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