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Ryan McCafferty

Ryan McCafferty is a passionate sports fan from Herndon, Va, where he follows the Washington Commanders, Wizards.  Ryan particularly enjoys covering the statistical aspect of sports, and in his spare time, he manages RJMAnalytics, a blog in which he formulates and analyzes his own advanced metrics for NASCAR and basketball. He is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, where he majored in communications and minored in sports management, and reports on local high school sports in Northern Virginia for the Falls Church News-Press

Joey Logano championship a fitting ending to upside-down NASCAR season

Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway is in the books, and with it, so is the 2024 season of NASCAR racing. For the third time in his career, Joey Logano is a NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR's championship race

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has gone by in a flash, and it all ends this weekend.

NASCAR's Martinsville manipulation penalties are not enough

On Tuesday, NASCAR's sanctioning body handed out penalties to several teams after their roles in manipulating the finish of Sunday's Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR's Martinsville elimination race

Sunday's Xfinity 500 will decide which two drivers join Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick in racing for a championship.

Alex Ovechkin has sights set on surpassing Wayne Gretzky this season

Ovechkin entered the 2024-25 season needing 42 goals to surpass Gretzky as the NHL's all-time leader in the category.

Commanders' Hail Mary a healing moment for Washington football

Across the NFL, the finish to the Commanders' thrilling victory over the Bears on Sunday will be talked about as the most memorable moment of Week 8 — and perhaps the entire 2024 season. In Washington D.C., though, it means something more.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR at Homestead

Time is drawing short in the NASCAR Cup Series. Three drivers to back and one to avoid for this weekend's high-stakes race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The Capitals are actually good this season and here's why

It has only been five games, but early returns on the 2024-25 iteration of the Caps are that this squad is actually good.

Commanders step up following Jayden Daniels' injury against Panthers

The bad news for the Washington Commanders on Sunday was that star rookie QB Jayden Daniels left the game in the first quarter with a rib injury. The good news was that Washington still blew the doors off the Carolina Panthers, winning by a lopsided score of 40-7.

Death, taxes and even-year Joey Logano: NASCAR's strangest streak continues

Joey Logano probably isn't stoked for the calendar to flip over to 2025 in a couple of months.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR's return to Las Vegas

Here are three drivers to watch — a favorite, a contender and a dark horse — as well as one to avoid in the city where all bets are off.

Tony Bennett's legacy a case study in the madness of March

As is always the case when a notable name walks away, the discussion now becomes where Bennett's place in history lies.

Four predictions for the 2024-25 Washington Wizards

It's Year 2 of the Wizards' rebuild, and it will be intriguing to watch how Washington's young roster can develop. Here are four predictions for how the 2024-25 campaign might play out.

Changes to NASCAR's Charlotte Roval layout pay off

A seemingly simple thing like a layout change can have a huge impact in the NASCAR Cup Series, as was the case at the Charlotte Roval on Sunday.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR's Charlotte Roval

It's another elimination weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, and this one could be a bit of a wild card.

Just how good can the Commanders be?

If Washington continues to improve, answering their rivals' adjustments while Jayden Daniels gains experience going toe-to-toe with well-oiled machines, this season could become truly special.

Former Capitals fan-favorite re-signs with team

He quickly became a fan favorite due to his youthful personality, lightning-quick speed and untapped potential, and was once viewed as the successor to Ovechkin as the team's star goal-scorer of the future.

NASCAR's Talladega thriller marred by another wreck-filled finish

Wrecks are an undeniable and unavoidable part of NASCAR racing, especially at tracks like Talladega that feature close-quarters pack racing. However, too much randomness devalues the sport's core objective of rewarding the drivers who perform the best.

Three to watch, one to avoid for NASCAR's Talladega playoff race

Here are three drivers to watch — a favorite, a contender, and a dark horse — and one to avoid for Sunday's YellaWood 500.

Commanders are riding high, but now comes the real test

Through four weeks of the 2024 NFL season, the Washington Commanders (3-1) are among the biggest pleasant surprises. They might be the biggest surprise if not for the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings.