As a Notre Dame student, I feel compelled to respond to John Borneman's dramatic and slanted column, "The Shame of Notre Dame." Almost every school with an established basketball program has some kind of student run club or organization that is composed of basketball fans and whose function is to coordinate the student cheering section. My guess is many of these organizations also come up with some form of a "jeer card."

Further, I do not believe that Notre Dame's jeer card is worse than any other school's. Your column makes it sound like the material found on the jeer card for the Marquette vs. Notre Dame basketball game could not be printed because of its sheer vulgarity. You generously spared your readers the pure horror of having to read just what was printed. Isn't that just a touch on the dramatic side? While the information on the jeer cards is sometimes personal, there has never been any intent to suggest racism, or to attack family members beyond a very superficial level. All that was provided was Dominic James' daughter's name, nothing more. Granted, in my opinion, even this was taking it a little too far, but it is information that can be considered common knowledge to anyone who chooses to pursue it.

By and large, the material on the jeer cards is nothing more than 5th grade level teasing material meant to get under the other team's players' (and apparently sports editor's) skin. By calling the group "Leprechaun Losers," you resort to the very name calling that you so harshly condemn. The one attempt at admitting Marquette fans do the same falls short. You say you realize "Marquette fans have said worse than the grenades lobbed by the wee folks in the leprechaun clan," but then undermine it by saying immediately after, "who, no surprise, ignored e-mailed requests for an interview." Textbook use of an unrelated matter to divert readers from your admission.

Oh, by the way, I like the Marquette Superfans' main cheer, "Hey, You Suck." Very classy. Marquette students, please do not let your Sports Editor lead you into unfounded disdain toward Notre Dame students. While the Leprechaun Legion does sometimes get unnecessarily personal, they also are passionate about basketball and ultimately just enjoy competition, as I'm sure the Marquette Superfans and students around the country do. Good luck with the rest of your season.