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The BulleTin • Thursday, June 3, 2021 A7 OLYMPICS DEAR ABBY Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Dear Abby: My husband and I have been together 23 years. A few years ago, he told a friend of his he wasn’t in love with or attracted to me. I’m the same 5-foot-6-inch, 135-pound woman he mar- ried. Recently, he has become increasingly short-tempered. He gets angry at every driver on the road, he de- stroyed the vacuum when it stopped working and recently went after our 10-pound res- cue dog for peeing when he yelled at him. I intervened when he started screaming that he would kill the dog. He then turned on me, yelling and breaking things. I’ve never seen him this an- gry, and I am afraid it’s esca- lating and he will physically harm the dog or me. Is it time to leave? — Fearful in Texas Dear Fearful: What you are describing is not normal behavior. Contact your doc- tor about the drastic change in your husband’s personality because it could be symptom- atic of a serious illness. After that, the next time he presents a physical danger, call the po- lice and ensure your safety by leaving. And if you do, take your rescue dog with you. Dear Abby: I am about to start my new college expe- rience, but I have a few con- cerns. I’m very picky, and I enjoy my alone time. I like to keep my space clean and tidy, and I’m afraid my room- mate(s) will be slobs and I’ll end up cleaning up after them. I also need alone time so I can focus on myself to re- coup after a long day. When I’m here at home I will usually do that in my bedroom. But if I have roommates, that will be difficult to do. I guess I’m ask- ing how to find a happy me- dium so my roommates and I can be at peace at all times. — Wants to Prepare Dear Wants: I will assume there are more than one — which may place you in the minority. Be open and honest with them about your desires. They may not be as particular as you are, but it will provide you the opportunity to live with different kinds of peo- ple. As to the peace and quiet you crave, if adapting to each other’s schedules isn’t possi- ble, consider heading to the library. I wish you luck. Dear Abby: I am retired, so I have free time on my hands. Recently, while doing a favor for a neighbor couple, I was standing on their porch when a board broke and one of my legs went through up to my thigh. They expressed con- cern at the time, and I told them I thought I was OK. The next day, my knee and upper thigh were swollen and bruised. My leg is im- proving each day, and for that I’m thankful. This happened more than two weeks ago, and I have not gotten a phone call or anything else from these neighbors. Have people really gotten that insensitive, or am I making a big deal out of nothing? — Old School in Georgia Dear Old School: No, you are not making a big deal out of nothing. And yes, some people have become that in- sensitive. The reason for your neighbors’ silence may be lack of empathy, or it could be fear of a lawsuit. Or they may have thought it was unnecessary to check further because you said you were OK. YOUR HOROSCOPE By Georgia Nicols Stars show the kind of day you’ll have DYNAMIC | POSITIVE | AVERAGE | SO-SO | DIFFICULT MOON ALERT: Avoid shopping or important decisions from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. PDT. After that, the Moon moves from Pisces into Aries. HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2021: You are multitalented and clever. You are also charming, easygoing and friendly. Because you’re very perceptive, you’re an excellent communicator. This year you face a major change, which is why it will be wise to develop and exercise self-discipline so you avoid wild, impulsive decisions. The motivation for this change will be a desire for more freedom. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Tokyo Games ‘a go’ despite opposition, pandemic BY STEPHEN WADE Associated Press TOKYO — Will the postponed Tokyo Olympics open despite rising opposition and the pandemic? The answer is almost certainly “yes.” Senior International Olympic Commit- tee member Richard Pound was emphatic in an interview with a British newspaper. “Barring Armageddon that we can’t see or anticipate, these things are a go,” Pound told the Evening Standard. Tokyo is under a COVID-19 state of emergency, but IOC Vice President John Coates has said the games will open on July 23 — state of emergency, or no state of emergency. As an exclamation point, Australia’s soft- ball team — the first major group of ath- letes from abroad to set up an Olympic base in Japan — arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday. So the Olympics are barreling ahead. But why? Start with billions of dollars at stake, a contract that overwhelmingly favors the IOC, and a decision by the Japanese gov- ernment to stay the course, which might help Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga keep his job. These factors have overridden scathing criticism from medical bodies that fear the Olympics may spread COVID-19 vari- ants, and a call for cancellation from Asahi Shimbun, a games’ sponsor and the coun- try’s second-largest selling newspaper. The United States Department of State has is- sued a Level-4 “Do not travel” warning for Japan with Tokyo and other areas under a state of emergency that expires on June 20. And there’s saving face. Japan has offi- cially spent $15.4 billion on the Olympics, but several government audits suggest it’s much more. All but $6.7 billion is public money. Geopolitical rival China is to hold the 2022 Winter Olympics just six months after Tokyo ends, and could claim center- stage should Tokyo fail. A not-for-profit based in Switzerland, the IOC has ironclad control under terms of the so-called Host City Contract, and it’s unlikely to cancel on its own since it would lose billions in broadcast rights and spon- sorship income. Though it portrays itself as a sporting league of nations, the IOC is a multi-billion dollar sports business that derives almost 75% of its income from selling broadcast rights. Another 18% comes from 15 top sponsors. Andrew Zimbalist, an economist at Smith College in Massachusetts who has written extensively about the Olympics, es- timates the IOC could lose about $3.5-$4 billion in broadcast revenue if the Tokyo Games were canceled. He suggested a small portion of this, between $400 million and $800 million, might be made up by cancel- lation insurance. U.S. broadcaster NBCUniversal is the IOC’s largest single source of income. “The IOC also feels a commitment by Shuji Kajiyama/AP A general view of National Stadium during an athletics test event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in May. IOC officials say the Tokyo Olympics will open on July 23 and almost nothing now can stop the games from going forward. the momentum of history to do this,” Zim- balist said in an interview with The Asso- ciated Press. “Their whole DNA is saying: ‘do it, do it, do it.’ The Japanese government really does not have the right to cancel the games. They can go to the IOC and plead with them, and maybe they are doing that.” The IOC’s lofty image belies myriad cor- ruption scandals in the last several decades. The president of the Japanese Olympic Committee was forced to resign two years ago — he was also an IOC member — in a scandal linked to bribing IOC members. A similar scandal surrounded Rio de Janeiro’s bid to land the 2016 Olympics.” The medical community has offered persistent but ineffective opposition. The 6,000-member Tokyo Medical Practi- tioners’ Association asked Prime Minister Suga to cancel. So did the Japan Doctors Union, whose chairman warned the Olym- pics could spread variants of the coronavi- rus. Nurses and other medical groups have also pushed back. Last week in a commentary, the New En- gland Journal of Medicine said the IOC’s decision to hold the Olympics was “not informed by the best scientific evidence.” And the The British Medical Journal in an editorial in April asked organizers to “re- consider” holding the games. An online petition demanding cancel- lation gathered about 400,000 signatures in a few weeks, but several street protests have mostly fizzled. Depending on how the question is phrased, 50-80% oppose the games opening. The IOC always references the World Health Organization as the shield for its coronavirus guidance. The IOC has pub- lished two editions of so-called Playbooks — the final edition is out this month — spelling out protocols for athletes and ev- eryone else during the Olympics. Recent test events held under the proto- cols have faced few problems, but athletes will have to accept strict rules. “I felt beyond safe,” American sprinter Justin Gatlin said at a test event last month in Tokyo. “I know a lot of athletes are not going to be happy with this but the mea- sures are in place to keep everyone safe.” Japan has had many fewer COVID-19 cases than the United States or Brazil or India. Cases have grown in the last several months but have begun to come down in the last few weeks, although worries persist about variants. Athletes and others must pass two COVID-19 tests before leaving home, another upon arrival in Japan, and then undergo repeated testing. About 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes, plus added staff, will live in a bubble at the Olympic Village, training sites, and venues. Tens of thousands of others will have to enter Japan, which has largely been sealed off during the pandemic: judges officials, media, broadcasters and the so-called Olympic Family. Fans from abroad have already been banned, and a decision on lo- cal fans is expected this month. The IOC says more that 80% of the resi- dents of the Olympic Village will be vacci- nated. This compares with 2-3% of the Jap- anese population that is fully vaccinated, and most Japanese will not be when the games open. The IOC says the Olympics must hap- pen this year or not at all. The delay has already cost $2.8 billion, and the main obstacle to another postponement is the Olympics Village, where thousands of apartments have already been sold with owners waiting to move in. Dozens of ven- ues would also have to be rebooked, and a jammed 2022 global sports schedule would have to be rejiggered again. This is an excellent day to teach or learn because you have the patience and focus to be very good at doing both. You also will enjoy making long-range plans for your future. You might contact a teacher from your past. Tonight: Entertain at home! TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Because you are in a serious frame of mind today, when shopping, you will buy practical, long-lasting items. Your focus is on money and financ- es today, which is a good thing, because you will be prudent and wise. You will likely impress a boss or parent. Tonight: Enjoy schmoozing! GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Because you have a natural sense of self-discipline today, choose work that requires focus, concentration and attention to detail. Furthermore, you will feel a strong sense of reward and satisfaction from doing whatever you do. (“Well done!”) Tonight: Finances are favored. CANCER (June 21-July 22) You are tenacious by nature, and today this tenacity plus a focused concentration will yield results, especially if you do any kind of research where you seek answers or solutions to old problems. You can expect results because your perseverance will pay off. Tonight: You are happy! LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) You might take a leadership role with others today, especially in a group. People might look to you because of your maturity or your practical point of view. However, you yourself might seek the advice of someone older or more experienced. Tonight: Privacy feels special. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You will impress people in authority today because you are consci- entious, practical and persevering. You exhibit all the qualities that someone wants to hire or employ. This is not a superficial facade — you actually own these qualities! Get busy! Tonight: Enjoy the of others. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) This is a marvelous day to study something, especially something that requires focus and attention to detail. You will not waiver. Furthermore, a teacher or someone older or more experienced might have something important to share with you. Make long-range travel plans. Tonight: Impress someone important. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today you will get a lot done with red-tape details that you might usually avoid because you have the self-discipline and patience to approach these matters. Furthermore, when dealing with finances, debt and banking issues, you won’t overlook details. Tonight: Romance with someone different. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Because you will derive great satisfaction from working hard today, you will impress others. They might be amazed by your self-denial. Or, possibly, you will attract someone like this to you today. If so, what a team! Tonight: A gift might come your way. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You will be extremely productive at work today because you are ready to work — it’s that simple. You have self-discipline, concentration and perseverance. You won’t give up until you finish the job, and you will get great personal satisfaction from your achievements. Tonight: Warm conver- sation with someone. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) If you have to teach or train children or young people today, you will be successful because people are willing to suffer for their achievements. They will be focused and give it their best shot. This is also a good day to practice or hone any skill in the performance arts or in sports. Tonight: Work is a pleasure. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) A conversation with a parent or an older family member will be productive today because someone wants to lend you the benefit of their experience. This is also a good day to make long-range plans about improv- ing where you live and getting organized. Tonight: Romance and fun! Blazers Continued from A5 I talked with LeGarie a num- ber of times over the years and I was left marveling at the way he infiltrated and deftly navi- gated the organization. Remember when Penn got fired out of the blue? LeGarie told me that day, “They just did a drive-by.” Allen was furious when he read it. But eventually, Kolde moved to help repair the rela- tionship and they moved past it. What ensued two years later was the hiring of Olshey, and then, Stotts. Today, I’m left hop- ing that Allen’s old friend sees what the rest of us do, too. This operation is spinning in a circle, headed nowhere meaningful unless there’s an intervention. I wrote a column at the be- ginning of this playoff series wondering who the franchise caretaker is anymore. Allen is gone. His sister, Jody, tech- nically has control. But she’s knee-deep in probate and a pile of her brother’s business affairs. It can’t be her, really. Chris Mc- Abel Continued from A5 But even with those blem- ishes on his 2021 resume, there is still nobody else the Bea- vers would rather have on the mound this Friday. “Kevin has been there and done that,” Oregon State catcher Troy Claunch said. “There’s gonna be no sur- prises for him. The moment is not gonna be too big when he steps on that mound. He’s gonna have that cool, calm, collected look he’s always had. I think our younger guys are just gonna feed off of it.” If his most recent start was any indicator, Abel may be Gowan is busy running the business side. Not him. Not Olshey, either. He’s got a nau- seating conflict of interest. Put Olshey in charge and his first order would be to give himself a lifetime job guarantee. So it’s Bert Kolde. He’s the caretaker right now. I couldn’t tell through the mask on Tuesday night, but I have to think Kolde is as frus- trated as Blazers fans today. In part, because after the death of Allen, Kolde ends up the most influential fan this organiza- tion has on its side. It doesn’t make sense that Stotts alone is being dangled as the sacrifice for the franchise sins. Olshey engineered the roster. It’s on him more than anyone. I still have the Blazers win- ning this series in seven games. Not because the roster is loaded, but because the Nug- gets are playing shorthanded and Lillard is extremely tal- ented. But I fear a series victory might result in a bunch of back slaps, false hope, and a fran- chise left mired in stale basket- ball operations philosophy. Time to throw a blank check at Sam Presti. Or hire Danny Ainge. He’s free. But what doesn’t work is sticking with Olshey’s tired act for Lillard’s final few seasons. It was entertaining to watch Lillard make circus threes and keep the Blazers in Game 5. It’s understandable that fans would be frustrated with the supporting cast. It didn’t do much down the stretch. But I don’t blame Lillard’s co-work- ers as much as I do the boss who hired them. rounding into form at the per- fect time. At Stanford last Friday, Abel tossed a complete game and surrendered just one run to the No. 9 Cardinal while holding them to four hits. He struck out seven and walked just three, and the lone run that he allowed came via a solo homer by Brock Jones, one of the best hitters in the Pac-12. Abel’s regular season finale ended in a loss — he was out- dueled by Stanford ace Bren- dan Beck, who became the first Pac-12 pitcher to throw a shutout this season. But the result was still en- couraging. It was Abel’s longest outing of the season, and he needed just 106 pitches to get through the evening. “I think we finished on a great note to end the regular season,” Abel said. “Pitched it pretty well this weekend and then the bats turned on on Sunday. It showed that we’ve got a lot of depth. We can run it for a three-game set, or four, if we need to. We have that kind of depth.” The postseason experience that Abel — as well as other Oregon State veterans — car- ries could be a major factor for the Beavers this weekend. Jake Mulholland was the closer on the 2018 World Series team, and Andy Armstrong and Claunch both played pivotal backup roles on that team. “Having the older guys is very valuable,” Canham said. “Having been down that road before. Sometimes when you go into a new environment and you haven’t experienced that situation, the postseason. The game can get sped up on some guys. It’s literally at the point where if you win you stay, if you lose, you go home. … It’s postseason time and everyone is fully charged. It doesn’t matter how your legs are feeling or how your arms are feeling, you’re gonna go out there and give everything you possibly have.” Blazers granted fan attendance increase for Game 6 on Thursday night in Portland The Portland Trail Blazers have been granted an increase in atten- dance to 10,000 fans for Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. The Blazers had sellout crowds of 8,050 for both Games 3 and 4 last week at the Moda Center. “I think it’s significant beyond the fact that it will help us,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “I think big picture, the fact that we’re getting back to some normalcy and playing in front of crowds and having people in the arena is important. So, the more the better. Obviously, they’ll help us. We’ve got great fans.” Portland trails the series 3-2 after losing Tuesday night at Denver, 147-140 in double overtime. The Blazers, who were not permitted to have fans in attendance until the final four regular-season home games because of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been working with the Oregon Health Au- thority to increase capacity. Increases will take place in both the vaccinated sections and the physically distanced sections. Game 6 is set for 5 p.m. Thursday (TV on NBC Sports Northwest and TNT). — The Oregonian
