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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 greatest Yacht Rock songs of all time

Popular in the late 1970s and into the '80s, there are some notable tunes of the ilk (smooth rhythms, light or "breezy" vocals, well-polished and produced) from earlier in the '70s that fall into this category.

The greatest players in Purdue men's basketball history

The Boilermakers program has produced some of the greatest players the college game has ever seen.

The greatest players in Michigan men's basketball history

The program has just one national championship to date. However, the Wolverines have finished runner-up on six occasions. That's even more baffling considering the number of great, even legendary, players the program has produced.

The 25 movies, shows, and music that defined 2022

Here's our list of what turned heads in entertainment for 2022. Broken down by category and alphabetical order.

The 20 top Twitter stars of 2022

Some are quite popular, while others are worth seeking out.

The most inspiring sports moments of 2022

From trailblazing athletes or coaches to those dealing, retiring legends, and overcoming physical limitations to thrive or motivate others around them. And much more in between.

The 25 athletes who defined 2022

It's quite daunting to nail down the 25 best individual athletes from the 2022 calendar year. Spanning professional and amateur sports, so the lot to choose from is pretty vast.

The 25 best sports teams of 2022

Individual accomplishments are special, but nothing truly beats team success. In 2022, there were many impressive team performances, spanning both professional and amateur sports.

College football post-Christmas bowls: Picks and previews

The college football bowl season is in high gear, and the College Football Playoff semifinals are fast approaching. Here are our previews and predictions (point spreads courtesy of DraftKings, and subject to change) for the post-Christmas Day bowl matchups.

The best Samuel L. Jackson roles

What makes Samuel L. Jackson such a great actor? Maybe because he stands out in just about any part, from any genre. Or simply because he's just so freaking cool.

College football pre-Christmas Bowls: Picks and preview

The college football bowl season is upon us, starting with those taking place before Christmas and featuring some intriguing early matchups. Here are our previews and predictions (point spreads courtesy of DraftKings, and current at the time of publication, but subject to change).

The 25 best players in Miami football history

Graciously known as "The 'U,'" for those who lived it, the University of Miami Hurricanes football program seems like its own universe, what with the trash-talking, smoke-filled entrances and the Orange Bowl etc.

The 25 greatest Penn State football players of all-time

Regardless of the position (yes, more than just linebackers), Penn State has produced some of the greatest football players in college football history.

The 25 best players in Clemson football history

Clemson has produced some of this century's best college football players. However, the program has long been a football factory for individual talent dating back to the 1930s.

The 25 best players in Nebraska football history

Nebraska might be the one school that is best known for producing some of the greatest linemen -- on both sides of the ball -- in college football history. But the Cornhuskers have also churned out some legendary skill performers.

The best Minor League team nicknames of all time

Whether talking about the present or traveling back to the past, it's quite the challenge trying to come up with the best minor league baseball nicknames of all time.

College football Week 14: Picks and preview

Championship week is upon us, and there is still some intrigue to play out in regard to the College Football Playoff.

College football Week 13: Picks and preview

It's rivalry week with plenty at stake when it comes to determining those involved in the various conference championship game and, of course, the College Football Playoff. 

The greatest turkey moments in movie and TV history

No offense to the true meaning of Thanksgiving, but the star of the day is the turkey. And television, film, and pop culture have made turkey a prominent part of telling just about any Thanksgiving Day story. 

25 films to watch with the family on Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving holiday is always prime fodder for movie-making. Whether talking comedy, drama, or even horror, there are plenty of options to feed a starving movie lover's appetite. Here are 25 of our favorite Thanksgiving-associated films. 

College football Week 12: Picks and preview

There wasn't much shakeup within the latest College Football Playoff rankings, and some conference races have already been settled. But there's still plenty of wagering opportunities this weekend.

The 25 most memorable '80s movie soundtracks

If there's one thing about movies during the 1980s, the music seemed as important to the film's success as the plot and acting performances. Here's our list of the 25 best film soundtracks from the decade. 

The 20 best 2000s film soundtracks

The dawn of a new century brought with it some memorable movies — and some great music to go with a lot of those films. Here are 20 of the best movie soundtracks from 2000-20009.

College football Week 11: Picks and preview

There was a bit of a shakeup in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, and Alabama is not a national title contender -- and it's not even Thanksgiving.