You don’t need to be a devout football aficionado to get pumped about this year’s Super Bowl. It really doesn’t matter if you know that the New England Patriots are gunning for their third Super Bowl in four seasons, or that the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is one of the best in the NFL. The reason is that so much other stuff is going on, from R&B singer Alicia Keys belting out “America the Beautiful” before the game to a halftime performance by Beatle Paul McCartney. Heck, people even like the commercials that always air between the brief segments of the game.

Just to make things a little more festive, lots of area bars and restaurants are throwing football parties to further entice residents to catch football fever.

One mother of all Super Bowl parties is the monstrous event occurring out at Baja Cantina (7166 Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley, 625-2252.) The Mexican restaurant is going to have 49er receiver Brandon Lloyd tending bar, while 49er Pro Bowler Eric Wright and 49er Hall of Famer R.C. Owens will be wandering around the crowd and signing autographs. At halftime, there will be a field goal competition—where competitors actually try to kick a football through makeshift goalposts—for a $100 prize. Other competitions include a raffle for two roundtrip tickets on Southwest Air and a silent auction where people can purchase a football signed by this year’s Patriots or Eagles. For food, Baja Cantina promises their regular menu with tailgate food including a pig luau. The event’s five dollar cover charge will be donated to the Community Partnership for Youth.

Competing with Baja Cantina as the area’s biggest Super Bowl event is Knuckles Sports Bar at the Hyatt Regency (1 Old Golf Course Rd., Monterey, 372-1234.) The designated Coors Super Bowl event for the Central Coast will have six gigantic televisions blaring the game, while the Coors Light Girls energize the crowd. Also, each patron will be given a satchel full of gifts including two raffle tickets. For those who like the ambiance of a boisterous bar with the comforts of home, Knuckles will have special V.I.P. couch seating.

Down on Cannery Row, there will be a competition almost as fierce as the game due to big Super Bowl parties thrown by Sly McFly’s and Blue Fin Billiards. Sly McFly’s (700 Cannery Row, Monterey, 649-8050) festivities will include a free appetizer buffet with items like ribs and tacos. Though the place will likely be crowded, a platoon of televisions including a 72-inch flat screen insures that everyone will have a view of the game. Sly’s secret weapon is live music by The Stingrays following the game for people who want to keep the fun times going.

Across the street, Blue Fin Billiards (685 Cannery Row, Monterey, 375-7000) will have 24 televisions playing the game, including a seven-foot high projection screen. For five bucks, fans can help themselves to an all-you-can-eat taco bar with beef and chicken, while the thrifty and fully stuffed patrons can munch on free popcorn and salsa and chips.

On Lighthouse Avenue, there is another good competition for the football crowds between the Bulldog British Pub and Ocean Thunder. Ocean Thunder (214 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey, 643-9169) promises Happy Hour prices on beverages and free pizza, while the Bulldog Pub (611 Lighthouse Ave., 372-5565) will set up a free buffet at halftime and will sell Happy Hour-priced beverages throughout the game.

Of course, Super Bowl Sunday is a very special day for local sports bars. On North Fremont, Chippers Sports Bar (2110 N. Fremont St., Monterey, 641-0793) will offer pre-game Happy Hour beverages and low-price appetizers the whole day. In downtown Monterey, Characters Sports Bar (350 Calle Principal, Monterey, 647-4023) will be celebrating with a $6.95 taco buffet bar an hour before kickoff.

A few blocks away, Britannia Arms (444 Alvarado St., Monterey, 656-9543) will also have some Coors Light Girls along with free appetizers at halftime. One standout event at the British pub is a Super Bowl pool where participants will be able to win the grand prize of a free dinner every week at the bar for a whole year.

Out of the downtown area, the London Bridge Pub (Municipal Wharf #2, Monterey, 655-2879) will sell Happy Hour priced drinks all day long. Meanwhile, in Seaside, the friendly folks at Cuz’s Sportsman Club (594 Broadway Ave., Seaside, 394-2666) have a free potluck for the public during the game. A few miles away, Eddie Edwards promises free food, $3 pitchers and the game on his 100-inch screen at his bar, Eddie’s (2200 North Fremont St., Monterey, 375-6116.)

Further inland, the Penny Farthing (9 E. San Luis, Salinas, 424-5652) serves food and beverage specials during the big game. Farther south, in Carmel, Jack London’s (Dolores between 5th St. and 6th St., Carmel, 624-2336) will pull out their special “pigout” menu featuring items like house smoked ribs and chili dogs, while the game plays on six and a half televisions (one TV is quite small).