The Breakfast Watch Party Is the Best Thing to Happen to American Mornings, and We Can Prove It
Pancakes, coffee, and a match before 9 AM. This is the summer of the morning fan.
Somewhere along the way this summer, American soccer fans discovered a truth other countries have long guarded: a match with breakfast is a perfect morning.
The formula spreading across the US, Mexico and Canada during this summer's World Cup is simple. Early kickoff. Big pot of coffee. Pancakes or chilaquiles or bagels depending on the household. Pajamas explicitly permitted. Yelling at the television before sunrise fully commits: encouraged.
Hosts report an unexpected benefit — morning watch parties are somehow gentler than evening ones. The stakes feel the same, but the mood is softer. It is difficult to be furious about anything while holding a warm mug and a plate of pancakes.
The only casualty is productivity, and even that's debatable. Fans insist they arrive at work happier, faster, and full of breakfast. Employers have yet to formally endorse the morning watch party. Employees have unofficially declared it the tradition most worth keeping when the tournament ends.
