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The Viking Row Took Over the World Cup

The Viking Row Took Over the World Cup. It Also Explains Why Some Teams Win and Others Don't. And Why You Should Not Miss July 10th to have the IRS pay you !

Author

Vince Porter
July 04, 2026

Table of Contents

The Viking Row Took Over the World Cup

I have been absolutely obsessed with this World Cup. I am watching every game I can, soaking in the fan experience, and loving every minute of it. I won't go as far as calling it football, but it is a big deal in our house.

And what's not to love. Messi broke the all time World Cup scoring record right here at AT&T Stadium. Mbappe is crushing goals left and right. And our own USMNT is cruising into the knockout rounds.

If you have not caught the Norway fans' Row Chant, it is one of the best things at this tournament. They just beat Ivory Coast here in Arlington to advance, and after the game the team and the crowd did their now legendary chant together. The crowd sits down, shaped like a longship. Arms reach forward, then pull back. The chant builds faster each time, until thousands of strangers are rowing an invisible boat in perfect rhythm.

It has spread everywhere. Times Square. Subway platforms. Even the Norwegian Parliament stopped a session to do it. Check it out here if you have not seen it -

The story of how it started, from a Norwegian teacher with a notepad full of chants, is even better. ESPN has the full story here.

Here is what most people miss. This is not just a fun gimmick. For centuries, Norway's coastline was its highway. No tunnels, no bridges, no roads. If you wanted to fish, trade, or reach the next town, you rowed. To row was to survive.

That is why the chant works so well. No instructions needed. No equipment. You sit down, grab an imaginary oar, and join the rhythm. Everyone facing the same direction. Everyone moving as 1.

Here is the part that matters for us.

A boat does not go faster because 1 person rows harder. It goes faster when everyone rows at the same pace, in the same direction, at the same time. 1 strong rower in a boat full of people rowing different directions just spins in circles.

I think about that with our team.

We have 18 people at Porter and Company. Every one of them is capable. But capable is not the same as aligned. If 1 person is rowing toward advisory and someone else is still rowing toward pure compliance, we are not moving faster. We are just tiring everyone out.

Same thing happens with clients. A syndicator can have a great deal, a great CPA, a great attorney. But if timing, structure, and expectations are not synced, the deal still stalls. Good rowers in a broken formation still lose.

This is why EOS works for us. Rocks are not about doing more. They are about making sure everyone pulls the same oar, toward the same number, at the same time.

Norway did not have the most talented team at this World Cup. For a few weeks, they had the most unified boat in the tournament.

That is not a talent story. That is an alignment story.

You do not need a bigger oar. You need everyone rowing the same way.

Norway plays Brazil on Sunday at 3pm and they are the underdog. Lets see how they fair!

Happy 250th USA , Fireworks are a $2.95B industry

This year's 4th carries extra weight. It marks America's 250th birthday, and the fireworks industry expects record demand because of it.

Here's the part most people miss. The fireworks industry is a $2.95 billion business, yet most of it is still small operators absorbing rising costs instead of passing them on. CNN

Big revenue. Real margin pressure. Nobody sees it from the outside.

Milestone years make people spend based on feeling, not math. Businesses do the same thing. Before you set the budget this year, run the number. Do not just feel it.

2026 marks America's 250th anniversary, and industry leaders expect record breaking demand for fireworks this year because of it. Big milestone years always drive bigger spending decisions, personally and in business

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July 10 Deadline: Claim Your IRS Refund

A federal court ruled in November 2025 that the IRS illegally charged penalties and interest during the COVID disaster window (January 20, 2020 through July 10, 2023). If you paid penalties, interest, or late fees during those 3.5 years, you may be entitled to a refund. The deadline to claim it is July 10, 2026. If you want help , we can jump in and pull your transcripts, analyzes what you overpaid, files Form 843, and tracks your claim with the IRS. $250 upfront is all we are billing with the rest paid at the time you get the refund. If you miss the deadline , you miss your opportunity to the refund.

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Vince