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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

Legendary bands that need to reunite at some point

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 greatest hard rock/heavy metal music videos ever

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.

20 great films that become unwatchable on network TV

Even classic movies aren't worth the time spent taking in if they are severely edited and censored. Like when a favorite film pops up on basic cable (for those who still go that route) or even a major network. Here's our list of 20 such movies.

Who had the greatest WNBA rookie seasons of all time?

The 2024 WNBA season might be known for the performances of two exceptionally talented rookies. But, there have been plenty of rookies who shined bright before. Here's our list of 20 standout WNBA rookie seasons.

25 classic movies we watch whenever they are on TV

No matter the channel or time of day, there are certain movies that will come on the TV, and we tend to stop what we're doing and watch. Even if we've seen it countless times already.

The 25 best power ballads

Some of the hardest rock acts of all time are known for their slower, more melodic ballad work. But they still keep the volume at a respectable level. Here's out list of 25 great power ballads.

Ryan Gosling's best film and TV roles, ranked

The versatile Ryan Gosling has blossomed from a young Canadian actor to among the most popular and successful entertainers in Hollywood. Still in his prime, Gosling has already amassed quite an impressive acting catalogue. Here's our rankings of his 20 best roles on screen.

25 defensive players to watch for the 2024 college football season

Here's a look at 25 of the best defensive players entering the 2024 college football season. Listed in alphabetical order.

25 offensive players to watch for the 2024 college football season

Here's a look at 25 of the best offensive players entering the 2024 college football season. Listed in alphabetical order.

20 essential songs for your Blink-182 playlist

It's been nearly 30 years since Blink-182 released its first album in 1995. And even though the road has been rocky at times, the band is still prominent, and they're back on the scene with the classic lineup of Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker. Here's our list of Blink's best.

20 essential songs for your Eminem playlist

When it comes to characters in the rap and hip hop world, Eminem is arguably at the top of the list. As his career nears the 30-year mark, here's our list of Eminem's top 20 songs.

The most notable fictional firefighters

Trying to narrow down the most noteworthy fictional firefighters from television or film wasn't easy — but we gave it a go. Here's our top 20.

20 essential songs for your Radiohead playlist

Radiohead has enjoyed quite the career as one of the most innovative rock bands on the planet. Not afraid to take chances with its music, Radiohead's collective talent is truly immense. Here's our list of the 20 best Radiohead songs.

The most memorable secretaries and assistants from film and TV

There are have been plenty of memorable secretaries and personal assistants in the annals of television and films. Here are some of our favorites.

The most memorable characters from the films of the Brat Pack

Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy have been established as those young Hollywood actors and actresses that made up the Brat Pack, who starred in various films during the 1980s.

The definitive Brat Pack soundtrack playlist

When it comes to Brat Pack movies (starring 1980s young Hollywood staples Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall) one thing fans of those movies should agree upon is the high quality of the music included in those films.