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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

Sports & Politics Intersect: Fans call foul over MLB political donations

Usually these actions draw little attention from the public and have become as much a part of the MLB machine as Opening Day and the Home Run Derby. But then there are times like last week when a $5,000 donation to a U.S. Senate candidate from Mississippi created an uproar — partially in the wake of a Twitter post from famed television writer Michael Schur. 

College football Week 14 preview

Week 14 of the college football season means "Championship Week." All 10 FBS leagues will hold their title games this weekend, with most eyes focused heavily on the Big 12 and SEC.

Under-the-radar player from each Top 25 team

There are plenty of stars in college basketball. But what about those players who don't normally grab the headlines?  The grinders, the kings of the floor burns; guys who just want to clean the glass, dish the rock or play that lock-down defense that's needed to earn a victory.

Sports & Politics Intersect: Former MSU president facing felony charges, USAG fights USOC as Nassar scandal continues

“... If you really want to stop this sort of abuse, you’ve got to send people the message that, ‘You’re going to go to jail.’"  - John Manly, attorney

The 'College football rivalry trophies' quiz

How many of the trophies associated with each of these college football rivalries can you name in five minutes?

College football Week 13 preview

It's the final full weekend of the regular season in college football. That means it is rivalry week.  The Egg Bowl, Apple Cup and Iron Bowl are all on tap — not to mention plenty of conference races will be decided, and the complexion of College Football Playoff could change when the dust settles this weekend.

2018-19 women's college basketball primer

The 2018-19 women's college basketball season has already tipped off, and for the first time in what seems like forever, Connecticut is not the favorite to win it all.

The 2018 NASCAR year in review

Another season of NASCAR is in the books, with the fourth first-time winner in five years having just been crowned over the weekend in Miami. While the finish was exciting, the season wasn't all that rosy for some big-name drivers, racing teams and the organization itself.

Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson: What you need to know

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are finally getting around to a one-on-one match that is probably 10 years too late. Still, it's happening, and golf fans will pay to watch it.

Five MLB teams that need to blow it all up and five that should not

It's less than a month since the World Series ended, but already baseball fans and certainly major league organizations find themselves looking ahead to 2019.

College football Week 12 preview

Intriguing matchups in the American Athletic Conference and Big 12 highlight this weekend's slate of games.

The best one-and-done college basketball players of all time

The age of the one-and-done in college basketball is still going strong — and probably won't end any time soon regardless of what continues to be reported.

The 25 best coaches in college basketball

There might not be a better overall collection of coaches in college basketball at the moment. There are Hall of Famers, up-and-coming stars and a few still not getting the credit they deserve.

Mid-majors to watch in 2018-19

Every college basketball season there is a team — or two or three — that flies under the radar and ends up making a splash come March. Or there are some non-power conference programs that enjoy breakout seasons and manage to pull off upsets at the Big Dance.

Sports & Politics Intersect: USA Gymnastics fall from USOC grace

On Monday, the United States Olympic Committee said the process to decertify, or revoke, USA Gymnastics as the sport’s national governing body was underway.

Way-too-early bowl projections

The first matchup of the college bowl season is still more than a month away. So that means it's the perfect time to look into that crystal ball and see who might play who and where.

College football Week 11 preview

As the regular season winds down, conference races continue to heat up and more teams across the nation move closer to bowl eligibility. The second College Football Playoff rankings  are out, with Michigan replacing LSU in the top four.

Must-watch games of the 2018-19 college hoops season

The college basketball season begins this week, and right out of the gate, four of the best teams in the nation are in action against each other.

Sports & Politics Intersect: Maryland fails to balance athletics and morality

“I feel relief and justice for Jordan. You keep saying his name until somebody listened.” 

College basketball conference favorites for 2018-19

As another college basketball season approaches, it's time to dive into what each of the 32 Division 1 conferences looks like — the front-runners, the

College football Week 10 preview

The College Football Playoff rankings are out , and to no surprise, Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Notre Dame make up the top four. All four teams will be in action this weekend, with two of them going head-to-head in the game of the week.