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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

Year in review: The entertainers who blew us away in 2021

Whether talking, television, streaming, movies, or music, there were plenty of notable and memorable performances in 2021. Here's a look at some worth highlighting.

Year in review: The 25 movies, shows, and music that defined 2021

Spanning film, television, and music, 2021 had many defining moments that won't soon be forgotten. Here's our list celebrating some of the best of 2021, listed in alphabetical order.

Year in review: The best teams of 2021

Individual sports accomplishments are nice, but things seem better when a team is involved. There were plenty of notable team performances spanning the sports world in 2021.

Year in review: The best sports moments of 2021

From stellar individual achievements to exceptional team accomplishments, 2021 had plenty of notable sports moments. 

Year in review: The 2021 athletes of the year

There are always too many special individual athletic moments to count on a yearly basis. But, of course, many that stand out beyond a single calendar year.

The pre-Christmas college football bowl games: Picks and previews

The 2021-22 college football bowl season is here, and the schedule should provide something to satisfy just about any fan.

Hoosier love: The best Indiana University college hoops players of all-time

Here's our list of the 20 greatest players in Indiana basketball history. Listed in chronological order.

Ranking all the 2021-22 college football bowl matchups

The schedule for the 42 FBS bowl games is ready to go. There's likely something for every college football fan. Whether we like it or not. Yes, the slate can be overwhelming, so here are our rankings of each bowl to help determine your interest level.

20 names to know for 2021-22 women's college basketball season

The 2021-22 women's college basketball season is off and running. We've already seen some of the game's established stars shine bright, while others have emerged as those to watch going forward.

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 greatest 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.

25 songs that need to be on every 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.