Facts

• The NFL has 32 teams, but none in Portland, Ore., Orlando, Fla., or San Antonio. All three metropolitan areas rank among the nation's top 32, and all of them are growing much faster than the national average - this credited to the fact that loyalty to teams in stronger in the Midwest than anywhere else. "People who live on America's coasts smugly explain the popularity of Midwestern sports teams by saying there isn't much else to do there." The profile of NFL teams vs. America's demographics was interesting to me.

• More than 45 percent of students ages 18 to 24 at the U reported in a 2005 survey that they had five or more drinks in a row within the past two weeks - 5 drinks is considered binge drinking. This number seems low to me?!?!? The Upper Midwest has the highest overall binge-drinking rates in the nation. More dets on drinking at the U here.

• Wal-Mart is the #1 seller of salmon in the USA. Costco is #2.

• Wal-Mart sells 50% of the jeans in America - resulting in the average price for a pair of jeans to fall to $20. This forced Levi's to start manufacturing jeans meeting far lower quality standards than they usually abide by in order to compete with Wal-Mart's presence in the market.

• There's an extensive and reasonably priced wine list at Palomino in Mpls, but you can also bring in your own bottle. The bonus? If your wine is not one it offers, there's no corkage fee.