the reasons being are pretty obvious, at least to the people I talk to.   talk to your local average factory worker, with a couple kids and a mortgage, or a car payment.  ask them what they think of $3.50 lb 80/20 hamburger, or $10.00lb t bone. stopped at the local butcher and picked up 4 porter house steaks, because we are waiting for a slot to open up to butcher one of our own, it cost me $65 for those four steaks I just about crapped.
 
 I have a sister who works as a manager of the produce/meats section of a local super store,  she relayed to me that in her store anyway, the shift is on to cheaper protein sources, chicken mainly.  pork when on sale moves quite well. they actually reduced the amount of freezer section committed to beef because it's starting to get hard to move it.   she said that they can't hardly get chicken in fast enough.  it'll be interesting to see what grilling season brings after such a crappy winter.  
 
 interesting comment on recreation though, be interesting to see how the consumer rolls on this. do they value beef more than recreating, because for the average joe, they will have to make a choice.