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 best Super Bowl commercials of all time

Over the years, there have been countless memorable ads, for better or worse, and some that we're still talking about.

The worst Super Bowl commercials of all time

Over the years, there have been countless memorable ads, for better or worse, and some that we're still talking about.

The most notable names on XFL rosters

Here's a look at some of the more notable players trying to prolong their pro football careers in the XFL, or at least until the rosters become official on Jan. 27.

One area of improvement for each top 25 golfer

As the 2020 golf season kicks into gear and fans start paying more attention to the sport, it's time to dig a littler deeper into the game's best. Here's a look at one area in which each golfer currently among the top 25 in the World Golf Ranking can use some tweaking.

Which TV shows had the greatest final episodes?

It's never too early to look ahead to the end of a TV show's season— perhaps even the end of a show's run. Today, we look back at some of the best series finales in television history (in chronological order).

Ranking the top 25 Judd Apatow movies

Here's our ranking of the 25 best films Apatow either wrote, produced, directed, or was responsible for, emphasizing those films Apatow directed.

The top storylines heading into 2020 golf season

The 2019-20 golf season is upon us for both the PGA and LPGA Tours. There is plenty to talk about in the new year and much to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

10 most surprising college basketball teams so far

As we dive into the second half of the 2019-20 college basketball season, we don't have a clear-cut national championship contender at the moment. Amid the parity, however, are a number of quality programs.

Catching up on the biggest stories in college basketball so far

We're now in the heart of the college basketball season. Conference play is heating up, and no team has broken away from the pack as a potential midseason front-runner for the national title.  There are several fascinating storylines to follow as we head down the road toward March Madness.

'80s film villains who we can't get enough of

Those of a certain age group are still stuck in the 1980s, especially when it comes to movies. More specifically, we still can't get enough of those '80s villains, bad boys and girls. Whether they were in action films, comedies, or teen romantic dramas, here are our favorite '80s villains.

The 25 movies, shows, and music that defined 2019

Whether it was on television or in film or music, 2019 gave us some memorable entertainment moments. Perhaps it wasn't an over-the-top, unforgettable year in entertainment, but there was plenty of work to look back fondly on and that was worthy of acclaim.

The entertainers who blew us away in 2019

Moviegoers, TV watchers and music lovers certainly had a lot to like in 2019. Across the entertainment board, there was talent to keep just about anybody happy and even turn some heads.

Bowl records for each team in every 2019 bowl game

The 2019 bowl season is just about to get underway. Here's a look at the bowl records of each team that will be part of the action. Rankings reflect that of The Associated Press Top 25.

The 25 most iconic acting families in movie history

Acting bloodlines run deep through Hollywood. Entertainment is a family business for some of the biggest stars in the industry. Here are 25 acting families worth highlighting.

Ranking the 2019 college football bowl games

We thought we'd help out by ranking which bowls have the most intriguing matchups or are worth spending time to watch. Here's our ranking of those 39 bowl games on tap this season.

Yardbarker 2019 college football All-American team

The 2019 college football regular season is done. As we await the start of bowl season and the College Football Playoff, it's a good time to single out some of the top performers on both sides of the ball, and special teams, this season.

The 25 best college football games this season

There is still plenty of football left to be played in the 2019 college football season. However, the regular season for most of the country's teams has ended.

Sports storylines to follow in 2020

Spanning all sports and all athletes, there are stories and trends to keep an eye on in the new year and start to a new decade.

The 25 best coaches in college basketball

It's a perfect time to offer our take on the best 25 coaches still active on the Division I level.

The best concept albums of all time

 Some tell a continuous story, while others use each song to contribute to an overall theme. Here are some of the more notable concept albums ever made.

Movies you can watch on Thanksgiving instead of football

Here are some films — not just involving football or even the holiday, for that matter — worth watching when live football is not doing it for you this Thanksgiving.

Notable film characters whose on-screen intros were in sequels

In many instances, sequels often fail in living up to the films they follow up. However, some can more than hold their own and are even better than the original movie in a series.