What the heck does this mean? These places ARE Wisconsin. These places are the strength of Wisconsin, not something that makes it "suffer". Wisconsin is great because it has a very nice major hub like Milwaukee, one of the great small cities in America in Madison, and the diversity of several regional magnets that mean few places outside of the far Northwoods is really all that far from somewhere. Maybe Wisconsin's only weakness is that Milwaukee is sometimes so wrapped up in trying to be a "big city" and feeling like Chicago's little brother that it misses its connection with the rest of the state. To a certain extent, that distance is part of the reason that the Bucks, and to a much lesser extent, the Brewers, lag a bit behind the Badgers in these parts. Yes, for years the western part of the state was drawn to the Cities, due to the broadcast reach of communications in the age of limited cable and satellite options. But, for the most part, this is a state that is pretty proud of what it is, and is fiercely loyal to state teams. Eau Claire and LaCrosse and Wausau are the reason there is a dome on Miller Park. I can't honestly say who the biggest sstar is, but I'm fairly certain that Aaron Rodgers is the most recognizable "name", though not necessarily the most recognizable face, or most respected "talent".