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Jeff Mezydlo

A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports, entertainment and pop culture for parts of four decades. He was an integral member of award-winning sports sections at The Times of Northwest Indiana (Munster, Ind.) and Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette, where he covered the NFL, PGA, LPGA, NCAA basketball, football and golf, Olympics and high school athletics. Jeff most recently spent 12 years in the editorial department at STATSPerform, where he also oversaw coverage of the English Premier League. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Jeff's work has also appeared on such sites at Yahoo!, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated and NBA.com. However, if Jeff could do it again, he'd attend Degrassi Junior High, Ampipe High School and Grand Lakes University

EXPERTISE:

NCAA football, NCAA basketball, PGA/LPGA, international soccer, sports history, rock music, film history

The 20 best Sugar Bowl games of all time

How sweet it is: Our list of the 20 greatest Sugar Bowl games ever played. 

The 20 best Rose Bowl games of all time

It's known as "The Granddaddy of Them All." The beloved Rose Bowl Game has provided some of the most memorable moments in the history of college football since its debut in 1902. Here's our list of the 20 best Rose Bowl games.

The 20 best Orange Bowl games of all time

The Orange Bowl presents the best of the best. Here's our list of the 20 greatest games in its history.

The 20 best Cotton Bowl games of all time

The Cotton Bowl is no longer played at the famed Dallas stadium — moving to the home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium — but memories of the game there are as strong as ever. New ones continue to be made in Arlington, Texas. Here's our list of the top 20 games in Cotton Bowl history.

20 iconic singers who were also the best musician in their band

Sure, there are plenty of lead singers who have earned critical and commercial success simply because of their voice. Then there are those who have the musicianship to go along with a legendary vocal ability.

20 musicians that regularly featured unusual instruments

Musical innovation and uniqueness is what tends to set great artists apart from their contemporaries. Especially when it comes to the use of creative, unorthodox, or perhaps odd, instruments.

The 25 best players in Ohio State men's basketball history

To the casual college sports fan, Ohio State might be perceived to be a football school. That might not be wrong, but the Buckeyes have been known to play some pretty good basketball over the years. Here are the 25 greatest players in school history.

The top 2023-24 bowl season storylines

It's officially bowl season, and there's usually plenty of intrigue amid the sea of games available to wet a college football fan's whistle. Here are some stories to follow over the next few weeks.

The 25 greatest players in Wisconsin football history

When it comes to the best of the best among Wisconsin football players, we think we've come up with a pretty impressive list. 

The 20 greatest players in LSU men's basketball history

The LSU men's basketball program has never won a national championship. However, it has produced some of the best individual talent the college game has ever seen.

The 23 greatest all-time football players from the Los Angeles area

The greater Los Angeles area has produced some of the greatest football players of all time. Here are our top choices, listed in alphabetical order. Let the fun begin.

The greatest all-time football players from the Chicago area

The city of Chicago and the greater Chicagoland area have produced some of the greatest football players ever to take the gridiron. Here's our list of the 25 best.

The greatest college football bowl games of all time

It might seem impossible to rank the 25 best bowl games of all time. However, we took on the challenge and present a list that should generate plenty of spirited conversation.

The best fictional media outlets of all time

When it comes to getting information in the fictional world of television, film or comics, we've got you covered. Here's our list of some notable media outlets that give us news — and information — you can use.

The most notable father-son stars in NFL history

There have been some notable father-son duos who have enjoyed sustained NFL success over the years. Here's our rankings of the 20 best.

The 25 greatest players in Arizona men's basketball history

When it comes to West Coast college basketball, Arizona has long been considered one of the premier programs in the country, mostly for the great players the program has produced. Here's our list of the top 25 of all time.

The 25 greatest players in Connecticut men's basketball history

A basketball program doesn't win five national championships without great players. The Connecticut Huskies have certainly had their share of elite performers.

Falling for you: Movies made to be watched in autumn

The autumn season tends to be popular for its outdoor beauty, crisp bite of the air, and Halloween. It's also been highly profitable as a film setting.

Best alternative albums of the 21st century

The 21st century is relatively young, but some terrific music within the alternative genre has been released. It's a rather Herculean task, but here are 25 of the best alternative albums released since 2001.

The 25 best players in LSU football history

Whether talking Heisman Trophy winners, Thorpe honorees and even a Butkus Award recipient, LSU has produced some of the most legendary college football players in the history of the game.

20 college football stadiums that deserve more love

There are iconic, uniquely legendary college football venues throughout the country, and then there are stadiums that deserve more credit. Here's our list of the latter, listed alphabetically.

25 true freshmen to watch for the 2023-24 college basketball season

Here's a look at the latest batch of talented college freshmen expected to take the game by storm this season, listed alphabetically.

25 college basketball transfers to watch in 2023-24

In this day and age of college basketball, staying in one place seems quite abnormal. Here's our look at this season's most notable transfers, listed alphabetically.

25 women's college basketball players to watch in 2023-24

These are some exciting times for women's college basketball, especially when discussing individual talent on display this season. Here's our look at 25 names to remember in 2023-24, listed alphabetically.

The 25 men's college basketball players to watch in 2023-24

It's always challenging condensing a list of the top 25 players entering any college basketball season. However, we once again gave it a go. Here's our list for 2023-24, in alphabetical order.