A round of Schatz for everybody!

Is it "shots" or "shats?" While the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye never complained about being called "IN-oh-ay" by colleagues and the media, instead of the correct "in-OH-ay," new Sen. Brian Schatz (correctly pronounced "shots") should be satisfied to accept any moniker that follows his new title. In a few short weeks, Shots …, er, Schatz will be elevated from Hawaii’s junior to senior senator with the retirement of briefly senior Sen. Daniel Akaka. His swearing-in on Thursday gives him a week’s seniority ahead of Hawaii’s U.S. Sen.-elect Mazie Hirono and other new senators, who will be sworn in next Thursday.

Hawaii player to be in Pro Bowl, maybe

It’s always an honor for NFL players to be selected to play in the annual Pro Bowl, and this season a player from Hawaii will be in the mix — the first since 2007.

Hawaii Preparatory Academy alumnus Max Unger, now of the Seattle Seahawks, was chosen by colleagues and fans to represent the league’s NFC as its all-star center. Earlier in his career Unger was an All-State pick at HPA and then an All-Pac-10 player while at the University of Oregon.

The Pro Bowl, set for Jan. 27, a week before the Super Bowl, is often criticized for being a cakewalk for the players, but it’s still usually a lot of fun, if for no other reason than that it provides a lot of fodder for complaining about how much of a cakewalk it is. This year it will be fun as well because of Unger taking part — unless, of course, the Seahawks make it to the Super Bowl, in which case he probably won’t.