For the last six months of my life, my social media algorithms have been full of tinned fish content. I’m not really sure where it started. I remember at one point watching a Tik Tok about how tinned fish was a solid addition to your charcuterie spread. I was intrigued by it. I had always written off the tinned fish as something disgusting…but I admit…I had never tried it. It just didn’t sound good to me. But, it piqued my interest. One Tik Tok became two, and sometimes, that’s all it takes for these platforms to think you suddenly fucking love tinned fish.

So, it’s been a constant barrage of “here are things you can do with your tinned fish.” Sometimes, they mush it all up and eat it on bread. Sometimes, they just hit it with some salt and fresh lemon juice. At this point, I feel like I’ve seen it all. This is probably an alarming example of how social media can change your way of thinking without you even experiencing anything. That’s troubling to think about, but I do feel like it’s far beyond the scope of what we do here at SoBros Network, so we’ll just stick to the fish content for now. But, I did shift from thinking the idea was gross to thinking “man, I kinda wanna get in on this action.” I guess gaslighting works. You just show somebody something enough times and eventually they’ll warm up to it. I’m sure that’s fine.

Anyway, I finally caved. I finally said “hell yeah, we’re gonna do it!” I kept seeing the Fishwife brand pop up everywhere. All of these Tik Toks….all of these lists….everybody had some flavor and some fish from Fishwife. So, I thought that would be a good starting point. I picked up a tin of smoked mackerel with chili flakes, and folks…I’m here to give it a shot today. Let’s see how this thing goes.

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.

My memories of the Lebanon town square from when I was a kid growing up in Gladeville in the 1990s would induce a groan. I used to hate it when my parents mentioned going – it was nothing but old antique stores! As soon as I was old enough to stay home alone, I wouldn’t think twice about skipping out on those trips. But, it’s funny how things have changed since those days. Now, whenever we have the rare free Saturday or Sunday, heading out to the square for a leisurely morning is how I choose to unwind.

May 2nd, 2026 marked the date that I first got my life back after the cycle of the 2026 NFL Draft had consumed my life for the previous four months. My wife asked what I wanted to do that day, and my answer was “Lebanon.” I had a moment of reflection on the way out there about how things have changed so much. There used to be little there for me – now, it’s the first place that pops into my head on free days. We’ve built quite a routine of Polly Sparrow Bakery > Harper’s Books > either Town Square Social or Cedar City Brewing for lunch. You might think that sounds crazy – how could we possibly be hungry again that close to a trip to the baker? Do not underestimate how much time my wife and I can spend combing the shelves in Harper’s Books.

That morning, we added a new wrinkle to our routine. We made the usual stop at Polly Sparrow Bakery, where I had a Cuban croissant that might’ve been the best creation I’ve ever eaten there. Flaky, rich croissant…fresh tomatoes, caramelized onions, pickles, mustard….yeah, man. That’s the good stuff. But, afterwards, we branched out a bit. I had seen that a new place called Action Nerd Fun Spot had opened up recently. I’m a bit of a nerd. I have a small comic book collection. So, I figured why not check it out?

It’s a really cool shop. Sometimes, you walk into these comic shops and it’s hit or miss with the selection. Action Nerd had some truly impressive stuff, professionally graded as well, that you just don’t see every day. We didn’t even realize it was Free Comic Book Day. So, we picked up a stack for our buddy’s son, who is beginning to show an interest in Spider-Man and his rogue’s gallery. But, this is certainly a haven for nerds and collectors alike – as long as my wife doesn’t groan too much, we’ll probably have to add it to our rotation.

From there, it was on to Harper’s Books. I’m running out of space for all of the books I own, but that never stops me from putting a stack together at Harper’s. These used book stores these days are getting a little out of control with their prices, but Harper’s has always stayed reasonable and that’s why it’s become my shop of choice. They do have new selections, but for me, every time I walk into that store, it feels like a treasure hunt. It’s one of the few places I can go and genuinely drown out the noise of everyday life.

We had other plans that day, so we skipped out on our usual stop at Town Square Social or Cedar City Brewing. But, I’ll say that you can’t beat the burgers and cold beers at Cedar City. And, you can’t beat the hot chicken tacos at Town Square Social. Both serve as awesome spots to take a break, get a frosty cold adult beverage, eat a good meal, and relax for a little bit. That’s what it’s all about to me – it’s the art of getting time to pass slowly, and I’ve found that the Lebanon town square is a great place to accomplish that.

I guess I haven’t slowed down for long enough in a while to realize just how much that part of town had been built up in recent years. Sometimes, we’ll even make a trip around Nirvana Candy Company. We might dip into Main Street Mercantile & Creamery for a milkshake. Hell, it feels like there’s always something new to explore in the area. There are all kinds of little boutiques and shops along the square now that we haven’t even been to. My point here is that if you haven’t recently visited this lovely gem tucked away just a short drive out of Nashville, you might want to make plans to. The Lebanon town square has evolved, and there’s just about something for everyone there now.

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 been damn near 13 years on these internet streets and I can’t believe how much the game has changed in that time. I’m becoming a bit of an old timer now. I feel like the game has passed me by if I’m being completely honest. I’m one of the old dudes on the scene now…hell, it’s not even the same scene anymore, really. I don’t know why this has been so heavy on my mind in recent months, but it has been. Maybe it’s self-reflection. Maybe it’s seeing all the gray hairs in the mirror and wondering if there’s still a place for me. How do I evolve? Or, have I had my Hulkamania run already?

When I launched SoBros Network in August of 2013, people were actually still reading blogs. Social media algorithms were different – if you had a thousand followers on Facebook, you could trust that probably six or seven hundred of them would actually see your posts, if not more. You didn’t have to pay to promote your content to get them seen. Those first few years of SoBros Network, something like 88% of our total site traffic came from social media platforms. We thrived. It felt like a real community – people were engaged, I’d get texts all day about stuff we’d written, people would share our articles. Those early years were quite formative – we felt like success was inevitable. We were the rogues out there making our own way, and as it grew, I felt encouraged that we were on the right path.

But, you just can’t do it that way anymore – writing an article and sharing a link goes nowhere. Shit, I’ve posted stuff on Twitter, and when I go to check back on it a day or two later, I find that the tweet has 60 views and maybe two link clicks. For reference, we ballooned from 50 Facebook followers to 1,200 in a year or two from 2015 to 2017. But, we’ve hovered around that same mark ever since. Nearly 10 years and virtually no movement! I know people aren’t using Facebook as much anymore, but it’s still kind of wild to look at that.

There was a surge in the mid to late 2010s. It’s like the world figured out “hey – anyone and everyone can do this digital media thing!” Social media became saturated with “content” and then the big platforms were forced to curate what actually showed up on your feed. Then, they figured out that some publishers with a bankroll would pay to promote their work and it opened up an entirely new revenue stream for them. Our numbers started to decline.

By 2018, Google was our primary source of traffic. We were verified there and even showed up in the Google News section. Things changed – just a few years prior, 12% of our site traffic came from the search engines. In 2018, that flipped to about 80% of our site traffic coming from search engines. I thought it was great – we were rolling with the punches! Losing out on social media? No problem – we’ll lean into the Google algorithm! But, there was a Google core update in the spring of 2019 that shattered that belief. I was pretty devastated by it. One month, we hit a record of 50,000 users on the site in a month. The next, that figure dropped to 12,000. I started to realize that we weren’t in control. SoBros Network had been built on platforms that we didn’t own and we were totally at the mercy of the almighty algorithm.

We shifted focus to podcasts, and it did fine for a while. But, then the podcasts evolved to including a video element. Now, it’s about pulling Tik Toks and Reels from your highly polished and produced podcast, interviewing high profile guests, and I’m sitting here still typing articles into WordPress. I learned over time how much of a grind it is to keep up with all the trends. I’ve never been shy about working. I’ve slept probably somewhere between 4-6 hours a night for the last 13 years. Frankly, I’ve just gotten a little slower as I’ve aged. I’ve gotten that sleep average up to about 7-8 hours a night. I just don’t feel like keeping up with it all. Thankfully, I’ve worked my way to a point where I don’t need to, but I do think about that rat race sometimes when I see new creators/writers/podcasters starting out.

My biggest old-man-shaking-his-fist-at-the-sky take is that this evolution in digital media is reflective of a declining collective attention span and changes in our society. I’m not trying to sound like “because you don’t read articles anymore, you are lazy!” For the first time in my life, I’m just looking around at the evolving world and, frankly, wondering if I even fit in here any longer. I catch myself putting my phone down more. Where I used to spend hours writing posts, researching trends, running analytics, content planning, auditing business operations and stuff like that, I’m trying new recipes. I’m watching old movies. I’m working on books. I’m sitting down to read a physical copy of Better Homes & Gardens. And, maybe that’s fine. Maybe that’s acceptance that I contributed my part to the digital media landscape but it wasn’t in the cards for me to be a pioneer for this new era. I’m exhausted, and I can’t keep up. But, that’s okay. It’s a different world today.

I often wonder how SoBros Network would look today had I started it earlier in the evolution of digital media. Had I been a little more in touch with myself and started it in, say, 2006 or something. Would it have become something like Barstool is today? I don’t know. It’s a futile endeavor. I used to believe you could make your own platform in that same vein, but I don’t know that that rings true in 2026 any longer. I don’t envy the young bucks out there trying to find their way in this game, but then again, I understand that they are far better equipped than I am to take it on. Still, I can’t help but feel like a bit of a dinosaur seeing how much things have changed.

I don’t mean to make this post sound like such doom and gloom. I have very fond memories of SoBros Network’s early days, and I’m grateful for everything that it has provided me – reps, experience, creative freedom, opportunities to do what I love for a living, and genuine friendships. All I’m saying is that now I think I can finally understand why my father was so resistant to the advent of sticker machines when all he wanted to do was hand-paint and letter signs.

But, I do find common threads between today’s state of digital media and 2013’s. That’s where I do think I can still offer some sage advice. Mainly, you still have to make good shit that resonates and connects with people. There’s a lot of slop out there – and maybe you’re making slop to someone too. The important thing is that your work is an extension of yourself. If you can find that rhythm, you’ll eventually find your people. There’s room for everyone to produce and find like-minded people through that. That’s how things grow, still to this day. Also, you still just have to work really fucking hard. You have to be a constant in the feed, producing at a regular cadence. You have to do that for a long time before you can start building relationships with the people that consume your work. That would be the main bit of advice I’d pass along to anyone looking to start out today – you can’t go wrong rolling up your sleeves and being yourself.

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.

Welcome to the SoBros Book Club, on which I will share some book recommendations for those of you who enjoy taking in the written word. Today, we’re discussing Remembering Florida’s Forgotten Coast by J. Kent Thompson.

I don’t know about you guys, but after making it through these cold winter months, I can always go for a mental trip to sunny, sweaty Florida. That’s exactly what we’re going to do here. Let’s go down to Apalachicola! My wife and I made our first trip to the Forgotten Coast last Memorial Day weekend. We were looking for a quick getaway, which…Apalachicola isn’t exactly from Nashville…but, she wanted a beach! She had been dying to feel the sand beneath her toes. We looked at our usual touristy spots – Gulf Shores, Panama City Beach, etc., and decided that we wanted to get off the beaten path a little bit. I’d always heard about Apalachicola from that Tim McGraw song, so I looked it up out of curiosity, and here we are. 

It’s a great spot. But, I’m the type of guy who wants to go into every town’s book shop and peruse the local author section. I’ve ended up with some books from far corners of obscurity that way, but I’ve found that you can always get a good sense of the soul of a town in that part of the book store. That’s how I landed on Thompson’s Remembering Florida’s Forgotten Coast. 

Courtesy of Goodreads:

Come experience the beauty of North Florida’s beaches, attend a womanless beauty pageant or ride on a twelve car ferry to one of Florida’s barrier Islands. Drive the beach in search of a loggerhead turtle laying her eggs late at night and tell ghost stories around a campfire. This book focuses on a little known area of North Florida’s coast. These are stories of the people and events that make up one of Florida’s hidden secrets–it’s crown jewel called the Forgotten Coast.

If you’ve hung out with me here in the SoBros Book Club before, then you know that I can be a bit of a history buff on occasion. This book feels like equal parts North Florida history and home movies. 

Thompson spends some time early on in the book discussing the region’s history, how it became known as the Forgotten Coast, and how far the region actually spans. Then, he shares a wealth of his own experiences growing up in the region. I appreciated that – he paints a scene with the glowing light of a fondness one can only find in home. Now, I should say that I could certainly see how one would find this book boring – if you’re not into history content and the idea of watching someone else’s home movies sounds boring to you, you probably shouldn’t pick this book up. 

But, I loved it. Thompson broke down regions and stories in a digestible way that allowed me, a notoriously slow reader, to pick it up, read for a few minutes, and put it down without losing my place and inevitably having to go back and re-read stuff. It feels like a trip back in time to a bygone era, and I came away from reading it with an entirely new sense of appreciation for that region of Florida. 

I love what I’ve seen of The Forgotten Coast so far. It’s way more my speed than the fervent frenetic nature of Panama City Beach. I love the smaller crowds, the greater presence of nature, and yeah, going to a restaurant that doesn’t have an hour-long wait just to get a table helps too! I highly recommend a few days in Apalachicola and St. George Island. If you go this summer, be sure to stop by Downtown Books and Purl to pick up a copy of this book, and then go have a few pints at Oyster City Brewing.

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.

While the summer is probably my least favorite candle season (we’re not inside smelling candles in the summer! We’re out and about so I rarely burn them!), it’s not to say that America’s candle company doesn’t have some bangers. So, get ready for the season with my list of the 10 best summer scents that Yankee Candle has to offer.

Yankee Candle’s Top 10 Summer Fragrances

10. Sun and Sand – This might be a little low for some folks’ liking. It really is an all-timer, and one of Yankee Candle’s most iconic summer fragrances of all time. I don’t know that I’ve ever smelled anything this close to smelling like an actual beach. One might even call Sun and Sand one of the four pillars of Yankee Candle’s summer scents (along with Midsummer’s Night, Coconut Bay, and what? Clean Cotton?). But, I’ve burned it so much throughout the years that the shine has worn off a bit. I like stuff that is a little more “different” these days, and that’s why you’ll find this one on down the power rankings.

9. Bahama Breeze – OOF, I take a whiff of this one and it immediately takes me back to the warmth of Panama City Beach with an ocean breeze blowing through my luxurious chest hair. Depending on the rules at the beach, I might even have my sack out blowing in the wind, too. Fond memories with a fruity cocktail (and some suntan lotion mixed in there, too).

8. Moonlit Cove – full review – Moonlit Cove instantly became one of my favorite summer fragrances of all time. It has a nice subtle Earthy sort of smell to it that pitches a change-up to the usual floral, fruity, and tropical tones of the summer scents. Yankee cites notes of lemongrass, ginger, and citrus in this one, and I’d say that’s pretty close to spot on. Ginger is such a unique and interesting scent to throw in a summer fragrance, but it really keeps this one smelling different. It’s like a combination of Bahama Breeze and Midsummer’s Night. Personally, I think this is a great night time fragrance, and can really set the mood for your partner. I dare say Moonlit Cove is a natural aphrodisiac. You’ll be calling it Moonclit Cove in no time because of how riled up it gets you and your partner.

7. Pineapple Cilantro – One of the absolute best and most unique “fruity” summer fragrances. Who doesn’t love the smell of pineapple? And, those geniuses at Yankee took it a step further and said “let’s spice it up with some cilantro” to make it a little more complex and different. Bonus points for being able to burn this candle on your front porch in order to let people know you’re a swinger and welcome group sex with strangers.

6. Summer Storm – full review – I am a sucker for a good, fresh, and musky fragrance in the summer time. Summer Storm fits into that ‘Midsummer’s Night’ profile. How the scientists managed to get right in the middle of a storm and discover what lightning smells like is beyond me. It takes some real gumption to pull that off. But, I expect no less from the fearless individuals at Yankee Candle. 

5. Pink Sands – I guess I never stopped to think about how many ‘sands’ there were in the Yankee Candle catalog. I’m not sure what the distinction is between pink sand, golden sand, and regular sand, but I always felt like this one was a little less beachy and a little more fruity. That makes sense, right? A beach can smell fruity, no?

4. Vanilla Lime – It’s like key lime pie. What’s better in the summer time than a nice slice of key lime pie? That’s what I get out of Vanilla Lime, and it’s a nice diversion from the usual fresh, floral fragrances that typically come with the summer time. The vanilla adds just a touch of sweetness to the scent that will break up your routine while also tempting you to take a fork and knife to the jar.

3. Green Grass – Green Grass should not smell as good as it does. It’s one of those candles that you read the label, you smell it and indeed realize that that does smell just like fresh cut grass, and you think, “there’s no way.” But, yes way – there’s no quicker way to get your house smelling like the freshness and renewal of spring and summer than by burning Green Grass.

2. Coconut Bay – It’s the quintessential summer scent if you ask me. You just can’t beat a good coconut in the summer time and Yankee Candle has managed to capture the essence of an entire bay filled to the brim with coconuts in a single candle. It smells so good that I’ve often thought I probably wouldn’t be able to handle an actual Coconut Bay because I would die of a joyous heart attack.

1. Midsummer’s Night – full review – There’s a reason this fragrance has been around for as long as it has. It’s a bit musky and natural, which makes it stand out from any of the other summer fragrances. I’m not sure where the scientists at Yankee Candle have visited that smells like this in the middle of the night, but I for one would love to visit there. I also wouldn’t mind wearing this scent as a cologne.

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.