Santa Clara got swept up in the NFL’s domestic violence controversy after city leaders were called out for watering down a resolution that would have taken a shot at their new business partners—the 49ers.

Last month Fly delved into the litigious world of John Mlnarik, a local attorney and former candidate for a seat on the Santa Clara City Council. Mlnarik had open lawsuits against three four separate parties connected to his abysmal 2012 campaign, and an interesting countersuit coming back his way. Elena Rivkin Franz, a former employee of Mlnarik’s, accused him of using staff and resources from his law firm—The Mlnarik Law Group—to assist his campaign under the table. Fly did a little digging and found that the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has had an open investigation since September into the campaign of Mlnarik, who is currently the president-elect of the Santa Clara County Bar Association.

Since his unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Santa Clara City Council last year, attorney John Mlnarik has been on the legal warpath. To date, Mlnarik has sued: a couple whose diminutive dog allegedly nipped him on the hand while he was campaigning; blogger and political operative James Rowen for defamation; and a former employee, attorney Elena Rivkin Franz, who supposedly misused company resources to start her own firm and steal clients. The last two targets on that list are fighting back, however, and the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC)—the state political watchdog—could have an interest in their allegations.

Santa Clara Plays Fair has long been considered one of the South Bay’s preeminent NIMBY groups. Most sports economists consider the new 49ers football stadium in Santa Clara—set for completion in 2014—to be an excellent example of how private-public partnerships can create economic development while the city only puts some temporary skin in the game. Santa Clara Plays Fair disagrees, and the NIMBYs, ever allergic to planning and progress, appear unwilling to go gently into that good night. In what was probably intended to be a satirical cartoon posted on the group’s Facebook page, artist Eugenio Negro asks three rhetorical questions about the new stadium, each getting edgier until the third joke falls off the cliff.

Here it comes. The biggest, baddest sports spectacular in the United States of America. Super Bowl L—that is L as in roman numeral 50; and “L” as in “L”ove it—will be an unofficial national holiday. This is an extravaganza and event so special that it dwarfs all other sporting events. And to think it all started with one man’s vision, a letter and a personal visit.

Rich Robinson looks back the good, the bad and the ugly of Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans. While the game didn’t go as hoped for San Francisco 49ers fans, the ambience and the food didn’t disappoint. But one local historical attraction glazes over the most shameful period in our nation’s history.

Rich Robinson examines the organizational structure and attitude of his beloved San Francisco 49ers, just days before they take on the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. Robinson will be in New Orleans for the game.

It saddens many tree huggers that the once heralded California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is being so abused by NIMBY groups that simple justice, common sense and economic progress demands its reform.

Tucked away on the 5th floor of the Tech Mart building in Santa Clara are some business offices of the San Francisco 49ers. Season ticket holders are being invited to come to the location, sit in a mock stadium suite and are offered a chance to purchase a lifetime Personal Seat License to the new stadium. While some may grumble at the new business model being adopted around the National Football League, the opportunity presented by the 49ers is well worth the price of admission. The Raiders PSL debacle was predicated on the license being good for only 10 years; this is a lifetime purchase with the right to sell and transfer—a much better deal.

The San Francisco 49ers’ season notwithstanding, anything less than a Super Bowl victory is a failure. It’s old fashion, but making the playoffs is not success. Maybe it’s because of my own chosen profession, but coming in second is not a successful outcome. My clients don’t pay me to come in second.

Patricia Mahan, Santa Clara’s vice mayor after serving as mayor from 2002 through 2010, says she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. While it is unclear if Mahan’s condition will require leave from her position, she reportedly is expected to fully recover with proper treatment.

Yes on Measure J: Bring the Super Bowl, etc., to Santa Clara. Yes on all the school bond measures, with one caveat. Yes on Measure K: A safe and sane sin tax.

Welcome to the City of Santa Clara where “Yes” means No, and “No” means yes.  That is, when it comes to the Measure J Campaign, the drive to build a football stadium for the 49ers. A posting on the website, Save Santa Clara.com, indicated that supporters of Measure J had gone to the trouble of registering several different domain names that might have been useful to the opposition.  Apparently, it’s true.