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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

25 unlikely music collabs that somehow worked

Some of the best musical duets and collaborations feature some of the most unlikely talents. Spanning genres while mixing and matching strange musical combinations tend to make exceptional art.

The best MLB closers of all time

There might not be a more pressure-packed position in all of Major League Baseball than the closer. His time on the diamond is rather brief, but highly crucial.

The 25 best designated hitters in MLB history

There are plenty of Major League Baseball players who were born to hit, and when the designated hitter was adopted by the American League in 1973, it made and saved plenty of careers.

Who are the 25 best bass players of all time?

Spanning all genres and generations, narrowing down the 25 best bass players of all time is never easy. We gave it a go.

The origin stories behind 25 famously odd album names

Plenty of things about the music business don't make sense. Notably, what goes into naming an album. Regardless of the genre or era, the number of creatively strange and random record titles is seemingly endless, but these are our 25 favorites, listed chronologically.

20 late-career albums that were surprisingly great

Even in the twilight of some legendary careers of musical artists and bands, greatness can surface when perhaps least expected. Whether trying to revive a career or deliver one last goodbye, some special music has been produced.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck through the years

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck remain chummy as two of the world's biggest movie stars. Their rise to stardom is inspiring and endearing. It seems impossible to discuss one without mentioning the other, so here's a timeline of their rise to fame.

The greatest high school basketball players from the Los Angeles area

Los Angeles County has produced some of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game. Most sowed their seeds for greatness on the high school level. Here is our list of the best prep players from L.A. (Los Angeles County, to be more specific

The best NHL announcers and analysts of all time

Right up there with Major League Baseball, the NHL — and hockey fans, in general — tend to revere their team's broadcasters. Whether those calling the play-by-play action or providing insightful color commentary, the best of the best are beloved within the game — and the really good ones are usually internationally renowned.

The best NBA announcers and analysts of all time

Trying to narrow down our top 25 NBA play-by-play announcers and color commentators was not easy, and we're sure some notables are missing. But we think we've compiled an overall sound list of NBA voices that are highly entertaining.

New York City's all-time greatest high school basketball players

Trying to pick the 25 best high school basketball players to come out of the five boroughs of New York City is pretty daunting. There are several Hall-of-Famers worthy of the honor, but we have our list.

The best musical acts from Southern California

Southern California has produced some of the greatest music ever recorded. Spanning all genres, it would seem impossible to narrow it down to the 25 best groups and bands from the region, but below is our best shot at it.

Chicago's all-time greatest high school basketball players

The city of Chicago has produced some of the best basketball players the game — at all levels — has ever seen. Trying to narrow them down to the 25 best is a chore, but we gave it a shot.

Most unlikely men's college basketball national champions

Not all NCAA men's basketball national championships are created equal. Some stunned the hoops world, others found their season prime a little later than others, while even more caught lightning in a bottle. Here is our ranking of 20 unlikely national champions.

Best college basketball play-by-play announcers and analysts of all time

Trying to nail down the best college basketball play-by-play announcers, analysts and color commenters can be extremely daunting, but also subjective in may cases. Well, we gave it a shot anyway.

The 20 best Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball players of all time

While it was only recently that Virginia blossomed into a perennial national championship contender under coach Tony Bennett — and won the whole thing in 2019 — the program has plenty of tradition to celebrate. Here is our list of the 20 best men's players in Virginia basketball history.

The 20 best fictional film rock stars

They may not be real, but many memorable rock stars have filled the big screen. While most have made us laugh, a good number of fictional rockers have been able to tug at our emotions. Here's our list of the 20 best.

The greatest players in Louisville men's basketball history

Here's our take on the 20 best players in the history of Louisville Cardinals men's basketball. Listed in chronological order.

Best men's and women's NCAA Tournament runner-ups

It's fun to debate the greatest NCAA basketball champions of all time. But what about those that fall just short, the runner-ups, who tend to be forgotten?

25 players to watch at the 2023 NCAA women's tournament

The women's NCAA tournament might have an unanimous favorite in South Carolina, but the Gamecocks are not the only ones who possess some of the best players in the college game.

25 players to watch at the 2023 NCAA men's tournament

From established stars to under-the-radar talents, the 2023 NCAA men's tournament will again showcase some of college basketball's best players. Here's our list of 25 to keep an eye on.

The 25 cult classic films that movie lovers swear by

The true definition of a cult classic movie can differ. The gist of it is something that might not have been popular or critically praised upon introduction but draws a loyal and dedicated fan base over time. Below are our 25 best cult classic films.

The 25 funniest, weirdest, zaniest characters from Mel Brooks movies

Trying to narrow down the many remarkably brilliant and often memorable characters from Mel Brooks' directed moves might seem impossible; however, we gave it a try.

The most compelling fictional slackers in movie history

The art of being a slacker might seem easy, but it takes a special kind of person to truly master laziness, irresponsibility, and lack of concern for just about anything of value. There have been some memorable slackers on the big screen, and here's our list of the 25 best.