Fourth-Quarter Flashes: Costco, Jolt’n Joe’s Not Bursting at Super Bowl Seams

Dan and Mona Faulkner of Fletcher Hills, watching at the bar, weren’t very animated in the Super Bowl’s fourth quarter Sunday night, watching some of the 15 screens at Jolt’n Joe’s.

“I don’t like [Giants quarterback] Eli Manning,” the infamous Draft Day disser of the Chargers, Dan said. “And [Patriots coach Bill] Belichick cheats.” But he favored New England to win because of quarterback Tom Brady.

A few feet away, Thomas Tolson, 31, of Lakeside was suffering every setback and celebrating every success of the Patriots, wearing a Brady jersey.

His New England connection?

Born in Connecticut, he said. Been in San Diego for 21 years.

His fellow New England fans—Liz and William “Kip” Kilpatrick—also rooted for the Pats, with Kip wearing the No. 83 jersey of Wes Welker, a receiver who once played for the Chargers.

Jolt’n’ Joe’s manager Tina Heschke said her La Mesa Springs Shopping Center bar mainly attracts Chargers and Steelers fans.

Why Pittsburgh fans? 

“It’s been that way over the years,” she said.

The owner named the place for Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio (not Joe Montana or Joe Louis) but was at the sister JJ’s bar on Fourth Avenue in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter on Sunday. Heschke didn’t know whether he was a Giants or Jets fan.

Over at Costco on Fletcher Parkway, about 20 large-screen TV sets were tuned to the game, with salesman Carlos Solorio, 26, of Lakeside and veteran employee Mike Ewing having a light night as the store closed at 6 p.m. 

Business on Sunday wasn’t super, Solorio said, but the week leading up to it was good. The biggest sellers were 60-inch sets, he said, calling it “the size that feels comfortable in the house.”

Back at the sports bar, manager Heschke said her sports bar and pool hall  accommodates 300 people, but only 35-40 were present for Super Bowl XLVI, which the Giants won 21-17. Madonna sang at halftime.

“Two hundred people were here [Saturday] night for the UFC fight,” she said. 

The bar paid for the pay per view, and there was no cover charge.