Yardbarker

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 25 greatest 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 greatest movie soundtracks from the 2000s

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.

The 25 greatest MLB play-by-play announcers

Many greats will be left out — sorry to Marty Brennaman or Milo Hamilton. We gave it a go and included some of the game's more modern-day talent mixed with the all-time legends. Here we go, listed alphabetically.

The 25 best NFL play-by-play broadcasters

Many greats will be left off the list. Still, we gave it a go and included some of the game's more modern-day talent mixed with the obvious legends. Here we go — listed alphabetically.

The 25 greatest players in USC football history

One of the most storied college football programs of all time, as a winner of 11 recognized national championships, USC has produced its fair share of gridiron legends. 

The 20 greatest players in UCLA football history

There have been plenty of exceptional athletes to come through UCLA's football program. It can be tricky to narrow it down to the 20 best in school history, but we gave it a go. Here they are, listed chronologically.

The 25 greatest players in Oklahoma football history

Oklahoma has built one of the most successful college football programs, with seven official national championships and the same amount of Heisman Trophy winners. It takes great players to enjoy that kind of success.

The 25 greatest players in Florida State football history

Making a condensed list of the best players in Florida State football history can be challenging. We gave it a go, featuring some of the greatest players to grace any college gridiron. Our list is in chronological order.

The 20 greatest football players in Texas Longhorns history

When it comes to storied college football programs, the University of Texas has plenty to brag about. Sure, times have been a little lean in recent years, but its football tradition is second to none.

The 20 greatest players in Florida football history

The University of Florida has produced some of the greatest football players, so trying to determine the top 20 Gators in program history is not easy. We gave it a shot.

20 underrated '80s bands who are worth rediscovering

Perhaps they resided in the shadow of someone else within a genre, or maybe there was a lack of mainstream appreciation. Maybe they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. That could have been the case during the 1980s for these 20 bands.

20 underrated bands from the 1990s who are worth rediscovering

Here's our list, in alphabetical order, of 20 bands from the 1990s who didn't quite receive their full due.

The best movies about soccer

In the spirit of the World Cup, here's our list of some worthy films about soccer, whether a die-hard fan of the sport or not — listed in chronological order.

College football Week 10: Picks and preview

The first College Football Playoff rankings for the 2022 season are out, and it's quite interesting at the top leading into this weekend's action.

Yardbarker's preseason 2022-23 college basketball top 25

It's almost tip time for the 2022-23 college basketball season. So, we offer up our preseason Top 25 rankings. All statistics in parenthesis are from last season unless noted otherwise.

The top college basketball freshmen to watch in 2022-23

There are several potential impact freshmen generating hype ahead of the 2022-23 season — those capable of taking control of a game from the onset. Here's our look at 20 of the best freshmen to watch in the NCAA this season.