LET THE GAME BEGIN.

Byline: Kristopher Hanson Staff Writer

THE BIGGEST annual televised event is played out on screens across the country today. It's part sport, part entertainment, jammed into a full day of viewing. We're talking Super Bowl here, folks, and the competition isn't just between the New England Patriots and a former Los Angeles team now known as the St. Louis Rams.

The competition is between the Fox network - carrying the contest and its pre- and postgame highlights - and its TV competitors. An estimated 130 million viewers in the United States, along with another 800 million football fans across the globe, are expected to tune in.

For the ninth time in its 36-year history, the Super Bowl will be held in New Orleans, and beginning at noon, Fox will begin airing a pregame special from the nation's Cajun capital. There are several pre-pregame shows starting at 10 a.m., if you're a real football fanatic. The noon pregame show in the Louisiana Superdome includes a performance by the Boston Pops orchestra, which will be led by conductor Keith Lockhart through a selection of American classics, including Aaron Copland's ``Lincoln Portrait.''

The three-hour program also includes a special segment hosted by John Walsh of ``America's Most Wanted,'' explaining the extraordinary security measures taken at this year's game, as well as L.A.'s own Jillian Barberie, who will show you how to party hardy in New Orleans.

Wrapping up the special is Paul McCartney, who is scheduled to sing his single, ``Freedom,'' written in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

Shortly before kickoff, pop diva Mariah Carey is slated to perform the national anthem, and singers Marc Anthony and Mary J. Blige will team up on ``America the Beautiful.''

Veteran broadcasters Pat Summerall and John Madden will announce the play-by-play action, with the game marking the end of their 21st season together in the broadcasting booth.

The halftime show features rockers U2 performing a medley of songs, and there's sure to be plenty of fireworks and special effects. U2's latest album, ``All That You Can't Leave Behind,'' has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide since its release last year.

At intervals, Fox will broadcast messages from U.S. troops watching the game from bases around the world.

So what are your television alternatives on Super Bowl Sunday?

NBC, at least, will try to lure some of those fans to a special segment of ``Fear Factor,'' featuring scantily clad Playboy Playmates, beginning at halftime and continuing after the game's conclusion.

And sports fans who prefer boxing over football can tune into ESPN at 4 p.m. to watch Robert De Niro's awesome portrayal of legendary pugilist Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's ``Raging Bull.''

Here are a few other good programs airing during the Super Bowl:

TNT presents a series of Civil War epics beginning with ``Gettysburg,'' airing noon to 6 p.m. It's followed by ``Gone With the Wind.''

A&E's ``Biography'' series focuses on football legends with profiles of Walter Payton at noon, Frank Gifford at 1 p.m., Vince Lombardi at 2 p.m., Joe Montana at 3 p.m. and Joe Namath at 4 p.m.

AMC brings out the romantic films with ``An Affair to Remember'' at 12:45 p.m., ``Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' at 3 p.m., ``The Great Gatsby'' at 5 p.m. and ``Barefoot in the Park'' at 8 p.m.

FX features an ``Ally McBeal'' marathon from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

VH-1 gets into the action with its ``Diva Bowl '02'' series featuring such singers as Britney Spears, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Shania Twain and Celine Dion from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

CBS presents live coverage of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am final round noon to 3:30 p.m., followed by ``Plaza Suite,'' the 1971 film adaptation of Neil Simon's play, starring Walter Matthau.

HGTV offers new episodes of such popular shows as ``Room by Room,'' ``Decorating Cents'' and ``Designing for the Sexes'' beginning at 4:30 p.m. And at 6 p.m., a one-hour special will show off a ``2002 Dream Home'' overlooking Chesapeake Bay, which will go to the winner of HGTV's annual sweepstakes.

SUPER BOWL XXXVI 

What: St. Louis Rams vs. New England Patriots

Where: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans

When: 3:15 p.m. kickoff; TV, Fox (Channel 11) with pregame show at noon; Radio, XTRA 690 AM and KNX 1070 AM

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1) Looking for a Super Bowl alternative? Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr star in ``An Affair to Remember'' at 12:45 p.m. on AMC.

(2 -- 3) All afternoon, A&E runs episodes of ``Biography'' featuring football legends, including at noon Walter Payton (above, posing in 1977 the day after he rushed for 275 yards in a single game) and at 2 p.m. Vince Lombardi (below, without his famous glasses).

(4 -- 5) VH-1 assembles a ``Diva Bowl '02'' from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday, with programs focusing on female artists including Shania Twain, above, and Barbra Streisand, below.