Nowhere in my article do I endorse the Jacobs family or their cheap and detached method of ownership. In fact, I blatantly poke fun at Jeremy Jacobs in the “honorable mention” section.

To me, rooting for a team and supporting an owner are not one in the same–Jacobs isn’t out there playing one-on-five against other teams. And I prefer to think of the players not as pawns for Jacobs’ continued profit, but as competitive individuals trying to win every time they’re on the ice. I root for those players, and I refuse to let my perception of the team’s successes and failures be clouded by the fact that the team has a grumpy, penny-pinching owner. Jeremy Jacobs isn’t the reason that David Krejci has just two goals this year, or that Lucic and Savard were out for a month with injuries.

I wasn’t as clear as I should have been in regards to the first-round picks. I meant that, if the Leafs can finish at or near the bottom of the league, we could have a chance at an extremely high pick that COULD develop into a better player than Kessel. I was merely saying we should be thankful that the Leafs have stunk it up so far this season–I was NOT saying that we should be pleased, at this point, with the loss of Kessel. There’s no arguing that we could use his offensive presence right now. And, in regards to the “light,” I simply meant that I hoped for my friends–who aren’t particularly big hockey fans (as indicated by the fact that they can’t name a single Bruin)–to gain some appreciation for the game.

In terms of the label “delusional fanboy,” I’d say there’s a big difference between delusion and optimism. When the Bruins are doing good things, I take notice of the positives, and when they stink, I’m more than willing to admit that they stink. This article is designed to address the positives. After all, it’s the holidays. And I’m not exactly declaring that the Bruins are going to win the Stanley Cup here. I’m merely pointing out that there are good things to be taken away from this team right now, even if Jacobs is the owner, and will be for the foreseeable future.

I am also not sure what “light” your talking about the casual fans seeing. This team is certainly not built for a long playoff run. It has been 17 long lean years since the Bruins have even won a lousy second round playoff series! This team cannot score my man. PJK should have never been given the chance to leave. He is a rare 22 year old sniper who has only tremendous upside. Look at Ryder and Sturms salary and their ages and tell me that PJK at $5.2 million is not worth it! Give us a break dude.

You also need to chill with your first round picks are a lock theory as well. This organization has been abysmal with first round picks. When they do hit on one (Thornton, Kessel) they are quickly moved out of town.

In the long run look for another average season from the Bruins and a first or second round TKO.