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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

College football Championship Week: Picks and preview

Here are our previews and predictions for each conference championship game, plus one other Power 5 contest on the schedule, and, as a bonus, the eight second-round FCS playoff matchups. 

The 25 best players in Ohio State football history

A perennial college football power, Ohio State continues to churn out of some of the greatest players in the history of the sport. And, the Buckeyes seem to get even better talent as the years add up.

The 25 best players in Michigan football history

Spoiler alert: Tom Brady won't be on this list.

College football Week 13: Picks and preview

It's the final full weekend of college football's regular season. Some conference races have been decided, while others will come down to this. Not to mention, perhaps an even clearer look at the College Football Playoff picture.

The definitive playlist for The Clash

It's easy to claim The Clash among the greatest punk bands of all time. It's also appropriate to rank them among the greatest groups in rock and roll history. In celebration of the only band that matters, our ranking of its 20 best songs is here. 

College basketball transfers to keep an eye on for the 2021-22 season

Each year the size of the transfer pool gets bigger and the talent seems greater.

College football Week 12: Picks and preview

There wasn't much drama to this week's College Football Playoff rankings, but there's plenty of intrigue involving this week's slate of games. 

The best CFL players of all time

The Canadian Football League does not generate the same collective level of excitement in North America as the NFL, but the league has a storied history.

College football Week 11: Picks and preview

Conferences races are heating up and the number of undefeated teams in college football continues to get smaller. It must be November.

College football Week 10: Picks and preview

The first College Football Playoff Selection Committee rankings  are out, and, of course, there is plenty of intrigue mixed with a healthy dose of head-scratching.

The legacy defining moments for sports legends

Great athletes are defined by great games. Or streaks. Or seasons. Or overall career accomplishments. Many that we still talk about today. Here are some defining, standout moments from 50 of the greatest athletes of all time (non-active).

MLB stadiums of yesteryear we wish were still around

Here are our rankings of 25 parks and stadiums still worth holding near and dear to our baseball hearts.

The best Michael Douglas roles

Michael Douglas is Hollywood royalty. Along with his late father, Kirk, he is a legend of the craft. The younger Douglas is still delivering memorable performances. Here is our ranking of his 20 best roles.

The definitive Pink Floyd playlist

The band's catalog is extensive, but our 25 favorite Pink Floyd classics are here.

College football Week 9: Picks and preview

A couple of big matchups in the Big Ten and the annual installment of the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" are on the docket in Week 9 of the college football season.

College football midseason bowl projections

November is approaching and soon we will see the initial College Football Playoff rankings. Yet, we might have a good idea -- or at least think we do -- of what the 2021-22 bowl season will look like soon.

College football Week 8: Picks and preview

Here are our previews and predictions (point spreads courtesy of DraftKings and current at the time of publication, but subject to change) for those Week 8 matchups featuring teams in the Top 25 and other intriguing contests.

The definitive Elton John playlist

It would seem quite the challenge to select the 25 best songs from legendary entertainer Elton John, and his longtime lyrical collaborator Bernie Taupin. But, we went ahead anyway.

The 25 most memorable fictional sports media figures

Every sports fan has his or her favorite commentator, analyst, columnist, or media personality. However, some of the sports' best media types aren't even real.

The top 25 moments in Women's U.S. Open golf history

The U.S. Women's Open might not have the century-plus history as the men's version, but it's no less rich in tradition. In fact, it's still the marquee event in women's golf.

The most memorable fictional reporters, journalists, and news figures

Reporters and journalists often become part of the news, for better or worse. In Hollywood, sometimes those doing the reporting are more entertaining than the subjects they cover. Here are 20 of the best media-type figures from television or film.

College football Week 7: Picks and preview

There's a new No. 1 team in the country, and an interesting potential College Football Playoff scenario already playing out. That should make for a fun Week 7.

The best characters from Christopher Guest mockumentaries

Veteran actor Christopher Guest has become a master of mockumentary filmmaking. With great movies come great characters. He is our ranking of the best characters from those five memorable Guest movies.

The best mockumentaries of all time

The best documentary films are informative and entertaining. In the realm of mockumentary movies, add the element of comedy, and we've got one special fictional package made out to chronicle a supposed real-life event, individual, or group of people. Here are our favorite mockumentary films.

College football Week 6: Picks and preview

Plenty of big-time contests on tap for Week 6, headlined by a pair of top-five Big Ten schools squaring off.