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

College football awards watch season preview

Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is the favorite to win the Heisman. Or should Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa have the inside track? Here's our preseason look at potential award winners.

2019 college football predictions

On the verge of the 2019 college football season, what better time to take our shot at figuring out who is going to win what? From conference champions, to College Football Playoff participants to the biggest surprises and disappointments, all the way up to the national championship, here are our picks for the 2019 season.

Halls of fame: Our 30 favorite fictional schools

Whether it be on television or the big screen, elementary school, high school or college, Hollywood has taken us inside the halls of some of the most famous fake institutions of learning. 

The top 50 players in college football

We're on the cusp of another college football season, and with it will come many special individual performances this fall. There is plenty of proven talent out there and some waiting to break out.

15 storylines heading into FedExCup Final

The PGA Tour 2018-19 season comes down to this weekend's TOUR Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The FedEx Cup champion will be crowned, with a new scoring twist to make things even more interesting.

Predicting first loss of every Top 25 college football team

Trust us. Reigning national champion Clemson will indeed fall this season. Yardbarker pulls out its crystal ball to predict when the Tigers and other Associated Press Top 25 teams will lose their first game this season.

The 25 best TV hangouts

Some of the most legendary television shows — sitcoms or dramas — feature a great hangout. Whether it be a restaurant, bar or coffee house, the right hangout only adds to the impact of the program.

The biggest disappointments of the PGA Tour season

Not all have lived up to expectations this season. For some, that means failing to achieve consistent success. For others, it's not winning enough tournaments or failing to claim a major title when most thought it was more than possible.

The must-watch games of 2019 college football season

This weekend's Miami-Florida matchup heads a list of games we can't wait to see.

25 songs that are synonymous with the films they appeared in

Here's a look at 25 established songs, not those produced specifically for a film's soundtrack, that have become well-known for their place in movie history.  

The 25 best rivalries in college football

Perhaps the best part of each college football season is the collection of rivalries that feature rabid fans, packed stadiums and hot tempers on the field.

The 25 best college QBs for the 2019 season

The preseason Heisman Trophy contenders are nearly all quarterbacks. As the season approaches, here's our look at the best.

The 25 greatest game show hosts

The host has a lot to do with a game show's success. Some of the greats have become even bigger stars than some actors. Here's a look at our rankings of the top 25 game show hosts of all time.

10 most overrated college football teams entering the 2019 season

There are plenty of teams eyeing a spot in the College Football Playoff. Some are filled with lofty expectations while others hope to improve on missed opportunities or an underachieving 2018 season.

The most memorable performances at Woodstock

Legend has it that roughly one million people descended upon on the small town of Bethel, New York, a little less than two hours northwest of New York City. As iconic as the whole festival became, the music was the true star.

15 storylines heading into the FedExCup

The 2018-19 PGA Tour regular season has come to an end. What's left is the three-tournament FedEx Cup playoff. The action begins with The Northern Trust this weekend at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.

40 legendary stars of action cinema

We figured we would look at 40 of the best action movie stars ever. We didn't include the folks at Marvel and DC, because this is not about putting on a superhero costume to get the job done. 

The best and worst movie spinoffs

There have been plenty of popular television spinoffs that are still celebrated today. However, it's a little tougher to make good on such an effort with a movie, which is usually a one-time shot.

15 takeaways from the Open Championship

The 148th Open Championship has concluded, and it was a sweet victory and overall experience for Irishman Shane Lowry, an adopted local favorite for the weekend.

25 stars and hopefuls to watch at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo

Even some of the prominent Olympic heroes from recent years still have to secure a spot in Tokyo 2020, and it might not be easy, but expect plenty of star power.

2020 Summer Olympics storylines to keep an eye on

The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo are still a year away (July 24-Aug. 9, 2020), but there are certainly interesting stories of intrigue leading up to the Games. Who will be there? Who won't?

The most famous putts in golf history

The old golf adage "drive for show, putt for dough," are truly words to live by — especially for the pro duffers. That's because it usually comes down to a putt — whether long or short, straight or severely breaking — for a tournament title to be decided.

Top storylines for the Open Championship

All of golf's greats will be there for what is now the final major of the 2019 season. So let's dive in and take a look at 15 of the most intriguing storylines heading into this week's event.

10 dark horses who could win the Open Championship

We know who the favorites are for this year's Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. But what about the golfers who are a little off the radar or facing some long odds?