Mailbag: This Notre Dame thing is really snowballing

Updated Nov. 29

Notre Dame student Andrew Hebert sets the record, uh, straight on the Notre Dame snowball controversy:

Dear Dennis,

As a student at the game, I can honestly say I did not throw one of those snowballs. That being said the snowballs were not thrown at those players.

Yearly, Notre dame seniors take part in a marshmallow fight, and yearly they inevitably they try to throw those marshmallows onto the football field. Again, these snowballs were a result of those actions. Those footballs were not aimed at the players, I guarantee. They were aimed at the field, seeing the seniors were seated behind them.

Furthermore most of the snowballs weren't even thrown by seniors, rather underclassmen. And while their target, the cops who recently have not had a good relationship with students ... it is funny how the university puts it on our side of the field to block our view instead of the other fans, but yet we pay over $50,000 a year to go there, and the ridiculous cheerleading coach who tried to take pictures of students throwing snowballs.

The students are not dumb enough to throw snowballs at our classmates. We know they work hard, try their best, and people get way too uptight over a couple of snowballs, and you like the rest of the classless journalists in all fields of journalism twist every story you can to get a headline while berating an institution or public figure in the national limelight.

I'm not asking for an apology, but before you go writing a story, I'll take another line from Jesus Christ, before you go picking the splinters out of other people's eyes, pull the plank out of your own. Get the entire facts before condemning and stereotyping an entire student body, my guess is no more than a couple hundred snowballs were thrown so if all those were thrown by one person that means 1.25 of the student body threw snowballs and start practicing real journalism.

And a rebuttal, kind of, from Ray Petrino:

From the sound of your e-mail, Dennis, you're just repeating what was written by others. For that reason, I ask you to reconsider your sources. This whole snowball thing has been taken WAY out of context.

Unlike you, who were copying reports from ND haters, I have friends who were at the game and gave me the real inside scoop. When I went to Michigan for Michigan-ND games, I used to have beer bottles thrown at me. Cops had to GAS Buckeye fans in Columbus when they set couches on fire and vandalized the streets after wins.

Why were these stories never featured in the press? Sure, some drunken kids threw snowballs at players and they should lose their ticket privileges. That goes without saying. However, to label all of ND for the stupid actions of a few are taking advantage of the power of the pen and plain old ignorance.

Most kids were tossing snowballs at each other ... or at security. Why security, you ask? Because students' rights have been violated on campus over the last few weeks. If you want something to write about, talk about the unwarranted arrests and student housing busts where kids have been busted for suspicion of drinking.

More spin from Gregg:

Dennis, I was at the game. Twelve inches of snow at the feet of college kids. They're going to throw snowballs. In the third quarter a wild snowball fight broke out between two student sections. It was fun to watch from afar. At no time, no time, did I feel the students were maliciously throwing snowballs at their team.

Delusional Domers:

I love the phrase "no more than a couple of hundred" snowballs, as if that makes it OK. I also love how you two are trying to muck up the issue by bringing security, campus cops and NBC into the issue.

"It was fun to watch from afar"? Students weren't "maliciously" throwing snowballs?

The snowballs came out of the stands and hit players. You're there to watch football and possibly control yourselves. I don't give a damn about on-campus issues. I care about a great university being smeared in the nation press because of a bunch of drunken lunkheads.

Here's an idea: Don't throw snowballs. Is that too much to ask?

From: Mike

Dennis, you don't fire him (Charlie Weis) now because he is 6-6 and that is improved from 3-9? You fire him now because he is starting to lose control of this team and the program see taking back the play-calling duties and alienating his offensive coordinator. You fire him because he has put together the worst two years in the history of ND football.

Mad Mike:

You don't fire him now because the Notre Dame coaching job is becoming just like the front of Bloomingdale's -- revolving door.

From: L J Smothers

Dodd, wake up the echoes ... where is the fire of Holtz, Ara or Knute? Clausen is not I-A material or any of his brothers. Bring up the Texas Tech Raiders coach. Have the snowballers raise $20 million in snow cones. What was so wrong with Ty or Bob D.?

Smothers Brother:

I'll just leave that one alone if you don't mind.

From: John

Huge ND fan ... don't always agree with you ... respect your opinion however ... great article.

From: Patrick

The people that think that Charlie Weis should be fired evidently don't know much about football. He has had success in recruiting top players in the country. This has been evident this year. However a young team will make mistakes. Another year will show a huge improvement over this one.

From: Terry

Thanks Dennis for the info on Congress (college football playoff). Although I have a low opinion of Congress, I have a lower opinion of university presidents, so Congress and the Justice Department should take action.

Playoff Guy (or Girl):

Sorry to say that I think this issue is going to fade away. I'm already hearing that B.O. is backing off his statements.

From: Russ

I can't believe you aren't including (Iowa's) Shonn Greene in your Heisman hopefuls? Do you realize he is only 57 yards behind Reggie Bush the year he won the Heisman???? Put the politics aside ... Shonn Greene is quietly the best player in the Big Ten and is putting together one of the greatest seasons in the country. Nile Kinnick, the last Iowa player to win the Heisman, played on a 4-7 Hawkeye team.

Russ:

I'm still trying to figure out if it's Greene with an "e" and Shonn with two N's.

From: Bob

I sincerely hope you respond to this e-mail. Every year, the Heisman is referred to by sportscasters like you as the award that goes to the best college football player of that year. That is wrong. In truth, history has show that the Heisman always goes to the best offensive player of a large college/university for that year.

When are folks like you ever going to acknowledge that fact?

Rabid Robert:

I've never disputed that fact, in fact I've tried to make a point of it.

From: Lou

Dennis, Why not write a column about how stupid the computers are?

L:

They would unite through interconnected servers, mobilize and kill me.

From: Daniel

Why take the cheap shot at Reagan? I agreed with most of the points in the column. Politics aside, however, it came across as really immature to sneak that in, whether it is true or not.

Pundit:

I did it because the man had to live with himself and we had to live with him.

From: Scott

The coaches poll in college football is akin to voting for the homecoming king ... and relax, everyone, there's lots of football still to play.

Senior Prank:

I might be wrong but I don't recall any pimply faced, tux-wearing horndogs among the coaches.

From: David

Dennis: There is one HUGE problem with your article ... the AP poll has OU ahead of Texas too. So, are your brethren in the press voting their bias too?

Poll Dancer:

I couldn't care less. The AP poll doesn't count toward the BCS.

From: Stephen

You owe Nancy Reagan and anyone who voted for Ronald Reagan an apology, your comment made about Ronald Reagan was absolutely despicable, mainly because it was entirely untrue, and was nothing more than a hateful and partisan attack. Shame on you! You truly tarnish the good name of CBS sports, and its great anchors.

Mr. Press Secretary:

The Reagan administration owes the middle class an apology for stamping out the dreams of millions of people. Ask African-Americans. Let's talk about Iran-Contra for a while, shall we?

From: J Wright

Did you get fired yet for your horrible predictions? Penn State won the Big Ten have you written anything about this yet El Baldo?

J Wrong:

Check the Expert Picks. I lead, have for most of the season.