News item: The Orioles managerial search continues to move at a snail's pace, and Andy MacPhail has left open the possibility that it could be weeks before we know who will be the next permanent manager.
My take: When you take a "wait and see" approach, you're really deciding to let the decision make itself, which would be fine if this frog hadn't already been in the frying pan for the past 12 1/2 years.
News item: Marc Bulger said during a conference call Thursday that he's comfortable with his new role as the backup and mentor to Ravens starting quarterback Joe Flacco.
My take: No surprise there. Bulger is a solid guy who provides some real playoff insurance for a team that expects to go deep into the postseason this year. I think we could end up looking back on his signing as one of the most important moves of the offseason.
Bonus take: No, I'm not being fatalistic about Flacco, but he was banged up for a large part of last season and it might be nice to give him a week off the next time he finds himself in that kind of situation.
News item: Brett Favre said this week that he wants to return for one more season with the Minnesota Vikings, but his surgically repaired ankle will make the decision for him.
My take: The good news is the ankle already has chartered a private jet to take it to Vikings training camp about three weeks into the preseason.
News item: The Ravens have instituted a new "kids only" autograph policy for training camp that has some adult signature hounds crying fowl.
My take: Blame your local ambulance-chaser. The old system was a lawsuit waiting to happen.
News item: Former Maryland guard Steve Blake was introduced to the Southern California media this week after signing a four-year, $16 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
My take: Just curious. Is there anyone in Maryland who thought that Blake would end up being the most successful professional player off the Terps 2002 national championship team?
Bonus take: In Europe, maybe.
News item: Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was fined $100,000 for his angry letter to fans and public comments charging that LeBron James "quit" on the team during its playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
My take: It really was a knee-jerk, bush-league thing to do, but it was also $100,000 worth of great public relations in Cleveland.
News item: The All-Star Game, which was played at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night, drew the lowest television ratings in history, drawing an average of 12.1 million and a 7.1 household rating.
My take: If you're looking to put that in perspective, more people actually watched LeBron James' one-hour announcement special five nights earlier, and he couldn't hit a curveball to save his life.
News item: Paul the Octopus, who correctly called the outcome of all seven of Germany's World Cup games and made it a perfect 8 for 8 by picking Spain in the championship game, has retired from the prediction business and returned to his regular job at the Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany.
My take: Well, of course an octopus would have a special insight into soccer. He's got eight legs, for God's sake.
News item: Mercurial New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner died of a heart attack Tuesday. He was 80.
My take: The Boss was a complicated man, so it's OK to have mixed feelings about him in the aftermath of his passing. He could be a wonderful humanitarian one day and a mean, petulant guy the next, but let's all agree on one thing: He was never boring. Godspeed to the Yankee Shipper.
Listen to Peter Schmuck on WBAL (1090 AM) on Fridays and Saturdays at noon and with Brett Hollander on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6. Also, check out his blog, "The Schmuck Stops Here" at baltimoresun.com/schmuckblog.