Thought Notebook: Friday overload

Oh boy, this is going to be a long one. That’s what happens when real life keeps coming and there’s not enough time in the day.

But, enough with the excuses. I’m going to drop off this monster weekend Thought Notebook as the beginning of what could be a huge Friday of content.

As we head toward the weekend, this is what is bouncing around my head.

• The Bears problems begin at the point: It never dawned on me until I was watching the Missouri State-Illinois State game Wednesday on Fox Sports Midwest. Missouri State (17-10, 7-9 MVC) doesn’t have a dangerous enough point guard.

Calm down, all you Nafis Ricks backers, let me explain. Sure, there is plenty of blame to go around from Wednesday’s 76-72 loss to the Redbirds, but, a certain sequence of events turned on a major light bulb for me.

After the Bears built that five-point halftime lead, Illinois State blasted off on a monster run. Much of it came from Dinma Odiakosa’s manhandling of the Bears’ post players, but the real shotgun blasts came from the Redbird guards, who broke down the defense and kicked the ball out to open shooters. Later in the game, those same guards — mainly Lloyd Philips — buried a few 3-pointers. That’s when the light bulb shattered.

Sure, the post play was weak. Overall, the defense was atrocious. But, the main culprit? The MSU point guards are one-dimensional.

Fuehrmeyer has been taken to task by fans for years, especially now as a senior who starts. Now, I’m going to ask you a question you’ve likely asked dozens of times. Why does Fuehrmeyer start? (No, this is not a joke)

No, he can’t score. No, he can’t break down defenses for that Phillips-like drive and kick. He’s not a great shooter. Leadership? Eh, not really. It’s defense. Other point guards rarely break him down one-on-one. Obviously he struggles to do much else on defense because he’s so small, but that’s what he does better than Ricks — perimeter defense.

Actually, until ISU went on that big run, I was going to use this spot in cyberspace to lobby for Ricks to enter the starting lineup. That was, until he started getting roasted by Phillips and Osiris Eldridge. Ricks couldn’t stay in front. Was it because he was going for steals? Possibly, but all of his offensive attributes were being nullified.

And now I’m coming back to you, Ricks backers. Sure, he makes things happen, but it’s rarely for everyone else. It’s mostly driving to the basket and at best, getting fouled or scoring. It’s definitely not to create for his teammates. How inefficient is Ricks on the offensive end? Let’s take a look at some stats:

Per game averages
• Ricks: 15.9 minutes, 54-138 FG (39.1 percent), 5-22 3P (.227), 6.5 points, 2.3 assists, 1.6 turnovers, 62-88 FT (second-most attempts on team, 70.5 percent)
• Fuehrmeyer: 22.6 minutes, 26-65 FG (40.0 percent), 5-16 3P (31.3), 4,1 points, 3.5 assists, 1.4 turnovers, 38-45 FT (84.4)

Either way, it’s not pretty. Would Ricks thrive with more minutes? Possibly, but I’m afraid the answer is that neither are good enough to make the Bears a legit Missouri Valley Conference team. And, as someone said during the Bear Nation live chat: “How much do we miss (Cardell) McFarland?”

Whoa, never thought I’d see that name again. And they might have a point.

• While we are talking about the Bears, let’s talk about how the BracketBuster is a waste of time for middling mid-majors: Full disclosure, I’m excited about Saturday’s BracketBuster games.

As an alum of Northeastern University’s graduate school, I’m geeked to get a chance to see Louisiana Tech travel to the Weiser Gym-like Matthews Arena in Boston and face the Huskies on TV. A lot of it has to do with NCAA Tournament implications, as well as the obvious question: “When is Northeastern going to be on TV ever?” (That’s probably only preceded with, “What the heck is Northeastern?”)

I digress, but it leads me to my bigger point. Northeastern is playing Lousiana Tech in a game that will either bolster each team’s NCAA chances or aid to increase the ruggedness of each team’s conference. That’s obviously the reason for the BracketBuster, but, what about teams like Missouri State that don’t need the regular-season resume builder to get into the NCAA Tournament? It appears the MVC is already doomed to status as the country’s 10th-best conference.

It’s just a waste of time.

I’m not trying to go all super curmudgeon on you and I understand why each team is given a BracketBuster game. You can’t forecast who is going to emerge as legit contenders, so everyone gets a chance and occasionally one conference can have a collectively great showing. For instance, when the Big 10 beat the ACC in the Big 10-ACC Challenge this year for the first time, shouldn’t we have taken that as an indicator the ACC was going to come down from its elite pedestal? Same thing applies here.

Still, the Bears are scuffling along, having grinded to a halt at 17-10 after a 9-1 start. The 7-9 conference record is troubling, considering how many games MSU has given away in the end. When Nevada comes to town, it’s just another glorified non-conference game in the middle of the conference season. And don’t try to argue that it’s good to break up the monotony of the conference grind. If that was the case, do it earlier in the year. MSU has only two more MVC games, and both are must-wins to avoid the play-in round. Now is not the time for a non-conference game, even if it is being broadcasted on national television.

At best, Saturday’s game is an audition for the NIT, or even the CBI. Is that the worst thing the Bears can do? No, but I’d rather allow the Bears to schedule another non-conference game early in the season, rather than play on in the next-to-last week of the regular season. As good as a job as Missouri State is doing, trying to put together a great atmosphere with one of those “White-outs,” I could argue MSU would benefit more from an open date on the schedule that would give more time to prepare for Drake on Wednesday and for rest.

But, I don’t make the schedule and I’ll be watching the game, conducting another Live Blog for tomorrow’s 2 p.m. tip, which is being broadcast on ESPN2. That’s the best part of this deal for MSU, a nationally televised game. The Bears better take advantage, or it will truly be a waste of time.

• I’m shocked how much I’m enjoying the Olympics: OK, so I’m not watching every event of the Olympics and it’s not destination TV, or even much of a DVR event for me, but I’m enjoying the Olympics much more than I anticipated.

I’d like to blame it on the unintentional comedy of events like the Biathlon, where dudes are cross country skiing with rifles on their back, the way Curling is a much larger version of the Shuffleboard I can play at Finnegan’s Wake or Fox and Hound or the Snowboard Cross, which is the local neighborhood Soap Box Derby with people on snowboards.

I’d even like to blame it the way it’s packaged, with us viewers watching that same biathlon and waiting for the target to be hit or missed in a little circle in the bottom right corner of the screen, like it’s the river card during a poker tournament. Both are guilty pleasures.

I’d also like to admit it’s my undying patriotism, rooting for all things USA and watching the games in an American Flag Snuggie. (Why doesn’t that exist, by the way?) But, that’s not it, either. Ultimately, it comes down to two things: Novelty and dedication.

I’m constantly amazed at how someone can train for events like Skeleton, Moguls or Nordic Combined for what has to be an entire lifetime, just to get chances every four years to prove they’re the best in the world at their zany event.

But, that’s just it. It’s not an every four-year thing for them. It’s just a four-year thing for us.

There are Luge events all over the world where you can get paid, or at least get international glory, while securing sweet endorsements. There is a Federation Internationale de Ski that governs events. And, of course, there are the Winter X Games, which allow minimal crossover to Winter Olympic events.

I’m also very excited about the hockey this year, seeing as how Team USA is very young and big, bad Canada is set up to roll. Those two get together at 6:40 p.m. Sunday.

Still, give me some more Bobsled and Ski Jumping, while you’re at it. It’s all new to me.

• I think we all know what Tiger Woods is going to say. Nothing: I’m not just saying this because I’m a member of the media, but if Tiger Woods says what we all think he’s going to say today, get ready for some backlash.

If he is truly only inviting friends, colleagues and “reporters he trusts” to whatever he is calling this event, then what’s the point? Just put it on your Web site, like you did for the announcement itself:

Tiger Woods will be speaking to a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates at 11:00 a.m. EST on Friday at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Tiger plans to discuss his past and his future, and he plans to apologize for his behavior.

While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between him and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt and let down a lot of other people who were close to him. He also let down his fans. He wants to begin the process of making amends, and that’s what he’s going to discuss.

His remarks will be open to a press pool for live coverage. It is NOT a news conference.

So, what’s the point? Are you trying to take us for fools? I’m not saying he owes anyone an apology, but he’s trying to manipulate the situation. And this isn’t jealousy or media entitlement because real reporters weren’t even invited, but it’s the pretentious process. If he goes in front of some cameras and gives off the appearance that he’s sorry, then everyone is going to forgive him, right? That’s what he’s banking on.

Again, I don’t think he owes anyone an apology, but if he comes off pompous, rather than contrite, today, he could set himself up for even more public scrutiny. And that would complete one of the more amazing Pro Wrestling-like character turns in public persona history.

My favorite angle of today’s “event” is how it’s just like firing an employee. Don’t think that’s an accident, either. Maybe he’s watched Office Space. He’s holding this on Friday, in hopes the sports talk/blog machine will lose conviction over the weekend. Sure, there will still be venom in the tips of their arrows Monday, but it won’t be as pronounced after a few days, right? At least, that’s what he’s hoping for.

Are you going to watch? It’s on ESPN at 10 a.m. He’s treading a very fine line.

Do you agree with Allen Vaughan? Like it? Hate it? Want to get in touch with Allen? E-mail him at Allen@TAGsgf.com. You can follow him on Twitter here or on Facebook here.