She was a national champion on balance beam as an Oklahoma Sooner. She has been a force in recruiting and training as the associate head coach of the Arizona GymCats. Now, Taylor Spears is looking for the next challenge.

“Wearing the Block A and representing this university has meant so much to me,” Spears wrote in her social media posts. “After much consideration, I have decided to step away from college athletics to pursue other personal goals in life.”

ROCHESTER — Tyler Veen came to Rochester four years ago as a first-time hockey coach.

He leaves next week with two years of experience as a junior hockey assistant coach — including one North American 3 Hockey League national championship, working with then-head coach Chris Ratzloff — and two years of experience as a head coach.

He’s headed to his first job in college hockey at 28 years old, just a handful of years older than some of his players.

The native of Fargo, N.D., is leaving the Rochester Grizzlies to accept an assistant coaching position at Division III Augsburg University in Minneapolis.

“Being in Rochester these past four years, getting to work with (Ratzloff), it showed me I have even more love for the game than I thought,” said Veen, who was a scout for the Grizzlies and Austin Bruins for three seasons prior to coming to Rochester as an assistant coach in the 2021-22 season. “When you taste success, you just want more. I was got spoiled my first year here.”

The Grizzlies won the NA3HL’s Fraser Cup that season, in just their fourth season as a franchise. They have made the playoffs in all seven seasons of their existence and have won two divisional playoff championships, and twice qualified for the Fraser Cup championship game.

Rochester went 28-14-5 in the regular season last year, and 31-17-5 overall, but fell to West Bend (Wis.) in the best-of-3 NA3HL Central Division Finals, in three games. In Veen’s two seasons as head coach, the Grizzlies were 68-28-8 overall.

“I think we led the league or were close to it, most years, in NAHL call-ups and (player) advancements,” Veen said. “More importantly, we helped a lot of players grow and become better players and good people.”

The Grizzlies also announced that former Winona Cotter and Winona High boys hockey coach Martin Raymond will replace Veen as head coach. Raymond will be the fourth coach in franchise history, following Casey Mignone (2018-19), Chris Ratzloff (2019-2023) and Veen (2023-25).

Raymond is a native of Drummondville, Quebec, who coached for four seasons in the L.A. Kings High School Hockey League in California before moving to Winona when Cotter re-started its own varsity program in 2020.

Prior to his time coaching California high school hockey, Raymond coached minor league professional hockey for two decades, including 10 years with the Bakersfield (Calif.) Condors of the ECHL.

“I am very excited to join the Rochester Grizzlies, a great organization with a winning culture,” Raymond said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to continuing the hard work coach Veen has done and collaborating with an experienced coaching staff.”

Brandon Ratzloff, the son of former head coach Chris Ratzloff, and Bob Montrose will remain with the Grizzlies as assistant coaches.

Brandon Ratzloff, a Rochester John Marshall grad, played at Augsburg, and was on the 2021-22 team that reached the NCAA Division III Frozen Four.

Veen has also built a relationship with Auggies head coach Garrett Hendrickson, as Hendrickson has scouted the Grizzlies and the NA3HL as Augsburg’s coach over the past two seasons.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tyler to our program,” Hendrickson said. “His experience, passion for the game and commitment to developing hockey players makes him an outstanding addition to our staff. I’m confident he will have an immediate impact both on and off the ice.”

Veen credited Austin Bruins coaches Steve Howard and Al Rooney with helping him grow as a coach. The Bruins, who play in the Tier II NAHL, are owned by the same ownership group; the coaches work together often throughout the season.

“(Howard) has been huge for my (development),” Veen said. “He’s shown me so many little details in the game and he’s one of the smartest hockey minds I’ve been around.”

Veen is now looking forward to getting to Augsburg and jumping right into a new season. He joins the staff of a team that felt like it underperformed a year ago, finishing 8-16-1.

“They have a great team, on paper, and there’s a hunger in that group to change that,” Veen said. “I’m looking forward to getting there and working with coach Hendrickson, we’ve built a great relationship. As soon as I stepped on campus, it felt like home.”

The Grizzlies will hold their main tryout camp this weekend, Friday through Sunday, at the Rochester Recreation Center. Their regular season opener is Friday, Sept. 12, against the Wisconsin Woodsmen at Tomah, Wis. Rochester’s home opener is Sept. 13 against the Woodsmen, at 7:05 p.m. at the Rec Center.

Paramount is not planning to spin off its cable networks; Versant wants to continue working with Peacock; and SportsBubble is suing ESPN and The Walt Disney Company. Plus news on ESPN programming, Fox Sports, Netflix and Monumental Sports Network.

Paramount not planning spin-off of cable networks

The new Paramount Skydance company is not planning on spinning off its cable networks, multiple executives said Wednesday, deviating from an industry trend that has seen NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery announce spinoffs earlier in the year. “[O]ur intention is to keep the company together and invest through that lens long term,” CEO David Ellison said, responding to a question about BET.

“We’re thinking about the cable networks not as declining linear assets that we need to spin off or deal with somehow,” president Jeff Shell said. “We’re thinking of them as brands that we have to redefine.”

To that end, TV chairman George Cheeks conceded that cable is “a super challenging business” but added that the networks serve as a home to several “iconic franchises” which the company considers valuable. “We’re all seeing the pay cable business shift over to streaming, so there will be a lot of conversations about what iconic franchises we want to continue, maybe shift to streaming, etc.,” Cheeks explained. “We’re [six] days in, but I do feel like there’s a lot to preserve there.”

Paramount Skydance owns several cable channels including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET, TV Land and — relevant to this website — CBS Sports Network.

Hong: Versant wants to continue working and partnering with NBCUniversal, Peacock

Versant — the spinoff company consisting of NBCUniversal cable networks — hopes to continue partnering with its soon-to-be-former parent company on sports rights, but also plans to seek partnerships with other companies, president of sports Matt Hong said in a CNBC interview. “I think one of the unique things about being separate public companies here soon is we’ll be able to potentially partner with Peacock, but we’ll also be able to partner with other third-party streamers,” Hong said. “[I]n situations where a set of rights may or may not work for Peacock but we want them at Versant, we’ll have the freedom to partner with some streamers that previously we didn’t necessarily have the freedom to partner with.”

NBCUniversal and Versant just this week partnered on a media rights deal with the USGA, marking the first rights deal the company has struck as an independent entity. The new deal sets aside several hours of USGA programming for USA Network and Golf Channel, with NBC and Peacock retaining exclusive broadcast TV and streaming rights.

“We still believe very much in the strength and the reach of the linear networks that we have for the sports division, but also for, obviously, for all of Versant inclusive of CNBC,” Hong said. “We’re also not blind to the reality of the way in which sports fans consume media, so even though this deal is principally or exclusively linear, we will also have streams that you’re able to see on GolfChannel.com starting early next year, and then probably more to talk about vis-à-vis streaming in the next couple years.”

SportsBubble suing ESPN, Disney, related to sports search product

The company SportsBubble is suing ESPN and Disney alleging misuse of its confidential trade secrets to develop and launch ESPN’s “Where to Watch” feature, which launched last year. Lydia Murphy-Stephans, a former ABC Sports programming executive who founded SportsBubble amid fragmentation in the sports media business, is seeking a jury trial and compensatory damages it anticipates to be at least $200 million. ESPN declined to comment.

Murphy-Stephans alleges that ESPN “feigned interest in a partnership with SportsBubble” and also signed a nondisclosure agreement under which it learned “confidential trade and business secrets of the company.” She says that the company used that information to create a copycat of her WatchSports software following months of negotiations that were described as “fruitless.”

“When I introduced SportsBubble to Bob Iger and ESPN executives years ago, they claimed to be excited about working with us and partnering on our flagship product, WatchSports,” Murphy-Stephans said in a statement. “But, while under NDA to evaluate WatchSports for a business partnership, they publicly announced a copycat product as if we magically didn’t exist. We firmly believe the ‘Where To Watch’ programming guide on the ESPN platforms is the same product SportsBubble presented to ESPN, and that they copied it, and put their own name on it.”

Following the public announcement by ESPN, Murphy-Stephans alleges that a lead investor prospect for SportsBubble pulled out of a planned investment on the grounds that a copycat product had diminished its value, and that league partnerships fell through for similar reasons.

Plus: ESPN, Fox Sports, Netflix, Monumental Sports Network

• In an interview with Bloomberg News, Mike Foss, senior vice president, sports studio and entertainment at ESPN, said that the company is thinking about offerings that can remain “for the long haul” in the 5 p.m. EST timeslot. ESPN has been airing an edition of “SportsCenter” during the daypart since the final episode of “Around the Horn” aired this past May.
• Fox Sports is not willing to sublicense Big Ten or Big 12 games to ESPN for a potential college football “RedZone,” according to a report from Amanda Christovich and Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Furthermore, it was reported that Fox would require a significant ownership stake in the venture in order to be willing to participate.
• Netflix has sold out its in-game advertising inventory for its broadcasts of NFL Christmas Day games. The streaming company, which has more than 300 million subscribers, has also closed sponsorship deals with partners such as Google, Accenture, FanDuel and Verizon.
• Monumental Sports Network is moving to the Xfinity Ultimate TV tier beginning on September 15. While the regional sports network, which televises Wizards, Capitals and Mystics games, had previously been on the Popular TV tier, customers are receiving a free preview through September 30.

The NCAA announced some tweaks and adjustments to a trio of rules ahead of the 2025-26 men’s and women’s hockey seasons.

Here’s a breakdown.

Face masking can be a minor: What used to be a straight major penalty now has more nuance to it. Officials can call a minor penalty if a player just places his hand on the mask of an opponent and pushes. Moving an open hand back and forth across the opponent’s mask can also draw a minor penalty.

Some of these actions used to draw a major penalty (often ignored, and then strategically challenged) but now the only way to get a major for face masking is by grabbing the opponent’s face mask and pulling or twisting.

This is a good change in the spirit of the rule.

All major penalties will be reviewed: If a referee wants to call a major penalty, he or she will need to conduct a video review to confirm that decision (assuming there is working video replay in the rink). After the review, officials will have three options: Confirm the major, reduce it to a minor or wipe out the penalty entirely.

The kicker is, coaches will not be able to challenge the result of that review. No more double reviews. The referee’s decision is final.

In the NCHC, at least, almost every major was already being reviewed, so you won’t notice much of a difference there.

High sticking gets confusing again: The NCAA is calling this a clarification after changing how high sticking is judged a year ago.

In 99% of situations, the puck cannot be played above a player’s shoulder. The exception to that is scoring goals. You can’t score a goal by playing a puck from higher than four feet, or the height of the crossbar.

I’m sure that won’t result in some weird, twisted scenario that leads to a two-hour video review of a game-changing goal.

Can we just make it shoulder height for everything?

More from the Bulldog Bites Blog:

John Stockton thinks NIL is ruining the game of basketball: “The lessons that we need to learn as humans to function in our society are being lost” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Public criticism of NIL deals is increasing, with many believing that turning young basketball players into millionaires while in college is not a good thing. The legendary John Stockton is one of those who has joined this growing list of critics.

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When talking about NIL deals, there are multiple aspects to consider. The AAU system is connected to it, and in recent times, it has come under fire for not instilling the right fundamentals in its players. Instead, it produces one-dimensional athletes who later get lost in the professional world when more is expected of them.

Money changes young players

Stockton is one of those textbook examples of a floor general, a “dying breed” in today’s game. While he says he doesn’t mind players earning that much money, he believes the money changes these young men’s entire perception of the game.

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“I think it’s ruining the game and I think it’s ruining it in a big way,” he said on the Mavericks Approach podcast. “The lessons that we need to learn as humans to function in our society are being lost because of it. So now you can’t coach a kid, help him be a better man, better citizen, because you have to bow out to him so he can come back next year. So, you need to pay him. It’s all about pay; it isn’t about the quality of play.”

“When you sit on the bench, you learn. If you lose, you learn. When you lose, now it’s just a bad situation; it’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll just go and make more money here.’ If you don’t play, ah, the coach doesn’t like me. If you dig down to see what’s missing to gain that coach’s favor or to win this game, those are the lessons sports is about in my opinion,” he added.

Related: “The blue chip definitely has its peril” – John Stockton warns Gonzaga not to let elite recruits erode the program’s culture

The essence of the sport is being lost

Stockton comes from a time when the NCAA was not a professional league and he had to learn the hard way how to reach the top. He knew that no one would help him as much as he could help himself through daily work and self-improvement.

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Young players who get million-dollar deals at such an early stage of their careers instantly lose that hunger and desire to improve.

Stockton believes that the essence of the sport is being lost and that’s not far from the truth. Many European players come to college in the U.S., which has sparked big debates overseas. Some clubs have even gone so far as to consider shutting down their youth systems because there’s no point if there’s no reward for their work.

Charles Barkley, Stockton’s teammate from the Dream Team, shares a similar opinion. He thinks NIL deals should have a certain limit.

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“I think there’s gonna be tremendous resentment on every team,” Barkley said. “I also have a problem with payin’ a kid to come to my college who’s never done anything.”

This ties into another problem with NIL deals. Once a player comes to a college and gets a large sum of money, he can leave after just one season, leaving the college high and dry. As Stockton says, if he’s not satisfied with his role or playing time, he’ll choose the easier path of switching teams.

The player, at the same time, develops the wrong values that are essential for any athlete. Sports are all about competing and winning. At the end of the day, that’s the edge and drive that playing basketball gives you, and if you lose that, you’re on the wrong path.

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Related: John Stockton admits he is not watching the NBA anymore because it’s way too soft: “Fans want you to go out there and do what they can’t do, not go out there, shake hands and hug”

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

Vece Paes – the doctor and administrator

Even as he played international hockey, Paes continued his medical studies and later specialised in sports medicine. His medical expertise saw him work with athletes across sports, helping them recover from injuries and extend their careers.

Rugby, in particular, became a lifelong passion. He represented the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club in the sport and later served as president of the Indian Rugby Football Union from 1996 to 2002, overseeing a period of structural reforms aimed at growing the game in India.

He also served as a medical consultant for the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the team doctor of the Indian Davis Cup team.

Vece Paes’ expertise also seeped into cricket in a major way as he pioneered anti-doping and age-verification systems as Sports Medicine Consultant to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) between 2001 and 2009.

He then took charge of BCCI’s national anti-doping efforts. Administrators like Ratnakar Shetty have credited him with transforming BCCI’s approach to athlete welfare.

A true sporting legacy

Vece Paes married Jennifer Paes, a former India women’s basketball captain and fellow Olympian. Jennifer was also the great-granddaughter of legendary Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt.

Together, Vece and Jennifer raised three children – two daughters and one son.

Their son, Leander Paes, would go on to become one of India’s most decorated tennis players.

Leander famously won the men’s singles bronze at the Atlanta 1996, ending India’s 44-year wait for an individual Olympic medal, and won 18 Grand Slam doubles titles.

In fact, it was his father’s Olympic medal which set Leander on his path.

“Ever since I was a little boy, I used to polish my father’s Olympic medal every Sunday after church, and I always wondered what that medal was all about,” Leander recalled during an interview with Olympics.com.

“For some reason, that medal attracted me more than any other trophies my dad had. And as I grew a little older, I realised what it meant to represent 1.3 billion people from a country like India.

“He’s been my example my whole life. He’s been my example to be the best I can be,” Leander added.

The Paes household was one where sport was not just a profession, but a way of life.

Vece Paes battled Parkinson’s in his later years and passed away on August 14, 2025, in Kolkata, aged 80.

For Indian sport, Vece Paes’s legacy is twofold – the medals and memories he gave as an athlete, and the broader sporting culture he helped nurture through his leadership and medical expertise.

From the hockey fields of Munich to the rugby pitches of Kolkata and the tennis courts his son would later conquer, Vece Paes will forever be remembered as the renaissance man of Indian sport.