The WASHINGTON POST’s Steve Fainaru writes of the BALCO investigation, “The unlikely center of it all is [BALCO President Victor] Conte, 53, a former bass player for the Bay Area funk band Tower of Power.  The controversy has provided an unvarnished view of a charismatic entrepreneur who built a company around a used piece of lab equipment, then forged key relationships with athletes, doctors, academics and coaches to carve out a piece of the nutritional supplement business” (WASHINGTON POST).

The L.A. TIMES’ Michael Hiltzik writes of San Diego and its relationship with the Chargers, “It wouldn’t be long before the city discovered what many other communities across the land had learned: The NFL has a way with a poisoned chalice that would leave Lucrezia Borgia speechless with admiration.  Not only have the Chargers fallen far off from Super Bowl quality, but the 1995 deal has cost San Diego millions of dollars – without eliminating the threat that the team might depart anyway” (L.A. TIMES).

The S.F. CHRONICLE’s Glenn Dickey writes, “The Yorks should sell the 49ers.  Lack of money is behind the 49ers’ problems. … The 49ers badly need a new stadium, but the Yorks can’t afford it, even with the help of the NFL. … The solution is obvious: Sell the club to somebody with deeper pockets.  That kind of person, or business, would probably recoup the expense of building a new stadium over the years” (S.F. CHRONICLE).