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Who cares? This team is going nowhere as usual with Jacobs at the helm. Another 1 and done on the way and thats IF they even make the playoffs.

I'll never understand why Jacobs takes the blame for the outcome of each season. From what I understand, he has little involvement in the day-to-day operations and personnel descisions, and the team spends to the cap every year. What else could you want? Blame Chierelli if you don't like the team's make-up.

hahaha I love all these people bad-mouthing the bruins when they clearly do not know anything about the organization or just look over the fact that we are right up to the cap in spending. And if you watched the bruins last year you would realize that there is a lot of reason for optimism with all the young and up and coming talent within. they got a lot of experience last year and will only improve. These comments may have been true two and three years ago, but times have changed and it would be great if you could realize that so we dont have to deal with anymore of your whining.

Fluto- Anything you add will be greatly appreciated! I just love neglecting my work day and reading all of the Globe's sports blogs instead!

Fluto I think posting some national links is a great idea. I go on TSN everyday and it's great.

Personally I don't' read much of the national stuff on here. Unless it has a link to the Bruins or P-Bruins organization it doesn't really interest me much. I will just get that kinda news from TSN.

Hi Fluto,

Post anything and everything Bruins.

Can't wait for the festivities to begin.

Go B's!

add anything

i like to have b's wallpaper and hate how they never update new pics. that would be a good thing to improve on.

Peter Chiarelli is the lowest paid GM in the NHL, he was also the third choice by Jacobs. Why do you think that is?

Chiarelli's cap management has been ATROCIOUS. You sheep really need to wake up and get a clue.

Ken and John. You guys are right on the nose with those comments. The people who don't know and understand the game and the cap are the same people who fill Fenway and put their pink hats on because it is the fashionable thing to do. Kicking the Bruins and Jacobs is the cool thing to do because the media has no idea what they are talking about "Fluto excluded of course " and they either just ignore it or rip on it when they get the chance. Someone should keep track of these people who come in here with comments like "Who cares", " 1 and out" "Jacobs should sell" and the many others. They will be the first ones jumping on the bandwagon soon enough. Funny thing is we don't need them on the bandwagon we are fine without them

Hello Fluto,
National links would be cool. Off-Ice profiles would be awesome, but that would be great outside the blog, more of an article profiling the player, should help with the average viewer attraction!

10 years without a playoff round win. Enough said.

The sheep live in a dilusional world.

great attitude Tom C...... why even post anything if you don't care? and by the way, I can't wait till the puck drops this year. It's gonna be fun!

Fluto,

Enjoy the Globe blogs -- think they add a lot of depth and context to the printed coverage. Like the idea of posting weekly (daily?) roundups of the 2-4 best national hockey columns/articles from around the web. I also thought it was great how the Touching the Bases blog included some lesser known Globe voices -- including an intern for the summer last year.

I liked getting other perspectives, and reading observations from the fan level. Maybe there's a place for a weekly "Minor Leagues Notebook" column here too. My favorite use of these blogs is to follow up on random, minor things that happen in the games that don't otherwise make it into the print editions of the Globe.

Please continue to add as much Bruins and P-Bruins stuff as possible. Being from Montreal (yeah, the hated Habs' town), I rarely have the chance to read or hear about the Bruins in the media here. Even in the playoffs last year, the media had no clue about what was going on in Boston. Thanks for providing all the info I need to face dumb Habs' fans. But let me tell you : with last year's playoffs, the Bruins have gained much respect from Montreal's real hockey fans. Keep up the good work, Fluto!

Word is that Jacobs would phone Mike O'Connell EVERY morning at 7am. Why? To see what he was going to wear that day? No. Jacobs was extremely meddlesome with the on-ice 'product' . I don't imagine that that has changed much with Chiarelli. In fact, one might deduce that Chiarelli's accpetance of such onerous involvement by the Owner is most of the reason he's still here. As with Harry Sinden, Chiarelli's success will depend on his ability to build a great Bruins team while carrying a 190lb bald man (and his 145lb son) on his back. The 'Jacobs Factor' is still huge - regardless of spending to the Cap. Players in the NHL are not exactly lining up to play in Boston, such is Jacobs' reputation. he was Lead Hawk, leading all Owners, emotionlessly into the Lock-Out. He callously threw every Bruin he could get his hands on overboard for that Lock-Out to prove his ruthlessness and, now looks like Daddy Warbucks because, with cost-certainty he 'spends to the Cap'. The Lock-Out was only the Great Coming Out for the man who has always had a hard time disguising his distaste for Hockey Players. Some might say that that is why the Bruins have to spend to the Cap, because most players take offence to being treated like horses, because money is all a player can expect from Jacobs. Team-building starts at the top. Jacobs is a throw-back to the days when the worst kinda Ownership ran this game. Spending to the Cap alone, ain't gonna get it done. it's how that money gets spent and the guy who signs the cheque still decides it all. Nothing's changed; Jacobs makes the call and Chiarelli does the Press Conference. Jacobs Still Needs To Sell. Sorry. can I still be on the bandwagon?

Hey John Macieweski thank you for that great post. Hope to see you at the Parade Spring 2009 when the Bruins win the cup. Hey I can dream right. But this team has something special I have said it before this is the first time since the Bourque/Neely era that I am excited about the Bruins playing .

and to all you Nay sayer Remember wasn't an other Boston team who just last year went from Zero to Hero. I think they also share digs with the Bruins

Fluto,
The more info the better.

I have gone through stages where I did not like Jeremy Jacobs, but the team has spent up to the cap in recent years. Spending to the cap and spending wisely to the cap are not the same thing.

This team is young and it is talented. Just a couple more pieces and we will be OK. I do think that they should bulk up their scouting department so we can find a
few more Patrice Bergerons with the 50th pick.

Suggestion: photos of player wives, girlfriends, and mistresses.

Fluto, I love the idea about links to stories about hockey from other sources. But, being a true hockey fan in New England, we have a lot more than one pro hockey team. How about links, or even a column, say once a week, with updates on all the AHL teams locally (let's see; within 1 hour drive of Boston - Manchester, Providence, Lowell, Springfield, and Worcester - an if you wanted to stretch it out - Hartford and Portland). I also liked the idea about a "Where are they now?" on former players playing in Europe. All just brainstorming. Thanks for your constant exceptional work with Hockey. It always takes a back seat this time of year (20 words total in last Sunday's Globe?? LOL).

Any info is good info for me...I'm a new fan and I'm looking foward to the season.

As for Jerry's post above - yes, if you owned the team you'd want a say it what happens, too. In fact, my friends and I constantly think we can run this organization better if we were owners. But, in fact, Jacobs is just one of several team owners that have a hand in what happens with the team itself. But this team and it's attitude is nothing compared to the pre-Orr years. Back in the 50's and 60's, with ticket prices so low that even back then you could take a family of 4 to the game, get dogs, drinks, and tickets for under $20, they still only sold 3000 to 5000 seats per game. Players avoided Boston so they did not have to play or the worst team in Hockey. So even though Jacobs has owned the team for many years, we have had success in going to the finals a couple times in he late 80's, and during the early 90's they were a good team.

Granted lately they've had no luck at all with players (we were a second or third round playoff team last year with Patrice and Fernandez for the whole year) health.

And finally, we could have been living in LA watching the team play with 4 or 5 minor league goalies and players who normally would not make the NHL if it wasn't for incompentant owners who thnk the draft is something to avoid and hide in Canada on.

Geez, the one observation, which has always drawn me to the Bruins from the moment I first viewed a game at the old Garden was that their fan-base was from ice level to the Gallery Gods the most genuinely passionate of all the major sports organizations in Boston. I am pleased that during their sterile years the Bruins' fans remain loyal if not eager and I will be riding shotgun on the bandwagon when the Bruins rise again, but comparing them to the Celtics when the C's picked up two extreme parts to their championship success (along with another invaluable sixth man) seems wildly ambitious if not blinded. The Bruins would have to add a healthy Cam Neely, a nifty Rick Middleton and a in-a-prime of his career Steve Kasper to compare to the Celtic's off season acquisitions. But keep up the blogs; dreamers inspire me!

Being a Bruins season ticket holder and also going to about 30 Sox games a year, I can boldly tell you that the best thing about going to Bruins games is that everyone who follows the Bruins and shows up to games does so because they like the Bruins and hockey, not because it is the 'it' thing to do these days. Agree with the minor league hockey notes suggestion

Hey Fluto,welcome back.Video of great hockey plays 20-30 years ago would be nice.Pure Hockey has a TV in there shop and was playing an old Edmonton game with Gretsky playing.Is it me or do they seem a lot weaker with there strides back then?

Hey Fluto ... couple of thoughts that I don't think have been mentioned yet:

Boston & Providence depth charts
Prospect updates/profiles

"10 years without a playoff round win. Enough said."
I am pretty sure the same thing or similar could have been said about the Red Sox many a time... now look where they are. Reigning champs with two titles in four years.
I am also pretty sure the same thing or similar could have been said about the Patriots many a time... now look where they are. Three titles in four years and dominant franchise in the NFL.

Times change, teams change, Bruins are on the rise.

Tom John and Lou are the dillusional ones...

Bill you are right these are the same people who fill fenway, listen to crappy WEEI, and wear pink hats. These people have been blinded by the media, and its just too easy and cool to pick on the "pathetic" bruins. Well, not anymore. They will be the first ones crawling back around playoff time next year.

Chia has done a phenominal job getting this team back on the right track. As for J. Jacobs, he doesn't really matter.

Patriots - NEW OWNERSHIP in 1994 = DYNASTY

RedSox - NEW OWNERSHIP = 2 RINGS

Celtics - NEW OWNERSHIP = Defending World Champions

BRUINS - JACOBS OWNED SINCE 1975-----0 CUPS-------1 DECADE SINCE EVEN WINNING A PLAYOFF ROUND

SHEEP - NAIVE EXCUSE MAKERS/BRUINS APOLOGISTS/CANNOT SEE THE FOREST THRU THE TREES

Hey Fluto,

periodic updates on how bruins prospects are faring - particularly those in the college ranks. That info is hard to come by.

A comment to naysayers - this year may be a one and done - but hopefully not. Gotta keep the faith and support the playerss and coaches. Crying over past mistakes is not productive - Good management will learn from its mistakes. And I cannot believe that the Jacobs are "idiots" as always portrayed or else how would they have acquied the team in the first place?

Good Blog. Not too sure what your limits are, but my friends and I are always sending youtube clips of fights, hits, goals and nice plays in general. Maybe a clip of the week would be a nice addition, along with the other good ideas sent out.

As for Jacobs, he does the minimum. He is like the rest of us, does his job just well enough to not get fired. But if the Bruins want big ticket players to come here, they need to step up their game. Have any of you ever been to the Wilmington rink? It is a nice place for Wilmington and St. John's to play. The ice is pretty good, but a professional team needs professional facilities. I am reminded of a quote from Cory Dillon when he came to the Pats. He was shocked about never having to beg for a new pair of socks. That always stuck out in my mind about the lengths Kraft will go. To me spending to the cap is one part. But a state of the art facility and weight room is what will bring the players to Boston. Jacobs will never do that, and out beloved B's will never win the cup until we make Boston attractive. Paying a player 5 Million a year is nice, but give him the weights and practice time to extend his career another 2-3 years and now you can compete for the big time players.

And Hockey is a niche sport, only the chose few truly love it. The rest of you are missing out

Tom Casale's comment is lame, you sound like you don't know anything at all about the Bruins or what has transpired in the last couple of years. Why even comment? You are just proving how ignorant of the current situation you really are.

Keep up the good work Fluto!

bill is a typical sheep with his head buried in the sand

Enough already with these asinine 'Jacobs must go' rants; their relevance went away with the introduction of the salary cap. He ain't the problem. Poor personnel decisions are the root; like gutting the team pre-lockout and having to start from scratch like the newest expansion team. Like our first big free agent signing being Alexei "One Goal" Zhamnov. Like shipping Thornton out rather than addressing the real problem, which was his surrounding players. I'm not sold on Chiarelli (Boyes for Wideman? Ryder?) although I think the coaching change was a huge improvement. I'm also glad he didn't sell the farm to rent Hossa this spring. This team finally has a direction after years of awful management. I'm content to have them flying under the radar, quietly chipping away and building towards a promising future.

Jacobs CHEAPED OUT and hired PC for the lowest price. PC has been a D+ at best so far. PC is another Jacobs puppet.

JJ being cheap once again has damaged the on ice Bruins product. How can anyone dispute this?

Hey Fluto,

Keith's comments above are the best. The cap is good for Jacobs as he has no excuses for not providing the best of environment for hockey in Boston. I am always an optimistic (Jacobs excluded) in regards to the Bs. Chiarelli is doing his best dealing with the albatros decisions of the Sinden-McConnell era. In do time this organization will succeed. I think there has been good moves being made. Bergeron, Lucic, and the free agency signings of Chara and Savard are positive not negative. Now Fernandez is another issue, he needs to step up or he will be like so many has beens that had to find a job this summer. The trade to get him was fine, the money issue was iffy considering his medical record. The Thornton trade sent the Bruins backwards. Jacobs (Sinden) was planning on a big bang with free agency after the CBA, he lost! Then he gambled to signing Thornton and Murrayto big contracts. The management then gambled with the trade to San Jose leading to the current situation. Chiarelli is the only hope. Francis Daoust, Montréal above said it best when he laughs at the lack of coverage in the Boston media. He is a hockey fan. I don't like the Montréal hockey club, but the fans are cool. Are you listening Jacobs!

Are you Jacobs defenders serious?! The team hasn't won a Stanley Cup since 1972, limped into the playoffs minus the nice runs in the 1980's, since then and basically are the laughing stock in the league. We signed a cigar store indian in Chara, gave Murray WAY too much money for zero production in the past few years, the organization is a joke, owned by an out of state [deleted] who could care less about winning as long as you homers keep buying beer and dogs at the concessions, oh by the way, which he owns too!! Morons.

Fluto, Keep up the great work!! Also Being from Montreal, and a Die Hard B's Fan, some of the lame comments I hear from you local guys is pathetic!! Cheer the boys on, and stop putting down the organization!! I wear by Bruins stuff year round up here in La Belle Province, with lots of pride, and hearing it from the Habs bandwagon fans. Not the true fans!! So it's time to cheer the Bruins on, and not be the guys jumping on the bandwagon as they do well this year!! Stop being like the whinning Habs fans we have up here!!! GO BRUINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Fluto

Would love to see move updates on how prospects are doing in various parts of the system - Providence, Junior, College and Europe. Loved the D-camp stuff.

Fluto...welcome back

Fluto:

Keep the good work going! I, for one, would like to see more Providence Bruins stories, being here in Proividence. The papers down here stink and there is little to no coverage. Come down to the Dunk on a Friday night once in awhile too....Boston rarely plays on Friday and we do here. Bring you camera crew, too. You going to do more Buzz stories this year?

Take it easy......bring on the season!!!

I'd like to see updates on potential and past draft picks. I'd love ECHL amd AHL updates, breif three to five question mini interviews with players and club staff. Comparisons between B's and other similar NHL players would be cool. Oh guest bloggers (fans, players) would be great too.

Fluto- If you're looking to round out your coverage, I suggest finding ways to educate readers on some of the strategies used in the game. There are lots of us who would like to learn why a team did something and how that strategy manifested itself on the ice, instead of reading the same boring story with the same boring player quotes that say absolutely nothing.

Check in with Cam Neely more if possible. His words are worth there weight in hockey gold. Also, who are these guys on the team? Maybe more personal info than just the typical questions from the 08-09 Bruins Yearbook. Who is quite who is intense, we all know Milan Lucic is out going. Is there another prospect coming up that is lighting it up in Providence? Lighting it up refers to exciting to watch not just scoring points.

Mark, no one is defending Jacobs. Just saying that his unwillingness to spend money is no longer the issue. Chara's a cigar store indian? I don't even know what that's supposed to mean, but I do know he was considered by most to be one of the top three defensemen in the league last season, so maybe we should start scouting cigar stores on the reservation. The Murray signing was bad, made worse by the trade of Thornton, but the GM responsible for both has since been sacked. This is a new team, with new management, new players. The owner's legacy of not spending money is completely irrelevant in the post lockout era. And gee, thanks for pointing out that Jacobs owns all the concessions. I'm sure none of the Bruins fans this blog is really for were aware of that.

Folks, thanks a bunch for all the suggestions. Prospects updates will definitely be in the works throughout the season. Thanks again for taking the time to think about some ideas and posting them here.