THE TROUBLE AT CANDLESTICK POINT

Edward Debartolo Jr., the heir to a shopping-center fortune who built his own dynasty with the San Francisco 49ers, has never been the sort of mogul to pride himself on wearing tattered flannel or flying coach. A man with a taste for brandy at $180 a shot, DeBartolo, 51, is known for sparing no cost when it comes to getting exactly what he wants. How to turn a losing team into one of the winningest in the NFL? Recruit the best players, whatever the price. How to secure their devotion to the team? Lavish them with trips to Hawaii, $10,000 diamond...

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