Marcos Breton

The Super Bowl was a bitter experience for me in ways having nothing to do with the absence of the 49ers.

With momentum building to secure a downtown arena with the Kings as anchor tenants, Sacramento needs to know:

It's not commonly known that downtown Sacramento, one of the most liberal spots in California, is the home of national opposition to same-sex marriage.

All of us benefited from the work and toil of Luis Martinez, until the day they called the cops on him and he found himself in a New Mexico jail facing deportation.

Two politicians who were once great allies of Mayor Kevin Johnson – and later became two of his biggest foes – are the same two now stepping aside after years of political discord and personal animus for KJ.

It caused the 49ers to fall short of a cherished goal of playing in the Super Bowl. It dashed the hopes of a capacity crowd at Candlestick Park on Sunday, as the 49ers lost 20-17 in a breathless, rain-soaked overtime thriller to the New York Giants in the NFC title game.

Like the rest of Northern California, the Sacramento region will be riveted by the 49ers today.

Sometimes it takes an out-of-towner to help you see your city more clearly.

Arrests of youth coaches, educators, pastors and priests on suspicion of molesting children are not an epidemic in Sacramento.

The exhilarating resurgence of the 49ers stands in stark contrast to the fragile state of the Kings, a difference in fortunes that is wider than the 90 miles between the two cities.

All week, Sacramento was captivated by the firing of Kings coach Paul Westphal and the rabid speculation over whether Keith Smart was the right replacement to snap the purple lads into shape.

It's hard to know what kind of team the Kings are going to be on the court this season. But off the court, in matters far more important than basketball, the Kings have played with honor and compassion.

The criminal case of a Sacramento diocesan priest accused of sexual molestation is evolving into a morality play where faith and justice will do battle and nobody will win.

It's within reach: a downtown arena for Sacramento; a new home to secure the future of the Kings here; a change in a recession-wracked city that has torn down services rather than build up amenities.

It's about impossible to question homeless advocacy in Sacramento without being branded as anti-homeless, but here it goes:

The man protesting from a tree in downtown Sacramento came down from his perch and was promptly arrested.

You know what is likely to happen at UC Davis after worldwide sound and fury was caused by bumbling university cops shooting brat students with pepper spray? Not much.

It wasn't just any priest who turned himself in to Sacramento police last week on multiple counts of allegedly molesting a young girl.

According to multiple sources familiar with the details, the city of Sacramento may be able to tap as much as $200 million, or slightly more, in parking revenue to fund a downtown arena to house the Kings.

Stories of coaches caring for their players are met with cynicism in the age of Joe Paterno, but some coaches still care – even for players who broke their hearts.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi showed courage when she apologized for the actions of her campus police before a massive crowd of students calling for her dismissal.

If Mayor Kevin Johnson had succeeded in changing the rules to give him power above all others at City Hall, he would have unparalleled control over the effort to build a new downtown arena to save the Kings.

I'd like to think that Occupy Wall Street has not exploded in Sacramento as in other cities because there are stronger community connections here to defuse potential violence in gathering places such as the park across from City Hall.