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Sheffield Wednesday: ‘Cheers and tears of relief – it’s never just a game’

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There haven’t been too many significant days at Hillsborough over the past 30 years.

The miracle comeback against Peterborough. Play-off semi-final victories against Brentford and Brighton (whatever happened to them?).

Saturday was significant. A sold-out crowd, ready to celebrate the end of a nightmare and the start of something new.

“A club reborn,” it said on the scoreboard.

There was a totally different mood around the place. People were smiling and stopping to talk about their hopes for the future. Optimism filled the air. It felt very unlike Sheffield Wednesday.

The 33,750 crowd was the biggest in the whole of the Championship this season and speaks to the passion that still exists for this club. With 30 minutes to go until kick-off, the stands were full with people singing and chanting.

Then, the introduction.

New chairman David Storch was welcomed on to the pitch. A huge roar shook Hillsborough. Another followed when he announced on the microphone: “Today, we return the club to the fans.

“This is your club. I want you to know that we will work tirelessly to be the best stewards on your behalf.”

More cheers.

“You have no idea what a huge task this has been,” added Storch, before praising a number of individuals including his son Michael, Tom Costin, Asher Simmons, Clive Betts MP and James Silverwood from the SWFC Supporters Trust.

He introduced former Sunderland executive David Bruce as chief executive – the kind of experienced figure the club has needed.

A video on the big screen confirmed a return to the much-loved “old badge” – the familiar Owl logo that used to make the club so instantly recognisable before it was removed by former owner Dejphon Chansiri.

The badge change is the kind of crowd-pleasing open goal that Chansiri so often missed.

Next on the big screen they put up -15 – the number of points many expected Wednesday to be deducted for next season because of EFL guidelines relating to coming out of administration. The crowd weren’t aware of the EFL’s decision not to impose the deduction.

One by one, the numbers ticked away and each deducted point being removed was cheered by the home crowd.

As the total turned to zero and fans realised there would be no penalty, there was the loudest roar Hillsborough has heard in a long time.

You could feel 12 months of anguish, sadness, stress and desperation being released. Supporters punched the air. Some cried.

I thought about two fans, Dean and Alex, who contacted BBC Sheffield the day before the game.

They lost their mum in January and said their dad, a Wednesdayite, had been struggling. Saturday was his 73rd birthday. He was at Hillsborough to be uplifted with so many others.

It’s never just a game, is it?

To cap it all off, the Owls won for just the second time in the Championship and claimed their first league win at home for 376 days.

Club-hero Liam Palmer scored the winner in front of the Kop. It was almost scripted – and it makes you wonder what’ll happen next in this story.

At the end of the game, an older gentleman who sits near the press box came up to me. I said hello and asked if he was all right.

“I am now,” was his reply.

Off he went with a smile, contemplating that his club might bring him some joy again in the future.

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How to watch Rockies vs. Cardinals: TV channel and streaming options for August 8

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The Colorado Rockies will look to stop a four-game losing streak when visiting the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday. Matthew Liberatore (5-8, 4.97 ERA) will start for the Cardinals, who are 58-58 this season and third in the NL Central. Kyle Freeland (3-10, 6.81 ERA) is expected to start for the Rockies, who are 45-71 and fifth in the NL West.

How to watch Colorado Rockies vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Rockies vs. Cardinals odds

  • Favorite Moneyline: Cardinals -175
  • Underdog Moneyline: Rockies +145
  • Total: 8.5
  • Total Over Odds: -120
  • Total Under Odds: +100

Injury reports

Cardinals

Ramón Urías: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Max Rajcic: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Rockies

Jeff Criswell: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Jaden Hill: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Blas Castano: 15 Day IL (Pectoral), Sean Sullivan: 15 Day IL (Undisclosed), Chase Dollander: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Kris Bryant: 60 Day IL (Back), José Quintana: 60 Day IL (Elbow), McCade Brown: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), RJ Petit: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Welinton Herrera: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Pierson Ohl: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Stats to know

  • Alec Burleson is hitting for a .285 BA, .350 OBP and .477 SLG with a 15.8% strikeout rate and an 8.4% walk rate. His OPS is .827 and he has scored 60 runs. In 486 plate appearances, he has hit 18 home runs and driven in 77 runs (7th in MLB).
  • In 479 plate appearances, Jordan Walker has slashed .284/.342/.489 this season. He has hit 22 long balls and driven in 81 runs (4th in MLB) with a strikeout rate of 24.8% and a walk rate of 7.7%. He has 14 stolen bases on 19 attempts. He has come around to score 68 times.
  • TJ Rumfield has hit 13 home runs this season. He has also tallied 58 RBIs and has scored 50 runs. In 455 plate appearances, he has recorded a .296 BA, .374 OBP and .463 SLG with a 9.7% walk rate and a 14.5% strikeout rate.
  • In 389 plate appearances, Jake McCarthy has slashed .298/.335/.496 this season. He has hit 11 long balls and driven in 64 runs with a strikeout rate of 17.5% and a walk rate of 4.6%. He has stolen 17 bases on 20 attempts and has scored 51 runs.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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How to watch Orioles vs. Rangers: TV channel and streaming options for August 8

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The Texas Rangers take a three-game winning streak into a home matchup versus the Baltimore Orioles at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday. Jacob deGrom (7-7, 3.96 ERA) will start for the Rangers, who are 58-58 this season and second in the AL West. Kyle Bradish (7-10, 3.79 ERA) is expected to start for the Orioles, who are 56-60 and fourth in the AL East.

How to watch Baltimore Orioles vs. Texas Rangers

Orioles vs. Rangers odds

  • Favorite Moneyline: Rangers -154
  • Underdog Moneyline: Orioles +125
  • Total: 7.5
  • Total Over Odds: +100
  • Total Under Odds: -120

Injury reports

Rangers

Kyle Higashioka: 10 Day IL (Flexor tendon), Josh Jung: 10 Day IL (Calf), Jose Corniell: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Jack Leiter: 15 Day IL (Ankle), Jakob Junis: 15 Day IL (Groin), Danny Jansen: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Robert Garcia: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Jalen Beeks: 60 Day IL (Back), Michael Helman: 60 Day IL (Hand), Carter Baumler: 60 Day IL (Ribs)

Orioles

Samuel Basallo: 10 Day IL (Shoulder), Blaze Alexander: 10 Day IL (Hand), Zach Eflin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Felix Bautista: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Keegan Akin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Chris Bassitt: 60 Day IL (Back), Ryan Helsley: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ryan Mountcastle: 60 Day IL (Foot), Jordan Westburg: 60 Day IL (Ucl), Colin Selby: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)

Stats to know

  • Ezequiel Duran is hitting for a .274 BA, .328 OBP and .457 SLG with a 23.4% strikeout rate and a 7.1% walk rate. His OPS is .785 and he has scored 51 runs. In 406 plate appearances, he has hit 13 home runs and driven in 63 runs. Duran has been crafty on the base paths, recording nine steals on 11 attempts.
  • In 465 plate appearances, Brandon Nimmo has hit 12 long balls, tallied 43 RBIs and scored 48 runs. He is batting .274/.342/.444 and has posted a 21.3% strikeout rate and an 8.2% walk rate. Nimmo has recorded six steals on seven attempts.
  • Pete Alonso has hit 23 home runs this season. He has also tallied 71 RBIs (14th in MLB) and has scored 68 runs. In 502 plate appearances, he has recorded a .247 BA, .341 OBP and .454 SLG with an 11.4% walk rate and a 24.9% strikeout rate.
  • In 522 plate appearances, Gunnar Henderson has hit 18 long balls, tallied 47 RBIs and scored 65 runs. He is batting .217/.297/.391 and has posted a 22.8% strikeout rate and an 8.6% walk rate. Henderson has recorded eight steals on 12 attempts.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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How to watch Storm vs. Fire: TV channel and streaming options for August 8

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Dominique Malonga leads the Seattle Storm (6-27) into a matchup against the Portland Fire (12-19) after putting up 31 points in a 92-86 loss to the Liberty. The game is on Saturday, August 8, 2026, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV, FOX12+, CW Seattle, KOMO 4, and Amazon Prime Video.

How to watch Seattle Storm vs. Portland Fire

Seattle vs. Portland odds

  • Spread: Seattle -1.5 (-115), Portland +1.5 (-105)
  • Favorite Moneyline: Seattle -120
  • Underdog Moneyline: Portland +100
  • Total: 179.5
  • Total Over Odds: -110
  • Total Under Odds: -110

Injury reports

Storm

Katie Lou Samuelson: Questionable (Knee)

Fire

Sania Feagin: Out For Season (Knee),

Bridget Carleton: Probable (Foot),

Sarah Ashlee Barker: Out For Season (Knee),

Teja Oblak: Probable (Knee)

Stats to know

  • The 82.7 points per game the Storm record are 9.1 fewer points than the Fire give up (91.8).
  • Portland’s 86.5 points per game are just 1.8 fewer points than the 88.3 Seattle allows.
  • Flau’jae Johnson averages 13.9 points, 4.9 boards and 2.9 assists per contest, while shooting 39.2% from the field and 26.8% from downtown with 1.2 made treys per game.
  • Bridget Carleton puts up 14.3 points, 2.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Julio Aguilar, Ethan Miller, Steph Chambers / Getty Images

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