Time Out for TV : Fans Away From Home Go the Extra Yard to Watch Super Bowl

His leg was in a cast from a skiing accident, and he was assigned to work in the gardening section of Sears in Westminster Mall.

But that didn’t stop Bob Hein from hobbling over to the store’s appliance section in time to catch the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XXII.

“Oh God, did I miss it?” the 22-year-old salesman asked breathlessly of a half-dozen other customers and employees huddled around two wide-screen TVs.

Hein did not. And neither did untold numbers of others like him who, caught away from home Sunday afternoon, managed to snatch glimpses of the big game on TVs in department stores, video shops and airport lounges.

Many were football fans who, like Hein, had the misfortune of having to work Sunday afternoon. Hein’s co-worker in the gardening department, Rodney Straub, 23, joined him in hooting and hollering at plays.

“We’ll stay here until we’re paged,” Hein said.

Store manager Henry Garcia said he didn’t mind that salesclerks had abandoned their posts temporarily. Garcia said it didn’t matter. Sales were slow because most customers were home watching the game.

Those who weren’t, for whatever reason, waited in places like Sears to watch the game between the Washington Redskins and the Denver Broncos.

“I passed up six parties to help my brother get fitted for a tuxedo,” moaned Paul Sova, 24, of San Diego, whose brother is getting married.

Fred and Nina Strasmann didn’t mean to be away from home for the kickoff. The Long Beach couple said they became delayed shopping for air filtration equipment. Clutching packages, they paused in Sears to watch the opening moments of the game.

“I love football,” Nina Strasmann said.

Six men knotted the entrance to Video Concepts in Westminster Mall to watch the game’s opening quarter on big-screen TVs. Store employees had stacked merchandise near the television sets to discourage people from congregating inside, where they can turn up the sound.

“They get vicious if you walk up and turn the volume down,” salesclerk Kele’ Stenzel said. “They threaten to hurt you.”

At John Wayne Airport, travelers and people waiting to meet travelers congregated inside the cocktail lounge to watch the game.

Bill Burke, 53, a burly ex-college football player from San Juan Capistrano, said he had never been away from home for a Super Bowl. That is, until Sunday, when his wife scheduled a 4:30 p.m. return flight from a family visit in San Francisco.

“My wife hates football, (but) I don’t miss any football games,” Burke fumed, nursing a beer in the lounge.

Don Dugan, 27, of Diamond Bar had his job to blame for missing much of the Super Bowl. Dugan, an accountant, said his company booked him on the 5:15 p.m. flight Sunday from John Wayne Airport to Sacramento. He had just enough time to cheer on the Redskins before boarding the flight.

“I hope there’s a big-screen TV on the plane,” Dugan said.