But teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets would still have trouble making money unless they went at least two rounds in the playoffs.

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Mr DeLillo sends them to the far corners of the land, too not just to New York and Chicago and the big- city, blue-collar world that Mr DeLillo knows so well, but to Phoenix and Los Alamos, Los Angeles and the southern Californian sprawl.

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The Echo is a cool little club on the east side of Los Angeles, just grimy enough, with dark blue walls and a crowd that on a recent Monday night included movie stars Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix, bobbing their heads to an all-girl band called The Like.

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