Beware of getting the catfish blues

For football star Manti Te’o, it’s publicity he probably could’ve done without. You know, admitting publicly, with much embarrassment, that his love-of-my-life girlfriend was a phantom online relationship, a hoax that turned him into the victim of someone’s "sick joke."

But for "Catfish: The TV Show," it’s publicity that should give the reality show its biggest ratings ever. Each week, the MTV series explores today’s world of romantic connections with fake online personas. On the one hand, it’s hard to believe people can fall so hard for someone they’ve never met in person. On the other, there are a lot of people who want to believe in love — and plenty of faux suitors willing to snare them.

Be careful out there.

Super Bowl good, Pro Bowl better

This year’s NFL Super Bowl, set for Feb. 3 in New Orleans, has football fans super excited, including here in Hawaii where one of the contenders, the NFC’s San Francisco 49ers, has always had a big following.

Both the 49ers and the Ravens, the AFC opponent, have great narratives heading into the big finale. But before that, there’s the NFL Pro Bowl to enjoy — this Sunday, right here in Hawaii.

The NFL’s biggest stars — minus those from the two Super Bowl teams — are aligning to compete at Aloha Stadium, and here’s hoping that the game lives up to everyone’s expectations, however high or low those expectations might be.

The main thing is that the game be fun, and that people watching from the cold mainland arrange to visit Hawaii as tourists soon thereafter.