In a recent column I mentioned a handful of NBA players who played their college ball in the NAIA. In response to my list, which included, among others, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Willis Reed and Earl Monroe, Flem File reader Rob wrote in to admonish me about leaving out Laker guard ... "MIKE PENBERTHY, formerly of Master's College, who is now averaging 5.1 points per game in L.A."

Because of my horrific omission, Rob concluded that the NAIA has given up on by the "sports media", which, again, certainly seemed like a fair statement to me since I had just finished a week of 16-hour days, collecting 400 pages of notes, for a feature on the tournament for the new issue of The Mag.

Ugh.

The next day, big Dan wrote, in an e-mail titled Why You Suck, ... "You must be doing well if they sent you to the NAIA Tournament."

Double ugh.

Sometimes, folks, you just can't win for losing.

I believe fellow Flemfiler Jason put it best when he wrote, "Dear Flem: Do you ever get a headache reading some of the crap that people write to you?"

Take two aspirin and see if this answers your question: Dear Rob and Dan: WHO HELPED YOU LOG ON?

David Fleming, a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine, shares his off-center perspective each week. E-mail flemfile@aol.com.