The BulleTin • Thursday, april 21, 2022 A7
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: I am an old
man, married to a wonder-
ful woman who does every-
thing for me. I’m in poor
health and don’t expect to
live much longer. My wife
is a youthful 80. She’s trim,
pretty, active, hardworking,
loving and sexy. She enjoys
skiing, fishing, gardening,
board games, puzzles etc.
She is the most organized
person I have ever known.
She likes to cook and enter-
tain and is excellent at both.
Although she has quite a
few friends — widowed and
otherwise — we don’t know
any men who would be ac-
ceptable as a future mate af-
ter I’m gone.
She’s financially indepen-
dent and meticulous about
keeping track of expenses.
Neither of us is formally re-
ligious.
To be blunt, I can’t imag-
ine a better wife for some-
one special. I would like us
to meet a man, probably
in his 70s, preferably wid-
owed, physically active, ro-
mantically inclined, ener-
getic, capable with tools and
household projects, not ad-
dicted to drugs or alcohol,
financially independent and
preferably politically con-
servative who would be a
potential mate for her after I
am gone.
We have discussed this to
a limited extent, but she has
expressed little interest in the
subject.
I can’t imagine she won’t
experience a renaissance
after this albatross is off of
her neck. She has more than
earned it. If you have any
suggestions, I would appreci-
ate them.
— Thankful In Washington
Dear Thankful: You are
clearly a caring and protec-
tive husband who is deeply
in love with and concerned
for his wife. However, as
much as you would like to
screen the applicants to fill
the vacancy that your death
would create, there are some
things a person must do for
themself.
When you pass on, your
wife may not feel ready to
move on according to your
timetable. Please let her
make this decision for her-
self when the time is right.
P.S. I am sorry you are
not in better health, because
it seems you and your wife
have a strong and loving re-
lationship that will not be
easy to replace.
Dear Abby: My grandson
is in a relationship with a girl
who manipulates him and
abuses him emotionally. I
told my grandson what she
is doing, but he doesn’t see it.
Because of that, neither one
of them is speaking to me.
My grandson was a caring,
happy person until he met
her. Now he’s withdrawn. He
is working, but she is not.
They are struggling to make
a life for themselves.
When I ask how he’s do-
ing, he just says OK and
nothing more. Is there any-
thing I can do to make him
see what she is doing to
him?
— It’s Obvious in Iowa
Dear Obvious: No. You
have done everything you
can by trying to enlighten
your grandson, who, it ap-
pears, “love” has blinded.
Now it’s time for you to ac-
cept that nothing will change
until he wakes up and smells
the coffee.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Georgia Nicols
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
dynaMiC | pOsiTiVe | aVeraGe | sO-sO | diFFiCulT
MOON ALERT: There are no restrictions to shopping or important deci-
sions today. The Moon is in Capricorn.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022: you
push yourself hard, and in doing so, you inspire others to achieve their goals.
despite your strong work ethic, you are playful and enjoy having a good
time. This is a year of construction and building. This might apply in an ex-
ternal way or to internal structures that you want to introduce into your life.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Today professional and business concerns are your focus. in addition,
for some reason your most intimate and personal life might be on public
display. like, what’s with that? perhaps it’s a public argument. (it’s hard
to keep your shirt on when you need to get something off your chest.)
Tonight: patience.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Today you need to get outta dodge. you want to be free of your
daily routine and do something different for some fun stimulation. Travel
would be an obvious choice. enjoy meeting new friends, especially people
who are different. Tonight: Good times.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Today your emotional experiences will be more intense. Or possi-
bly, you will attract someone to you who is very intense. (“hi, darth.”) you
might be envious of something that someone else owns, because you’re
focused on the wealth of others. it happens to us all. Tonight: stay calm.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Today the Moon is opposite your sign, which will draw your attention
to your most personal relationships. Because of the placement of the Moon,
conflicts will be more emotional. Guard against knee-jerk reactions when
talking to others. Tonight: stay chill.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Today you might have to put your own considerations second to
the wants and needs of someone else. don’t worry; you’re not being a mar-
tyr, it’s just what’s happening. nevertheless, you will be productive, and this
will give you a sense of reward and satisfaction. Tonight: Get organized.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Today the Moon is in your fellow earth sign, which balances your
energy and gives you a warm feeling in your tummy. This is why you will
project yourself more than usual when dealing with others. you also might
feel more protective and nurturing to children. Tonight: socialize.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Grab every chance to slip away to your own private place today so
that you can enjoy solitude in beautiful surroundings — preferably with
good food and drink. (One needs sustenance.) it might occur to you today
just how much your habits control your life. Tonight: relax.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
you have a strong desire to talk to others today and tell them
your ideas and share your opinions. you might even want to teach some-
body something. Certainly, you want conversations to be real, which is why
you will avoid superficial chitchat. Tonight: listen.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
it’s easy to identify with your possessions today. you might feel a
strong attachment to something that you own. Certainly, you don’t want to
lend something to someone. you also might find yourself having to defend
yourself about something, perhaps your values, to someone else. Tonight:
enjoy peace.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Today the Moon is in your sign, which can bring you a tiny bit of
extra good luck. it also increases your need to relate to friends and loved
ones, which is why you will be warm and sympathetic to others. you will be
there if someone needs you. Tonight: you win!
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Today you will be happiest working alone or behind the scenes,
because you need some time by yourself. nevertheless, don’t hesitate to
communicate your deep feelings to someone who is willing to listen. We
all need to be heard. (is it time to send out for dark chocolate?) Tonight:
enjoy solitude.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
your emotional contact with a friend or a member of a group will
be highlighted today. in part, this could be because you feel more pro-
tective and supportive about someone. your strong connection with this
person is important to you, which is why you might feel jealous if they pay
attention to someone else. Tonight: stay mellow.
TODAY
IN HISTORY
By The Associated Press
Today is Thursday, april 21, the
111th day of 2022. There are 254
days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
in 1975, with Communist forces
closing in, south Vietnamese pres-
ident nguyen Van Thieu resigned
after nearly 10 years in office and
fled the country.
in 1649, the Maryland Toleration
act, providing for freedom of wor-
ship for all Christians, was passed
by the Maryland assembly.
in 1836, an army of Texans led by
sam houston defeated the Mexi-
cans at san Jacinto, assuring Texas
independence.
in 1910, author samuel lang-
horne Clemens, better known as
Mark Twain, died in redding, Con-
necticut, at age 74.
in 1926, Britain’s Queen elizabeth
ii was born in Mayfair, london;
she was the first child of The duke
and duchess of york, who later
became King George Vi and the
Queen Mother.
in 1930, fire broke out inside the
overcrowded Ohio penitentiary in
Columbus, killing 332 inmates.
in 1976, clinical trials of the swine
flu vaccine began in Washing-
ton, d.C.
in 1980, rosie ruiz was the first
woman to cross the finish line at
the Boston Marathon; however,
she was later exposed as a fraud.
in 1998, astronomers announced
in Washington that they had dis-
covered possible signs of a new
family of planets orbiting a star
220 light-years away, the clearest
evidence to date of worlds form-
ing beyond our solar system.
in 2015, an egyptian criminal
court sentenced ousted islamist
president Mohammed Morsi to
20 years in prison over the killing
of protesters in 2012. (Morsi col-
lapsed and died during trial on es-
pionage charges in June 2019.)
in 2016, prince, one of the most
inventive and influential musi-
cians of modern times, was found
dead at his home in suburban
Minneapolis; he was 57.
in 2018, Barbara Bush was re-
membered as the “first lady of
the Greatest Generation” during
a funeral in houston attended by
four former u.s. presidents and
hundreds of others. actor Verne
Troyer, best known for his role as
“Mini-Me” in the “austin powers”
movies, died in los angeles at the
age of 49.
in 2020, researchers reported
that a malaria drug that had been
widely touted by president donald
Trump for treating the coronavirus
showed no benefit in large study
of its use in u.s. veterans hospitals.
Ten years ago: Charles W.
“Chuck” Colson, 80, described
as the “evil genius” of the nixon
administration, died in northern
Virginia. phil humber threw the
first perfect game in the majors
in almost two years, leading the
Chicago White sox to a 4-0 victory
over the seattle Mariners.
Five years ago: a san Francisco
power outage blamed on the fail-
ure of a circuit breaker that sparked
a fire at a power substation
stranded people in elevators and
left tens of thousands in the dark.
One year ago: a Black man, an-
drew Brown Jr., was shot and
killed by sheriff’s deputies in north
Carolina while they were serving
drug-related warrants at his home
in elizabeth City. (a prosecutor
cleared the deputies, saying they
were justified because Brown had
struck a deputy with his car while
ignoring commands to show his
hands and get out of the vehicle.)
president Joe Biden announced
new employer tax credits to en-
courage people who were reluc-
tant to be inoculated to get the
COVid-19 vaccine. an indonesian
submarine with 53 crew members
aboard disappeared after its last
reported dive off the resort island
of Bali; officials later concluded
that the sub sank and broke apart,
killing all those on board.
Today’s Birthdays: Britain’s
Queen elizabeth ii is 96. actor-co-
median-writer elaine May is 90.
anti-death penalty activist sister
helen prejean is 83. singer-mu-
sician iggy pop is 75. actor patti
lupone is 73. actor Tony danza is
71. actor James Morrison is 68. ac-
tor andie Macdowell is 64. rock
singer robert smith (The Cure) is
63. rock musician Michael Tim-
mins (Cowboy Junkies) is 63. ac-
tor-director John Cameron Mitch-
ell is 59. rapper Michael Franti is
56. actor leslie silva is 54. actor
Toby stephens is 53. rock sing-
er-musician Glen hansard (The
Frames) is 52. actor rob riggle is
52. Comedian nicole sullivan is 52.
Football player-turned-actor Brian
White is 47. Olympic gold medal
pairs figure skater Jamie sale is
45. rock musician dave Brenner
(Theory of a deadman) is 44. ac-
tor James Mcavoy is 43. Former
nFl quarterback Tony romo is 42.
actor Terrence J is 40. actor Gugu
Mbatha-raw is 39. actor Chris-
toph sanders is 34. actor Frank
dillane is 31. rock singer sydney
sierota (echosmith) is 25.
NFL
Most teams welcomed combine’s
comeback but some snubbed it
BY ARNIE STAPLETON
ap pro Football Writer
INDIANAPOLIS — Com-
parison shopping and face-to-
face contact with college pros-
pects returned to the NFL this
year after the 2021 scouting
combine was scuttled by the
pandemic.
Talent evaluators welcomed
back college pro days and
private workouts even as the
COVID-19 broadside entered
its third year. The core of the
league’s back-to-normal blue-
print was the return of the
NFL scouting combine to Lu-
cas Oil Field in Indianapolis.
No more relying solely on
virtual visits like last year.
“The Zoom meetings we
have with players or with re-
porters or anybody else, the
engagement just isn’t the same
as being here,” declared Jaguars
general manager Trent Baalke,
who again owns the top pick in
the NFL draft.
Browns coach Kevin Ste-
fanski said that while teams
have fused Zoom calls and
FaceTime interviews into the
spring evaluation process, “I
like seeing players up close and
personal, sitting down with
them and watching tape with
them.”
Yet, not all head coaches
embraced the combine’s come-
back.
Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan
and Robert Saleh all skipped
this year’s event in which 324
players showed off some com-
bination of their athleticism,
fitness, skill, speed, quickness,
strength and savvy for scouts,
coaches and general managers
in attendance.
“I think it’s still valuable
from the standpoint of watch-
ing these guys all move around
on the field together,” said NFL
Network analyst and former
pro scout Daniel Jeremiah,
who calls the scouting com-
bine the ultimate cluster-buster
when it comes to teams setting
their draft boards.
Say you have four corner-
backs with the same grade in
your third-round stack, Jer-
emiah said, “and they’re out
there on the same field at the
same time doing the same
drills. It really helps to be able
to separate and evaluate those
guys.”
That could prove pivotal this
year with a pool of prospects
much deeper than last year’s.
Wade payne/ap file
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan answers questions after a
game against the Tennessee Titans last season in Nashville, Tennessee.
Shanahan was among the head coaches who skipped the combine.
“This year especially, the
difference between the 15th
player and the 60th player in
the draft is very small, and
teams are going to have those
guys in all different orders,”
Jeremiah said.
Hitting on draft picks has al-
ways been a harbinger of suc-
cess, although the Rams just
won the Super Bowl with a
roster built through trades and
free agency.
The Rams don’t have a se-
lection until the third round
because they traded their first-
round pick to Detroit for Mat-
thew Stafford and their second
to Denver for Von Miller. So,
GM Les Snead, who famously
wore a T-shirt at the cham-
pionship parade mocking
his team’s lack of draft picks,
joined McVay in skipping out
on the combine.
San Francisco GM John
Lynch, whose first pick is the
29th selection of Round 2,
said Shanahan and his staff
snubbed the combine so they
could integrate new assistants
in Santa Clara while evaluating
prospects with their personnel
department and scouts in In-
dianapolis.
“Kyle and I talked and we
felt like his time and his staff’s
time were best spent there,”
Lynch said. “The great thing
about what we’ve learned over
the last couple of years is when
we’re interviewing players,
those respective coaches and
coordinators and Kyle will get
on the Zooms. And so even
though they aren’t here, they
are here.”
Virtually.
Saleh and his staff coached
in the Senior Bowl. Combined
with the new primetime work-
outs creating more downtime
for a lot of position coaches
during the day, Saleh figured
the Jets were better served
staying in Florham Park.
Saleh scoffed at the notion
that the Jets missed out by not
being in the room with pros-
pects during their interviews.
“If you’re going into the
combine thinking a 20-min-
ute interview is going to make
or break whether or not you’re
going to give a young man
millions and millions of dol-
lars, shame on you,” Saleh said.
“We still have pro days. We still
have private workouts. We still
have our 30 visits. We still have
so many more conversations,
phone conversations, Zooms.”
Chargers GM Tom Telesco
said the 20-minute in-person
interviews with players are
“less valuable than if you had
a guy on a Zoom for an ex-
tended amount of time. It is
only 18-20 minutes here, you
can’t figure a lot out in that
time and you can’t get a feel for
a player in that time.”
Others disagree.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta is
among those who insist there’s
no substitute for the in-person
interaction at the combine for
those making the call when
their team is on the clock.
“I think the access to the
players is critical … to get a
chance to assess things like
growth, mindset, motivation,
ability to overcome adversity,
resiliency,” DeCosta said.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni
said it was important for him
to attend the combine because
“I just value this time to be able
to look the player in the eye.”
Wimbledon
Continued from A5
“In the circumstances of
such unjustified and unprece-
dented military aggression, it
would be unacceptable for the
Russian regime to derive any
benefits from the involvement
of Russian or Belarusian play-
ers with The Championships.”
Russian athletes have been
prevented from competing in
many sports following their
country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Belarus has aided Russia in the
war.
Soccer, figure skating and
track and field all banned Rus-
sian and Belarusian athletes
and teams from their events
because of the war. The Rus-
sian men’s national soccer team
was excluded from last month’s
World Cup qualifying playoffs,
forcing them to miss a chance
to reach this year’s tournament
in Qatar.
Wednesday’s move signals
the first time a tennis tourna-
ment has told players from
Russia and Belarus they are
not welcome — and the ATP
was quick to criticize the All
England Club for what the
men’s tennis tour called a “uni-
lateral decision” and “unfair.”
“Our sport is proud to oper-
ate on the fundamental prin-
ciples of merit and fairness,
where players compete as in-
dividuals to earn their place in
tournaments,” the ATP said in
a statement, adding that the de-
cision “has the potential to set
a damaging precedent for the
game.”
The seven groups that run
the sport around the world
decided March 1 that players
from those countries would be
allowed to compete in WTA,
ATP and Grand Slam tourna-
Kirsty Wigglesworth/ap file
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during Wimbledon in 2021.
ments but not under the name
or flag of Russia or Belarus.
Those two nations also were
kicked out of the Billie Jean
King Cup and Davis Cup team
competitions; Russia had been
the reigning champion in both.
The French Open, which
starts on May 22, will be the
first Grand Slam tournament
held since Russia invaded
Ukraine in February and is ex-
pected to permit Russian and
Belarusian players to compete
— just as so-called “neutral”
athletes who may not represent
their countries.
The U.S. Tennis Association,
which runs the U.S. Open, said
Wednesday it has not made a
decision about whether players
from Russia and Belarus can
compete at the year’s last Grand
Slam tournament, which be-
gins on Aug. 29.
The All England Club said
that if “circumstances change
materially between now and
June,” it would “respond ac-
cordingly.”
“We recognize that this is
hard on the individuals af-
fected, and it is with sadness
that they will suffer for the ac-
tions of the leaders of the Rus-
sian regime,” All England Club
chairman Ian Hewitt said.
“We have very carefully
considered the alternative
measures that might be taken
within the UK government
guidance but, given the high
profile environment of The
Championships, the impor-
tance of not allowing sport to
be used to promote the Rus-
sian regime and our broader
concerns for public and player
(including family) safety, we do
not believe it is viable to pro-
ceed on any other basis at The
Championships.”
Some current and former
tennis players from Ukraine
— including two-time Grand
Slam semifinalist Elina Svito-
lina and the recently retired
Sergiy Stakhovsky — put up
a statement on Twitter on
Wednesday that called on the
WTA, ATP and International
Tennis Federation to ask play-
ers representing Russia and Be-
larus whether they support the
invasion of Ukraine.
“In times of crisis, silence
means agreeing with what is
happening,” the posts said. “We
noticed that some Russian and
Belarusian players at some
point vaguely mentioned the
war, but never clearly stating
that Russia and Belarus started
it on the territory of Ukraine.”