is still funny in a pathetic, sloppy way. Today's game notes were sent out to the media with everything updated...except the very first line with updated records and the day, date, and time.

Mehring Culpa.

I lied...

One more post tonight. Because I am in that kind of mood...

Here is the headline for tonight's game at the Post-Crescent site.

Kernels outlast rain and Rattlers

Rain? In the words of Shawn Spencer....Dude, really?

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - The Cedar Rapids Kernels grabbed a 3-0 lead Tuesday night at Perfect Game Field.

Then, they outlasted a delay of over an hour for a power outage and a late Wisconsin rally for a 3-2 win.

I know I make a mistake or seven a day...okay an hour, but please.

So easy everyone should do it...

Is this guy a sportswriter?

Moving makes sense for minor league teams By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer

I don't usually post whole articles, but this one is short...

In the years of discussions about the success of the Dayton Dragons in drawing fans, one of the major factors considered has been the team’s proximity to its parent organization, the Cincinnati Reds.

Other teams are finally realizing that as well.

Police in Grand Chute, Wis., said earlier this month that they are more closely monitoring traffic around the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ Fox Cities Stadium because of much larger crowds at this season’s games.

The reason? The Class A Midwest League team’s new affiliation with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Team officials reported to The (Appleton) Post-Crescent that the Timber Rattlers passed 100,000 in attendance through the first half of the season for the first time in the franchise’s 51-year history.

The Timber Rattlers have averaged 3,429 in attendance at their 5,500-seat stadium this season. That number ranks them seventh in the 14-team league.

While that average pales in comparison to the Dragons’ 8,591-person average, the increase is notable. The team is easily on a pace to set the franchise’s attendance record after switching its affiliation to Milwaukee, which is about 110 miles away. The Timber Rattlers were previously affiliated with the Seattle Mariners since 1993.

It was a great move by the Timber Rattlers’ management, and it’s a path more minor-league teams should take.

Reactions in bullet points:

• I think the headline is a little misleading. Because moving in this case is not going to another city or stadium. It's changing affiliations.
• Thank the Lord we had the example of the Dayton Dragons to guide us. Why we never would have thought of it had it not been for the Dragons. All Hail, the mighty Dayton Franchise
• Pales in comparison? Be more condescending. It would help your argument.
• Yes, teams like the: Great Lakes Loons who are affiliated with the nearby Los Angeles Dodgers and are drawing 3,599/game; the Fort Wayne Tincaps, the affiliates of the just mere moments away San Diego Padres and are drawing 5.024/game; and the Kane County Cougars, MWL affiliates of the just down the road Oakland Athletics , who are at 5,983/game. It's almost as if minor league baseball is a good product and there are many reasons for people to come out to a game or ten.
• Every team should follow the shining example of the Dragons -- peace be upon them -- especially those teams out in Montana and Utah and upstate New York and Louisiana and New Mexico and Las Vegas and well, you get the idea.