Site Dedication
Travis Acton
November 25, 1972 - June 2, 2008
My big guy is gone. The finest
defender I've ever known, a wonderful teammate, a loyal and
devoted friend, and a big supporter of my basketball site.
The man who watched my back, and set my picks.
Over many years, Travis made me a better
player than I was. He erased the mistakes I made.
He chastised me when I made mistakes that I should have
known better than to make. Sometimes, he picked me up
when I was down - sometimes, he kicked me when I was down -
whichever it was that I needed to encourage me to keep
giving it what I had. He never let me settle for less
than my best effort.
He paid me with compliments - he paid me
with curse words. He carried me - he dropped me and
made me stand on my own two feet. He pleaded - he
threatened. He encouraged - he insulted. After
all - that's what a teammate does - he uses his skills to
help you get the best out of your skills. He pushes
you to the next level. For many years, Travis did that
for me - both on and off the court.
He was not a gentle giant. Travis could be mean and nasty on the
court. I've taken my share of bruises, floorburns, and
hard fouls playing against him. My opponents have
taken their share when they've played against him, too.
He loved the physical game, and he loved being the
intimidator.
Travis was a big man - a shot-blocking
center with an unquenchable passion for defense. He's
the finest defender I've ever played with. He's the
finest defender I've ever known. And I will miss him.
You let me down, Big Guy. You were
supposed to stick the game out with me. But you're my
friend and teammate just the same. I wish you could
have seen the new site. I think you'd have liked it.
As of June 2, 2008, there's a gaping hole
in the lane, and points just got a lot
cheaper.
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