When your favorite football team travels to London, it means one thing for the fans stuck at home: an early Sunday.

This past Sunday, the reigning Super Bowl champions traveled to London for the first time in the franchise’s history to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars, regular visitors to Europe. For those of us on the East Coast, we got to wake up and gear up for a 9:30 a.m. kickoff.

To make matters better, my whole family was invited to our cousin’s local bar for a brunch celebration and viewing party. Tickets to get in included bottomless coffee, bloody Marys, a breakfast buffet and an entrée from the brunch menu.

Sunday’s game meant more to lots of Eagles fans. Before the English Expedition, the birds were 3–4 on the season and staring down the barrel of a supremely disappointing follow-up to the Cinderella story of the 2017–2018 season. Although there were a few missteps, like Carson Wentz’s red zone interception in the first half, the team coalesced, the quarterback bounced back and the game fell into place.

The get-together was a great time because it gave us an opportunity to see some family, as well.

All in all, the Birds traveling to London gave us an early-morning football win, a great meal and some awesome time with family.

— Erich Martin, assistant editor