I look back at my copy of Midnight In Paris as it sits on my television stand. It’s a film I watch at the start of every summer because its beauty encapsulates the spirit of the season and its story perfectly sums up the magic of summer’s endless possibilities when you’re still at the onset of it. I like the head space it puts me in. I can watch it on an evening when golden hour cascades my living room with soft orange light that turns purple and pink as the clock ticks away. It’s a harmonious experience that puts me in tune with summer much like reading a page or two from Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine. Now, I’m at my desk, prepping notes for the first Titans preseason game, and it feels like it was forever ago that I watched it. It serves as a reminder of how fast time passes the older I get. It felt like only yesterday that I was looking forward to our summer plans. Now, I’m wondering where the time has gone.

It’s fitting to be sitting down at my laptop to write this on August 1st. Of course, that’s because it’s the official unofficial start to a season I’ve completely made up in my head: late summer. I decided a while ago that it needed its own label. It’s far too hot (at least here in Middle Tennessee) to be considered Fall. But, it’s not quite summer either. It’s a trend I’ve picked up on the older I’ve gotten. For me personally, it feels like the summer’s over after the 4th of July. June is always such a busy month for us that we rarely plan anything deep into July. Usually, we need a reprieve of sorts. I started noticing on social media that a lot of my friends and family plan their vacations for June, too. It’s almost as if the promise of a new summer is so great that we collectively can’t wait to hit the road. Early summer is a time of great anticipation. Once it’s over, what’s left? The heat. 

The heat isn’t so bad early on in the season. Or, perhaps it’s just that we’ve grown tired of the cold winter months and the Jekyll & Hyde spring season that typically throws temperatures back and forth between hot and cold enough that it makes everyone sick. Maybe we’re a little lenient on the heat. Here, May and early June aren’t so bad. It warms up early, but at least then, there’s still some semblance of a night breeze that cools things down. By July? Not so much – that’s when the humidity begins to set in. Just last week, I stepped outside at 10PM and it was still as if I was breathing in steam. I say all of this to highlight why, in my opinion, things seem to slow down at this time of year – it’s a bit of both calendars slowing down and unyielding heat and humidity setting in. 

Things are quiet right now. I can head to just about any restaurant around and I won’t have to wait for a table. School isn’t quite back in session yet, so the traffic is lighter. I don’t know how scientific the methodology is, but that’s what I use as evidence to support my claim that this is a black hole on the calendar. It’s a season of its own….late summer.

And, I quite enjoy it. Dare I say, it may be my favorite time on the calendar…certainly the most underrated. I tend to run hot. I work a lot and I have for the better part of the last 13 years. For me, I need a quiet spell roughly every six months or so when nothing is going on and I can hear myself think. I usually take some time off during the holidays that satisfies this need. But, it’s hard to find during the summer time. Thankfully, late summer provides that bit of peace for me. I like to take a weekend to myself in early August to review my accomplishments for the year and to review my list of things left to do before the year’s up. I take a weekend to just relax, to purposefully clear my head, and reset for football season (I am a football writer, after all). 

But, there’s more to late summer than it serving as a convenient checkpoint on my calendar. I also love the way nature behaves this time of year. There’s something about a sweaty hue over the moon at night that just looks mesmerizing…like something from a fantasy tale. The haze in the sky during the day makes it so that we don’t forget where we are on the calendar either. Leaves begin to turn a more shallow shade of green, sometimes, even yellow or downright brown. When I was a kid, I used to get my hopes up, thinking it was the arrival of an early fall. Now, I realize that it’s just the vegetation dying in the dryer weather and heat. It amounts to an encouraging message – “it can’t get much worse than this.” There’s nowhere to go but up! It also doesn’t hurt that I don’t have to mow my lawn as much this time of year either. Everything is beginning to die, and it may sound paradoxical, but that’s a pretty hopeful thing. It’s going to cool off before we know it.

It’s similar to why I love Thanksgiving. No, it’s not traditionally the most revered holiday, but at least with Thanksgiving, you get the enjoyment of the holiday atmosphere with the hope and anticipation of Christmas and New Year’s around the corner. Once New Year’s rolls around, what do we have? Spring time? Apply this theory to the pro wrestling world. The reason I love the Royal Rumble (January) so much is that it feels big, but we still have WrestleMania (March/April) to look forward to! Once WrestleMania is over, the calendar resets and everything starts anew! The storylines are mostly over! The reason I love late summer is that the promise of fall and the change in seasons still looms – we don’t have to reconcile with the inevitable passing of time just yet. 

This is all to say that I hope you can take some quiet time to yourself before the social calendar loads back up for the Fall. It’s a nice practice. For one, it’s just a weird feeling at this time of year and I like things that feel weird. It’s that simple. We talk a lot about the standard issue seasonal weather – cold in winter, hot in summer. But, there are pockets on the calendar where they meld together and that’s where the sweet spot is. I like to sit in those moments – the evenings that creep back down into the low 80s after a brutal run of 100+ degree days. There is nothing like the relief of a cool breeze after record-setting heat. I swear there’s something restorative about it. There’s no better indicator of this than the Wilson County Fair – I can remember years when I had to change clothes after leaving and I can remember years when I needed a hoodie to walk through it. It marks a transition period. Take stock of what you can and begin planning for the future. 

I hope you can enjoy late summer too.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

Elsewhere on the SoBros Network: Check out Stacking The Inbox for premium coverage of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft. Subscribe to Nashville Movie Dispatch for all of our movie content. We get weird on Phone It In, the history podcast that explores legendary tales, important historical figures, and events.

It’s no secret that the success of the 2026-27 Tennessee Titans is going to rely heavily on the team’s offensive line play. From the run game to Cam Ward’s development as an NFL quarterback, the O-Line is arguably the single most important job on the entire team. In an attempt to improve the O-Line, the Titans brought in Carmen Bricillo, a 7-year NFL coaching veteran, to help whip this offensive line unit into shape. After looking through Bricillo’s previous stops in the NFL, I was able to notice a clear pattern that comes with an important caveat for the Tennessee Titans. Throughout this article, I will explore how highly-rated Bricillo’s previous offensive lines have been and how that relates to the Titans. 

Stop 1: New England Patriots (2020 co-OL coach, 2021 sole OL coach) – As a co-OL coach, Bricillo helped orchestrate an offensive line that ranked 4th in the NFL per PFF’s year-end rankings. Since this was Bricillo’s first year with real responsibility as an OL coach, I decided to start my analysis of his career here. A highlight of this particular offensive line’s success was shown through sixth rounder Micheal Onwenu, who graded out at 84.3 PFF overall which was top-10 at the time among all rookie linemen. In 2021, Bricillo’s first time being the sole offensive line coach, the unit slightly worsened as they placed 9th in the PFF year-end rankings. While this is technically a worse finish than the previous year, a 9th-ranked NFL offensive unit is definitely something to be proud of. Just imagine what this year’s Titans team could accomplish if they had a 9th-ranked OL in the league! 

Stop 2: Las Vegas Raiders (2022 and 2023 OL Coach) – In 2021, the Raiders’ OL finished a horrendous 28th according to PFF. In 2022, Bricillo’s first year as the Raiders OL coach, the unit greatly improved and only allowed 35 sacks the entire season. This ranked as the 9th fewest sacks allowed in the NFL that year. The Raiders as a team also rushed for 2,059 yards the whole season. That is the most rushing yards the Raiders have had in a single season since 2011! To put a bow on things for the 2022 season, the Raiders OL ranked 10th overall by PFF’s final rankings. Moving to Bricillo’s 2023 stint with the Raiders, he had more or less the same kind of success. The unit finished 10th overall again while also having the 6th-best pass-blocking grade in the league.

Stop 3: New York Giants (2024 and 2025 OL Coach) – The 2024 season is where Bricillo really began to see some adversity when it came to his offensive line play. The 2024 New York Football Giants OL allowed 215 pressures and 48 sacks throughout the entirety of the season. After having his worst season as an OL coach yet, Bricillo bounced back dramatically with the Giants’ 2025 OL. Bricillo’s 2025 unit jumped to the 9th overall PFF-ranked offensive line unit while allowing only 140 pressures and 15 sacks! Keep in mind, Bricillo was able to keep all five OL starters from 2024 to 2025. This two-season jump is the clearest evidence I see that Carmen Bricillo can produce a “year 2 leap” in his offensive line play. 

So What’s The Takeaway? 

As you’ve probably been able to tell, Bricillo units have generally landed at better than league average every single year, according to PFF metrics. Even when the OL unit is below par, as in New York’s 2024 OL, Bricillo has proven that he’s able to improve his unit’s success as long as the OL unit holds together. I’m not saying it guarantees that Bricillo will always turn around a bad OL unit. All I’m saying is that he’s done it before in New York. 

Where the Titans OL Stands Now 

As most of us probably know, the Titans had the 32nd-ranked offensive line two years ago and the 18th-ranked offensive line last year. While technically 32 to 18 is an improvement, 18 is still below league average. In terms of the 2026 season, outlets such as PFF are already predicting the Titans’ OL to struggle this year even with three returning starters from last year. 

Applying Bricillo’s Track Record to Project 2026 

Understanding every team, year, and situation is different, if Bricillo’s previous success at the Raiders shows us anything, the Titans OL unit can make a real step forward in 2026. In my honest opinion, this year for the Titans is probably going to resemble what Bricillo’s first year at the Giants looked like. If the Titans OL has a rough year this year, hopefully they’ll be able to maintain as much roster consistency as possible to enter 2027 on the right foot. I realize that all these projections rely on analytics and most of the line staying healthy, but it is still a good exercise to see what the Titans OL could be in the next two years. 

Other Angles That Are Worth Weaving In 

One aspect about this coaching staff I haven’t mentioned is that Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll and Bricillo are coaching together again. This consistency in the offensive scheme could pay dividends in how the Titans offensive line unit plays this year. Another aspect of most offensive lines that can make or break a season is injuries. Bricillo’s two best years, Raiders ‘23 and Giants ‘25, came with pretty good health for the OL as a whole. As long as the Titans OL remains generally healthy throughout the whole season, I personally don’t think it’s an insane prediction to say they’ll finish right at or above league average. 

To Wrap it Up.. 

All in all, Bricillo’s history shows that he’s able to produce quick results (Raiders) or a slower-building turnaround (Giants). Both are plausible for this year’s Titans, and the overall health and continuity of the OL unit could be the biggest swing factor. With Cam Ward, the most important piece of the Tennessee Titans, entering year two, he’s going to at least need to see signs of improvement if this offensive line doesn’t come out of the gate as a league-average unit.

Man, I tell you what – taking a random vacation day on a Friday and dipping out to the movies to have a couple of gin and tonics and watch a fun movie makes for some Grade A self-care. That’s exactly what I did last week when Brandon called me up and said he was going to see The End of Oak Street. Now, I’ll admit that when I first saw the trailer for this film, I kind of side-eyed it. Then, early reviews started coming out and people were saying it was enjoyable. So, maybe I got my hopes up a little bit and that inflated my expectations, but I fell quite short of the consensus on this one. We fired up the mics to talk about it and how Anne Hathaway can do no wrong on the latest episode of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast!

Keep up with all of our work covering the world of movies on Nashville Movie Dispatch. Listen to The Vick’s Flicks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you take in your podcasts! Just search for ‘Nashville Movie Dispatch’ and you’ll find us. Or, just smash the play button on the embed below!

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

Elsewhere on the SoBros Network: Check out Stacking The Inbox for premium coverage of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft. Subscribe to Nashville Movie Dispatch for all of our movie content. We get weird on Phone It In, the history podcast that explores legendary tales, important historical figures, and events.

On Saturday, August 8th, Pro Wrestling Symphony held their “No Remorse” event at Eastside Bowl. I love going to see a show at the Eastside Bowl, and not just because it used to be a K Mart and I met John Cena there. From the sleek lanes to the dozens of pinball machines to the vintage bar that has The Chive playing viral videos on an endless loop, there’s always something to do and something to see. Not to mention, Daddy’s Dogs is a stone’s throw away, and that place rules. 

However, the action on that night took place in the stock room converted into a beautiful venue. Our first match had Bruss Hamilton take on Alejandro. I quite enjoy matches with complimentary styles, and a powerhouse against a highflyer is hard to beat. Bruss pulled out the win by a simple but brutal punch as Alejandro came off the top rope. Bruss then took the mic to call out O’Shay Edwards for the Symphony’s next show, “Battle of Five Points”.

Our second match saw WWE ID’s Anya Rune have her third match, this time against Corrine Joy. Anya has made the best of her appearances, and as I looked around the room many people had her merch. Corrine’s heel work was great, as she took time throughout the match to say something to the crowd. Rune got the pinfall victory with a running head strike. 

A number one contender’s match for the heavyweight title was our third match of the evening, as “The Back Breaking Artist” Jake Painter took on “Very” Kody Lane. Gotta give credit to Kody for coming out to Dolly Parton’s cover of “House of The Rising Sun”. This match was a solid back and forth until the referee was knocked to the ground. A new official came out, and combination of pins were exchanged. As the first official came to, a pin occurred where both sets of shoulders were down, with a referee counting the victory for each competitor. The match was declared a draw, meaning both Painter and Lane would be number one contenders, and the heavyweight title match would be a triple threat. Unhappy with the decision, Kody and Jake would continue their fight brawling to the back.

The tag team championship was on the line in our fourth match as Royal Prestige would defend against Top Team, a highly touted and accomplished team consisting of Jay Lucas & Terry Yaki. The crowd was locked in simply by entrances alone, and as the bell rang the crowd could feel that they were about to see something special. Objectively, this was not only Royal Prestige’s best defense yet, but was arguably the best tag team match the Symphony has held. I highly suggest seeking this match out on PWS’s YouTube channel when it’s made available. Prestige would retain the titles with their tag finisher.

After a brief intermission, we returned to the ring for our semi-main event. The newly crowned women’s champion Kaia McKenna had her first defense against 1/2 of the Mistresses of Mayhem, Sigrid. These two have become quite familiar with each other, and with no love lost in this rivalry, no punches were pulled. “Crazy” Charlie Saunier, who is apparently still holding a grudge over being camel clutched, got into it once again with Sigrid, providing enough of a distraction for McKenna to retain. Upset with the distraction and result, Sigrid would attack Kaia post match, showing that despite the victory, this rivalry was far from over.

Our main event of the evening was the culmination of months of intense conflict as “The Pride of Tater Peeler” Jeremiah Plunkett would finally get his hands on the PWS men’s champion, “The Code” Colby Carter in a no holds barred match. Everything was used, from a bowling ball to Plunkie’s meat and taters to a glass beer bottle. However, after a brawl that stretched the entire distance of the venue, Colby would retain his title and end the blood feud between the two. Colby and Jeremiah have great chemistry together, and the long term storytelling that stretched show to show was one of the most heated of rivalries in wrestling this year. Hats off to them both for a wonderful story told.

Pro Wrestling Symphony can be found on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Their next event, “Battle of Five Points”, will take place on Saturday, September 12th at Bongo Java East. I’d like to thank anyone that took the time to read this, and as always– get out the damn house and go support your local wrestling!

The older I get, the less patience I have for life’s discomforts. When I was younger, I hated having full pockets. I mean, I still do hate full pockets, but maybe something switches inside you when you turn 40 where you actually do something about it. I don’t know. My point is I just stopped carrying around lip balm because the stick always poked out in my pocket and I hated it. But, that sucked when I had chapped lips! Thankfully, the kids these days have decided their lip balm is going to come in balls now. A round sphere is much more conducive to pocket toting. I discovered this revelation on a recent road trip with my wife, when some ball was rolling around between my feet in the floorboard and driving me nuts.

“What is this?” I implored. “Oh, that’s my lip balm,” she said. WHAT!?! Lip balm in a ball? I love the future. In the following days I began to notice more balls on shelves that were actually lip balm. I don’t know what I thought they were before – maybe individually wrapped ping pong balls in the health and beauty section? I don’t know. I don’t question much anymore. One such balled up lip balm is the one you’ll find from EOS, which is grooved comfortably to fit in both your hand and your pocket. My wife has a few flavors….scents…what do we actually call it? We’re not eating lip balm, but we’re not just smelling it either. There’s a joke in there somewhere. I digress. I started digging through the bag and stumbled across this Blue Moon inspired valencia orange scented/flavored lip balm, and it blew my mind.

From the EOS website:

Our limited-edition Valencia Orange is specially crafted to enhance the vibrant notes of your favorite Blue Moon beer. Enjoy a citrus burst with each sip to make every occasion brighter!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve got out my lip balm and thought “I wish this was beer.” Thankfully, my deepest wishes have been fulfilled. This lip balm rolls on and it reminds me of that first sniff you get of a Blue Moon with an orange slice in it. You’re raising the glass to your mouth, and you just catch the slightest whiff of what’s to come. One could argue that the anticipation is the best part of the experience, and EOS has bottled that anticipation up and put it in a lip balm. I was so surprised by this, and immediately stole it from my wife’ stash and threw it in my backpack that I carry around everywhere.

Also, in case I wasn’t clear enough, I absolutely love that we’re getting away from sticks – no more sticks! We apply our lip balm from a ball. It doesn’t wedge funny in my pocket, which we’ve already established I hate carrying stuff around in. Kudos, EOS. Kudos.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.

Elsewhere on the SoBros Network: Check out Stacking The Inbox for premium coverage of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft. Subscribe to Nashville Movie Dispatch for all of our movie content. We get weird on Phone It In, the history podcast that explores legendary tales, important historical figures, and events.