Dez Reads. The Euros Are Starting to Get It.

America turns 250 years old in a couple of weeks, and while Anne Marie and I are headed to Cannes on Sunday night to talk advertising and persuasion, we’re happy to see the Europeans ingratiating themselves into America’s cultural fabric throughout this World Cup. Kaci Donegan leads Dez Reads this week with an accounting of European Waffle House Summer.

Keeping with the World Cup theme, our favorite Scottish-American colleague Jen Hirshon chronicles the beer-swilling, ballad-belting Tartan Army, currently taking over Boston and drinking all the beer.

I break things up with a shoutout to Toledo Country Club bartender Neal Bomeli, whose daughter just got her first byline in the New York Times last week. No small feat for a recent j-school grad! Kali Bomeli thoughtfully examines the debt collector profession in her article – these folks may not be popular, but the amount of abuse they experience while trying to support their own families is an eye-opener.

Beach amplifies our own Kaci’s look at Americana through the eyes of global World Cup fans. I’ve never been to a Buc-ee’s, but it sounds like I should add a trip to the summer bucket list.

Thanks, as always, for reading along with us.

Here we go.

The American Experience.

Yahoo News. World Cup visitors are discovering America — one Waffle House and side of ranch dressing at a time.

While you’d think that World Cup fans flying in from across the globe would want to check off some of the American staples – go see the Statue of Liberty, or the Hollywood sign, maybe even go to Disney for the day – it turns out they are a lot more interested in cosplaying your average Midwesterner.

Europeans are flooding social media with vlogs of their 2 a.m. Waffle House outings, photos of their Triple Dippers at Chili’s, and documenting the three‑hour detours they’re taking just to visit a Buc‑ee’s. The comment sections are full of oddly proud Americans, as if the highest form of flattery is flying thousands of miles to eat exactly like someone who forgot to defrost the chicken for dinner.

Apparently, all it takes to change a European’s mind about the US is free refills, a side of ranch, and a gas station with a beaver mascot. In terms of a global rebrand…we could do a lot worse than ranch-obsessed diner country.

– Kaci Donegan

Kilts, Choruses, and Kegs in Crisis.

MSN. Scottish soccer fans drink Boston bars dry, forcing ‘emergency’ beer deliveries.

If there were ever a case for cultural diplomacy powered purely by enthusiasm, the Scottish fans at this year’s FIFA World Cup might be it. From Instagram to Reddit, Boston appeared less like a host city and more like an honorary outpost of Glasgow, as tartan-clad supporters packed bars so enthusiastically they quite literally drank them dry, forcing emergency beer deliveries just to keep up. Having attended a wedding for my Scottish cousin recently in Belfast, I witnessed firsthand how much these Scots can drink.

But for me, the real story is how the Scots have brought so much joy. At a time when so much feels divided, Scotland’s traveling fans managed to do something amazingly simple: bring people together. And sure, they’ve done it over many pints, but also over sharing their experience. You can’t help but sing “No Scotland, no party.”

There is something especially disarming about the Scottish approach to sport. It is not just about the match—it is about the moment. The songs, the openness, the easy way they pull everyone into the experience, whether you planned to be part of it or not. Even the most casual observer likely walked away with a tune stuck in their head and a newfound appreciation for kilts.

If World Cup success were measured strictly by wins and losses, there might be room for debate. But if it is about atmosphere, camaraderie, and turning an entire city into a celebration, Scotland remains undefeated and, it seems, impossible to keep in beer. Best of luck to the team today in their match against Morocco. #TARTANARMY

– Jennifer Hirshon

Dignity to the Debt Collector.

NYT. Debt Collectors Know They Are Reviled. They Have Bills to Pay, Too.

I’ll be transparent: I’m including this story in this week’s DR because it was written by the daughter of my favorite Toledo, Ohio bartender. He’s super proud of his recent Columbia University journalism school graduate, and he should be. A byline in the New York Times a month after graduating is no small feat!

The story is interesting in that it looks at the “other side” of debt collection — those that support themselves and their families by performing this job under intense abuse. It’s an interesting look at the other side of the table, something we should do more of before we get angry and denigrate our negotiating partners.

– Josh Culling

Popular Online, Present IRL.

ABC News. World Cup visitors are going viral for their reactions to everyday American life.

It’s easy to lose sight of what makes this country great when the daily news cycle is determined to remind you of everything wrong with it. So, what a gut-check it’s been to watch World Cup visitors from across the globe discover the country many of us have forgotten to appreciate.

Over a million international fans have descended on U.S. host cities, and what they’re finding isn’t a dystopian society of a nation in decline. They’re discovering Waffle House at 1 a.m. and losing their minds over Buc-ee’s. Scottish fans are waking up Boston with bagpipes at dawn, and the neighbors love it. Restaurant owners are driving fans to games because they can’t find an Uber. New Jersey deli owners are handing tourists free lunch just because they made the trip. New York is showing the world what it looks like when a city celebrates a long-awaited NBA championship. We are just Americans being Americans, and the world is noticing.

It’s so easy to get hung up on the bad things about this place. But what makes the U.S. special are the things we often take for granted: the National Parks, the diners, the yellow school buses, the people.

On July 4, the country turns 250 and we celebrate our Semiquincentennial, a quarter millennium of this grand, messy experiment of a place. It offers a moment to step back and remember what we actually built here. The World Cup visitors seem to get it, and what I hope they remember most about their trip isn’t the final score of the games but the stranger who said “Welcome to America.” That’s worth celebrating.

– Nathaniel Beach