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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

Underrated college basketball home arenas and gymnasiums

While maybe not at the top of the list when thinking about the great college basketball venues of the day, these are 20 worth celebrating.

The greatest metal acts that formed in the 2000s

Hard rock and heavy metal currently don't have mainstream outlets like MTV to reach the masses, but there has been plenty of great stuff from those two genres since 2000. Here's our list of the best bands born from this time period.

The 20 best Sylvester Stallone characters, ranked

Sylvester Stallone's acting career should be defined as more than a famous fictional boxer or military mercenary. He's done much more with his career, which should be celebrated in its entirety.

25 NCAA women's college basketball players to watch for 2024-25

There are plenty of stars shining bright for the 2024-25 NCAA women's college basketball season. Here are 25 players to keep a close eye on this season.

20 freshmen to watch during the 2024-25 college basketball season

Whether they'll be one or done or stick around the college game for a while, there are certainly some talented true freshmen that will grace the hardcourt this season.

The greatest college hockey players of all time

One does not need to have a successful NHL career to be considered among the best college hockey players ever to play the game. Here's our list. Listed in chronological order.

The best coming-of-age movies made in the 21st century

Since the dawn of the 2000s, Hollywood has delivered some of the most memorable coming-of-age films ever made. Here's our list of the best from that timeframe.  Listed in chronological order.

The most legendary MLB playoff performers

There are great major league postseason performers, and then there are the elite — the best of the best. Here's our list of the 25 most outstanding MLB postseason superstars.

25 great bands that feature more than one primary vocalist

Why feature one quality lead vocalist when you can showcase two ... or three, or four, etc? Here are some prominent rock bands who are — or were — doing just that.

Old souls: Singers who are 70+ and still got it

Age is nothing but a number. Heard that before? That's what it means to some of the greatest rock voices of all time. 

Storylines to follow for the 2024-25 NHL season

The 2024-25 NHL season is here, and there are plenty of stories to follow. Here are some of the most prominent.

The most notorious band squabbles of all time

Every band goes through its issues, some more intense than others. Here's a list featuring some of the best.

20 TV spin-offs better than the original show

There are plenty of television spin-off series that should not have been made. Then there are those who have become an iconic part of TV history — or at least more entertaining than the show from which they were spawned. Here are some of our favorites.

The most memorable missed field goals in NFL history

The NFL place-kicker might be the loneliest athlete in all of sports, especially after missing a an important field goal. Here's our list of the 20 most memorable failed field-goal attempts. 

20 bands we'd like to see reunite

One can only dream when it comes to their favorite band — or bands — that no longer perform together will reunite to make more musical memories. Here's our list of 20 musical acts we'd like to see play together again.

The best comedy series set in small towns

Some of the biggest and best comedies of all time are set in fictional small towns. Here are some of our favorites. 

The best non-video programs ever to be aired on MTV

While MTV started as music channel, to many, it's best known for programming that had nothing to do with song or dance. Here's our list of the 20 best MTV originals that weren't music-specific shows.

25 all-time great NFL players from non-FBS schools

Some of the best NFL players to ever grace the gridiron didn't need to play at a big-time college or university. It doesn't matter the size of the school; greatness will find its way to be celebrated. Here are some of the best NFL players who didn't need a collegiate powerhouse to get them to excel on football's grandest stage.

20 years later: Cast of Lost -- Where are they now?

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the hit ABC series, here's a look what those actors and actresses who portrayed 20 of Lost's most prominent and/or popular characters have done since the series ended in 2010.

25 songs for the essential Van Halen playlist

Whether talking the David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar eras, Van Halen has produced some of the most celebrated and beloved hard rock tunes of all time. Here's our list of the best.

The 25 best emo records of all time

A child of hardcore and post-hardcore punk, emo is almost a culture in and of itself — honest, genuine and personal lyrics, within the confines of screeching guitars and emotional melodies. Here's our list of the 25 most notable emo albums of all time.

The best college football game-day traditions

College football game days are all about spectacle: atmosphere, pageantry, excitement, and, of course, tradition. Here are some of the best game-day college football traditions that any fan of the game can appreciate.

25 great Pearl Jam deep cuts

With more than 30 years of music recorded and distributed, Pearl Jam has given rock fans many special listening moments. As we dive into Pearl Jam's undeniably deep catalog, here's our list of the most notable deep cuts from the band.

The 25 best hard rock/metal music videos of all time

The presence of MTV helped numerous hard rock and various genre of metal acts enjoy mainstream success through their music videos. Whether conceptual, performance-based or even surrealistic, there were plenty of memorable visuals to make songs even more prominent. Here's our list of the 25 best.

The 20 cheesiest music videos of all time

Most music videos don't make sense. Some are plain out there. And, the level of cheesiness is astronomical. On that note, here's our top 20 of that kind.