“To be honest, I think Messi is going to win this year because this kind of trophy, it depends on votes,” he said on ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show (via ESPNFC.com), set to air Saturday night. MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo photos | The brilliance of Lionel Messi “You win competitions, you win the Champions League, you win the league in terms of individual. I did probably the best season of my career, which is good, and I was the highest scorer in Europe, [but] it’s all about votes....

title: “Critic S Choice” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-17” author: “Catherine Driscoll”

Desert Blue Quirky, small-town teen-agers discover love under quarantine. A cast of up-and-comers can’t save this movie from the feeling that you’ve seen it all before. Y.C. (2 stars) Limbo John Sayles explores Alaska in a schizzy tale that starts as an epic and ends, alas, as a claustrophobic, stuck-on-an-island melodrama. D.A. (2 stars) MUSIC Sarah McLachlan, ‘Mirrorball’ (Arista) This live CD has the warmth and energy of a mini Lilith Fair....

The move was widely expected, according to the Associated Press, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pushed for the ban. He appeared by video at the start of the school board members’ meeting to urge them to approve the measure. “Some of this stuff is, I think, really toxic,” DeSantis said about critical race theory in the video. “I think it’s going to cause a lot of divisions. I think it’ll cause people to think of themselves more as a member of a particular race based on skin color rather than based on the content of their character and based on their hard work and what they’re trying to accomplish in life....

When you utilize terms like “white supremacy,” you continuously reemphasize the oppressor vs. the oppressed dichotomy of the critical race theory ideology. We have totally overused words, and we have watered down the definition of words, especially in this society. The reason I’m saying this is because I reject terms like white supremacy, I reject terms like white privilege because when you utilize these terms, you’re basically supporting the critical race theory argument of the oppressor and the oppressed....

In the marble-lined palace housing most of the U.S. Embassy staff on Tuesday, around a table with the coffee, bottled water and cookies offered at these briefings, it was unclear exactly why Crocker wanted to hold the briefing, which was scheduled a few days ago. He gave no opening statement before throwing it open to questions that he answered in characteristic modesty–noting when he had doubts or didn’t have answers....

The unnamed girl was a passenger on board the Carnival Fascination which had stopped in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Monday. Two locals, Kuntry Hamilton and Randolph Donovan, sprung into action when the girl in her wheelchair fell into the water off the West Indian Company Dock, according to the Virgin Islands Consortium. Donovan jumped into the water and held the girl up to put a floating tube around her, and then Hamilton leaped into the water to fasten a rope around them both....

Brian Morgenstern, the White House deputy press secretary, told The New York Times that the move was not motivated by politics. An anonymous source told The Times that Robert R. Redfield, MD, the director of the CDC, recommended that the no sail order be extended until February due to fears that cruise ships would become hot spots for the spread of COVID-19. In its no sail order, the CDC cites surveillance data linking cruise ships to the spread of COVID-19....

The four-time African Footballer of the Year, until recently, has been a huge influence in City’s midfield since he arrived at the Etihad Stadium from Barcelona in July 2010. Toure has enjoyed a trophy-laden career in his eight years stay with the Citizens with two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three English League Cup titles. Despite Toure’s limited playing time this season with just six league appearances so far, Cabaye extolled the Cote d’Ivoire international for his amazing qualities and the toughness he displayed years ago....

In the 12th inning of the Yankees-Cubs matchup on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball,” Schwarber showed some serious range and legs to get to this foul ball off the bat of Chase Headley. MORE: Cubs’ Epstein didn’t want to trade Schwarber to Yankees And now, in slow(er) motion. Schwarber seems to be getting used to left field after converting from catcher during his days in the Cubs’ minor league system. Those who think he belongs in the AL as a DH, well, they’re starting to be proven wrong....

Tebow took the opposite path, opting to play football (which probably was the wiser choice) instead of baseball. But now that his NFL career has been killed, Tebow is trying to start a baseball career at the relatively late age of 29. MORE: The most controversial players in MLB history The former Heisman-winning quarterback held a baseball workout for MLB teams. Szczur wasn’t in attendance, but he did watch it on TV, and provided some thoughts to the Chicago Tribune....

One fan was so excited he decided to take an extreme step and get a tattoo of the momentous occasion — across his head. Nope, that is not permanent marker. That is a real tattoo. Ricky Rainey decided he wanted something to cover his bald head to honor the Cubs and settled on the Wrigley Field marquee. “I wanted to make sure he understood it was a big commitment,” Chicago State Tattoo shop owner Ozzy Munoz told ESPN....

Particularly, as it was concerned to bathrooms. MORE: Cardinals beat Cubs on Opening Day | Theo Epstein downplays Cubs expectations | Player apologizes for comments about Wrigley Fans took to Twitter to express their frustration about long lines. It reportedly was also an issue at concession stands. Earlier in the week, people posted to Reddit about the sorry state of the Cubs’ home park. It culminated in what several people understood was not a grouping of stale, flat, warm beer....

Early Wednesday, umpires called the Cubs’ game against the Giants after 4 1/2 rain-delayed innings. The Giants then protested the umpires’ decision because they felt the Cubs’ grounds crew did not do an adequate job covering the field with the tarp , which led to a longer delay and poor playing conditions. Major League Baseball upheld the protest on Wednesday and ordered the game to resume at 5:05 p.m. ET Thursday....

Sanchez's hit came off Carlos Villanueva (0-2), ending the game just short of 1 a.m. ET and 6 minutes longer the Pirates' 8-7, 18-inning victory over Houston on May 27, 2006, that took 5:49. MORE: Replay review exposes potential for more umpiring headaches Villanueva also allowed Neil Walker's game-ending home run in the Pirates' 1-0 win Monday in the season opener. Both teams scored in the 12th inning as the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo hit a leadoff home run and the Pirates' Starling Marte had an RBI single with two outs off closer Jose Veras....

Costiga is one of a growing number of Westerners who have discovered the physical and spiritual benefits of this 3,000-year-old tradition. Qigong groups and resources are sprouting across the country, particularly on the West Coast and on the Internet, and more than half a dozen books on the practice will be published this year alone. Even Regis Philbin, of all people, sings its praises (while mispronouncing its name) on his daily TV talk show....

One of the most important aspects of diabetes management is education. In fact, the cornerstone of exceptional diabetes care is diabetes self-management education (DSME) that focuses on individualization and takes into consideration a persons’ lifestyle, culture, and daily needs. Studies have shown that DSME can be cost effective, reducing hospitalizations, and help to reduce hemoglobin A1C (two-to three-month average of blood sugar) by as much as 1% in people with type 2 diabetes....

But it won’t, at least not yet. Because Gates is right. It is a disaster. Tiny Intuit, that upstart from Menlo Park, is eating Microsoft’s lunch. It gets all the press, too, with its popular financial-management program, Quicken. “Jeez,” says Bill, shaking his head in frustration, not understanding why Microsoft can’t get it right. He hacks again into his fist, rocking, rocking, rocking… This is not the Bill Gates the world admires and fears....

The aide, who has not been publicly identified, has accused Cuomo of groping her while at the Executive Mansion in Albany last year, according to a Wednesday report in the Times Union. On Thursday, The New York Times reported that the Albany Police Department has not received an official complaint from the aide but has been contacted regarding the alleged incident. Steve Smith, an Albany police spokesman, told the paper New York’s state police contacted the department regarding the allegations, and Cuomo’s acting counsel said in a statement shared with Newsweek that a state official alerted police about the alleged incident....