The PGA of America formally announced Tuesday that Davis Love III will be the Team USA captain for next year’s Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. There had been rumors over the last few weeks that the 50-year-old would be selected as captain for the second time, and now Love has a unique opportunity. Having been in charge of the 2012 squad, he is one of the few to boast experience as both a leader and a player in the biennial competition. But can he put the demons of three years ago behind him, or will they come back to haunt Team USA?

Depending on who you were rooting for, the 2012 Ryder Cup is known as the “Miracle” or the “Meltdown at Medinah.” After the first two days of play, the United States had a 10-6 lead over Europe, and was in good position to win the Cup for only the second time this century. But the Europeans won 8 of Sunday’s 12 singles matches to complete an improbable comeback, winning 14.5-13.5. It was exactly what the Americans had pulled off in 1999, with Love himself playing a significant role; his 6 & 5 win over Jean Van de Velde was the first match to finish in Brookline, bringing the deficit to 10-7 and giving the Americans hope. In 2012, the role reversal was dramatic, and this recap illustrates the range in emotions for both teams.

In 2014, Europe won the Ryder Cup for a third straight time, with American captain Tom Watson heavily criticized following the defeat for his approach to selecting pairings. With Love back in charge, his agenda is simple, but the pressure to deliver will be present.

Team Europe appointed its captain last week: Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, who has played on several victorious squads, and won the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s.

The 2016 Ryder Cup will be held September 30-October 2 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.

Sunday marks the 35th anniversary of one of the greatest upsets in sports history: the United States men’s hockey team defeating the Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. A generation has passed since that day, but for those who viewed it, whether in person or elsewhere, their emotions rival those of the American players who were part of something iconic. It is often regarded as a “Where were you?” moment, not just because of the game itself, but also because of the bigger picture.

Consider the background leading up to the game. The Soviet team was laden with veterans, while the U.S. roster consisted of college-age athletes. That gap in experience showed at the beginning of February 1980, when the Soviets easily won an exhibition at Madison Square Garden, 10-3. Tensions between the two nations because of the Cold War didn’t help, either.

After the debacle in New York City, the Americans rebounded in Olympic group play to tie Sweden, then won their next four games, including a 7-3 defeat of Czechoslovakia – a favorite to take the silver medal. All roads led to the medal round, with a date against the country who had taken the gold in the four previous Winter Games. After tying the game at 2-2 to end the first period (which led to Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak being pulled), the U.S. erased a 3-2 deficit to win 4-3, the game-winning goal scored in the third by captain Mike Eruzione. Although Disney’s 2004 film Miracle can’t equal the emotion of the actual game’s final moments, it does very well in letting the images speak for themselves.

The United States has not won gold in men’s ice hockey since Lake Placid – they were silver medallists in 2002 and 2010 – meaning the team from 1980 is revered even more. Whether that status will change should the Americans win gold in the future remains to be seen, but given the reception for the players on Saturday, in a special ceremony commemorating the 35th anniversary, it’s very hard to see this team ever fading in relevance.

Share your memories of the “Miracle on Ice” below!

This Sunday marks the start of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, with the top drivers already gathered in Florida for “The Great American Race,” the Daytona 500. With two days still to go until the race itself, there has already been a lot of news about the events leading up to Sunday, from the new qualifying process to the arguments between drivers.

One of the more prominent stories is the fact that 2015 is the final full-time season for Jeff Gordon. The man whose name has been synonymous with NASCAR for over a decade is already the sentimental favorite to win his fourth 500 title, and having won the pole during qualifying, it appears as if the stars may align for #24 to begin his swan song with a win in the most important NASCAR race. Here are some of the highlights from last Sunday’s qualifying run, uploaded by Fox Sports’ YouTube channel.

There’s just something special about the Daytona 500 (and the Indianapolis 500, too, for that matter) that allows it to appeal to casual racing fans, and non-racing fans as well. Is it Daytona being on the popular racing game one sees at arcades around the country? Or when one watches the race on television, most years viewing a bright and sunny Florida day in February? In 2015, it could be Gordon starting the year with a win at the first race of the season, one that’s regarded as the most prestigious race.

Will Gordon complete the narrative with a win? What about defending 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., or reigning Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick? Leave a comment below!

After two months, the UEFA Champions League resumes this week with the first portion of matches in the Round of 16. Four German teams have qualified for this stage, along with three each from England and Spain, two from France, and one club each from Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, & Ukraine. From this round to the semifinals, the competition will have two teams play twice (once at each home ground), with the club scoring the more goals in the 180 minutes advancing.

The first wave of matches begins on Tuesday, when PSG hosts Chelsea and Bayern Munich travels to Shakhtar Donetsk. PSG defender David Luiz left the Blues to join the French club in the offseason, and will face many of his former teammates in this tie. Bayern are heavily favored in their matchup, but Shakhtar boasts Luiz Adriano, currently the leading scorer in the UCL. On Wednesday, Schalke 04 hosts defending champion Real Madrid, who are aiming to become the first club in the modern era to win back-to-back titles. Also, Basel welcome Porto to Switzerland, with the winner of that matchup likely considered a dark horse to spring an upset in later rounds.

Next week, the first legs continue with four more intriguing encounters. Juventus take on Borussia Dortmund in a rematch of the 1997 Final, while reigning Premier League champions Manchester City host Barcelona; the Catalans looking for their fourth title in a ten-year span. Then on the 25th, Bayer Leverkusen will hope to end the dreams of last year’s runner-up Atletico Madrid, and the Arsenal-Monaco tie offers an interesting story: Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was once the manager of the French team, and Arsenal has many connections with France in general when it comes to former players.

As I mentioned in my group preview of the Champions League, there’s an opportunity for a trend to continue. After Italy won the 2006 World Cup, AC Milan lifted the European Cup the following season; when Spain became world champions in 2010, Barcelona beat Manchester United for the European club crown. With Germany winning the 2014 World Cup, what does that mean for the odds of Bayern, Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund, or Schalke?

Has your pick to win the competition changed? Leave a comment below!

The 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup will start on Saturday in Australia and New Zealand, with 14 squads qualifying for the finals. Over the next month and a half, fans will be treated to the biggest names in the game taking each other head-on, and the odds of a major upset are never far away. Here’s a look at both groups, along with my predictions on who will make the quarterfinals.

Pool A

This pool includes both co-hosts, along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, Scotland, & Sri Lanka. Australia will be under massive pressure to win, partially because they’re playing on home territory, and partially because they are the top-ranked team in the ODI standings, and their success will likely depend on whether captain Michael Clarke, who’s been battling injury, can perform on the big stage. England have undergone significant changes, notably naming Eoin Morgan as captain, and the two rivals will face each other in their first group match in Melbourne (An announcement on Thursday revealed Clarke won’t be playing in this match). Sri Lanka have finished as runners-up in the last two World Cups; with this being a swan song for two of their greatest modern players (Mahela Jayawardene & Kumar Sangakkara), will the country experience a second triumph? New Zealand shocked many by making the 2011 semifinals, yet as co-host will be favored to progress to the knockout rounds. Bangladesh and Scotland have experience in this competition, and could possibly spring an upset or two, while Afghanistan’s makes its debut appearance.

Picks to advance to quarterfinals: Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, England

Pool B

Defending champion India headlines the second group of teams, but while a couple veterans remain, their 2015 squad is vastly different from the one that lifted the Cup four years ago. Also in Pool B are former winners Pakistan and West Indies, along with Ireland, South Africa, UAE, and Zimbabwe. South Africa have long been considered underachievers in this tournament’s history; do they finally put that reputation to rest this year? Ireland made noise in 2011 when they upset England in group play, meaning they’re looking to go one step further and make the quarterfinals; Zimbabwe and the UAE may also be dark horses to watch out for. The West Indies’ (comprised of Caribbean nations) squad selection came under scrutiny earlier this year, after top players Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo were both left off the roster. In one sense, they are like India in omitting longtime veterans, but will that decision come back to haunt them? Like England-Australia on February 14, one of the key matches in Pool B will come early, when India face archrivals Pakistan the following day in Adelaide. The result could go a long way in determining how both teams fare in February and March.

Picks to advance to quarterfinals: South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies

All matches will be streamed live in the United States through WatchESPN, and “The Worldwide Leader” will be airing “The Little Master” on February 15, a program on Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the greatest batsman in history, and how he carried the weight of expectation almost single-handedly for India for decades, culminating in the 2011 victory. Get ready for plenty of drama and stories to unfold Down Under, from now until the Final in Melbourne on March 29.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015, was the day high school athletes around the country signed letters of intent to compete at the collegiate level. Southern West Virginia had many students officially committing to colleges, with most electing to stay in the region. I had the chance to cover both sides of this important time in the sports calendar, getting perspectives from both the athletes and from college coaches. While football is the one sport that drew most of the media’s attention, I was also interviewing several women’s soccer players who will be continuing their careers. It made for an exciting 12-13 hours.

Until this year, my most recent experience in covering National Signing Day had been two years ago, with WOUB at Ohio University. I was getting ready to do a live shot from Peden Stadium on the incoming class of Ohio football players. The main reason for being live was to have an interview on-air with Bobcats head coach Frank Solich. However, Solich’s news conference went long, and was still going on when it came time for the anchor back in the studio to bring me in. I had prepared a mini-script on what to say in the event that this happened, but it’s safe to say that was not my finest moment as a sportscaster.

In 2015, there were absolutely no issues with covering athletes or coaches. One football player I spoke with is headed to Richmond, which made the FCS playoffs this past season. The two women’s soccer athletes are staying nearby; one will play at Concord (Athens, WV), while one is going to Liberty (Lynchburg, VA), where her father is an alum. Speaking of Concord, the Mountain Lions football staff was excited about its 2015 recruiting class, as they get set for the upcoming season, one year after making the Division II semifinals. Everybody I’ve met with has been very nice, a neat reminder of why I wanted to get into this industry in the first place. It didn’t hurt that I finished Wednesday covering an exciting high school basketball game, too.

It signaled the end of my first week at WOAY, and it’s been busy, but at the same time, a blast. Some of the stories I’ve covered over the last few days: the Big Atlantic Classic (a popular high school basketball tournament), the Super Bowl, National Signing Day, and NCAA Division II basketball. I look forward to reporting on many more events here in Southern West Virginia.

With Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Cambridge United at Old Trafford, Manchester United have progressed to the 5th round of the FA Cup – the round of 16. That they needed a replay to defeat the lowest-ranked team left at this stage probably prompted some to believe that this team still needs time to develop under Louis van Gaal. After the underdogs hit the post inside the first minute, how many fans were thinking this might turn out to be worse than the disaster against Milton Keynes Dons?

Now, with Cambridge behind them, the Red Devils find themselves having advanced further in this season’s Cup than the current top two in the Premier League. In recent years, United have developed a mini-trend in terms of performance…

2014: Third round (when all EPL & Championship clubs enter the competition)
2013: Quarterfinals (lost in replay)
2012: Fourth round
2011: Semifinals
2010: Third round
2009: Semifinals

Should that pattern continue, the Red Devils would be poised for a big run in 2015, perhaps even their first Cup triumph in 11 years. Up next, though, is a trip to Preston North End. All of the draws so far have pitted United on the road against a team outside the Premier League and the Championship. Preston North End’s significance is not lost on United fans; David Beckham gained valuable first-team experience at the club. With less than two weeks before the encounter, van Gaal’s duty will be to keep the players in shape, while also being mindful of the coming Premier League fixtures. United still have games this season at Liverpool and at Chelsea, and others that will go a long way in determining where the club finishes in the table.

The lack of European competition this campaign means there’s a little more rest than most veterans have been used to, but this will test the mettle of everyone on the squad, coaches included. Can United get results in the final four months of the season?