Privacy becomes an issue after woman discovers her fiance’s affair
Bucs hope to keep core together to chase another Super Bowl ♦ Quarterback Tom Brady’s coming back
Dear Abby: Because my fiance and I had bad experiences in the past, we settled on just living together for the last 17 years. He has been like a husband to me. Recently, however, I caught him in an online affair.
I checked his phone one day out of the blue — something I have never done. The emails were daily, back and forth, with only one mentioning a sexual encounter at the beginning. He confessed that he had made a big mistake once and refused to see her again in person but had kept up the correspondence. He begged me to forgive him and I agreed.
Now we argue about his phone. He still expects the same privacy with it. I don’t feel comfortable with that now. Does he still deserve the same privacy?
— Hung Up In Ohio
JEANNE PHILLIPS
DEAR ABBY
Dear Hung Up: No, he does not. What he deserves is the chance to rebuild your trust, and that involves accountability on his part.
After 17 years together, both of you have a large emotional investment in this relationship. Because of that, it might be beneficial to schedule some sessions with a licensed relationship counselor.
Dear Abby: I know sometimes you suggest people see a doctor. What do you do if you are terrified of doctors? I have asthma and consult my doctor via a computer, but some doctors can’t. I have horrible panic attacks and anxiety. Then my asthma kicks in, I can’t breathe, and I cry uncontrollably. I don’t want to take medications.
My family insists I should just get over it, but because of many horrible experiences at doctors’ offices, I just can’t. Your thoughts?
— Terrified To Go
There
Dear Terrified: Ask your doctor or your insurance company for a referral to a licensed psychologist who specializes in phobias and panic attacks. Many consult with patients online.
TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady’s coming back. So is Bruce Arians.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are already thinking about what it’ll take to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The challenge begins with trying to keep some key components together for next season.
Brady threw three touchdowns passes on the way to claiming a record seventh NFL title with a 31-9 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs — two to Rob Gronkowski and one to Antonio Brown, both of whom played on one-year deals after being lured to Tampa Bay by the 43-year-old quarterback.
Leonard Fournette ran for the team’s other TD. He, too, joined the Bucs on a one-year contract after Brady reached out to the talented running back after he was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars late in training camp.
If Brady, Arians and general manager Jason Licht have their way, Gronkowski, Brown and Fournette won’t wind up being one-season rentals.
The team is also interested in signing linebacker Shaquil Barrett and receiver Chris Godwin to long-term deals. Defensive starters Lavonte David, Jason Pierre-paul and Ndamukong Suh can become free agents, although there’s been no indication any is eager to leave.
“I’m very very confident,” Arians said Monday of keeping the bulk of the roster together for next season. “I have all the trust in the world in Jason and what he will do. There will be dollars involved, but I think this group is so so close that sometimes dollars don’t matter. But we’re going to do everything we can to get the dollars right, too.”
The Bucs likely have about $38 million in salary cap space, though the 2021 cap number has not been set yet.
Arians also expressed the belief that the Bucs, who rode Brady and a dynamic young defense on an impressive playoff surge that culminated with Tampa Bay becoming the first team to appear in a Super Bowl in its own stadium, can be even better next year.
He and Brady reiterated how difficult it was to navigate this season, the quarterback’s first in Tampa Bay after 20 years in New England, amid COVID-19 protocols that eliminated offseason workouts and preseason games.
“Hopefully we can keep the band together, have an offseason and actually know what we’re doing (entering next season),” Arians said. “I think the sky’s the limit for this group.”
Brady, who won his fifth Super Bowl MVP award, was asked Sunday night and again Monday where his first title with Tampa Bay ranks with the six he won with the Patriots. He said every season is different and poses different challenges, though he finally conceded there was something special about what the Bucs were able to accomplish playing through a pandemic.
“It’s great. That’s where I rank it. It’s been a great year, incredibly fun. I think in a unique way it was kind of like, with the coronavirus situation and all the protocols, it really was like football for junkies. There was not really a lot of other things to do other than show up to work and play football,” Brady said.