@WearingBlue4BillyMays_GitEmSteveDave:

You know, I am sure that the orthopedic surgeon who was to have done his surgery is feeling pretty damn lucky!

I turned off all of his commercials because they were too loud and gave me a headache. (Here's my evidence that I'm not just saying this: [www.chilledoutbeardedman.com])

Let's stop exaggerating the wait for countries with socialized medicine, please. The real situation isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than what the people who don't have a nice health plan courtesy of their jobs have in the U.S.

Billy was interviewed a few months ago on ABC's Nightline. Two things really stood out:

* He only pitched products he personally tested and liked.

* While playing one of his TV commercials, he muted the volume and demonstrated that - even without his booming voice - the enthusisam and product benefits in his pitch still came through.

Although still not a fan of late night screaming TV ads, I'll miss Billy's honesty and enthusiasm.

I AGREE WITH THIS POST

REST IN PIECE, MR. MAYS

@JPinCLE:

Amen, brother! You captured my feelings to a "T". For these reasons I seem to be taking Billy's death harder than any others that have happened lately.

Yeah, that sounds like a good way to gtfo for me. My #1 gtfo is obvious though and probably wouldn't be as great for the woman (or women, depending on how incredibly successful I am at that point).

@Robert Stevens: THIS IS AN EXCELLENT POINT. NOT ONLY WAS HE A DECENT PERSON, BUT HE WAS ALSO A MAN WHO KNEW HE GRATED SOME PEOPLE, AND COULD MAKE FUN OF HIMSELF FOR IT. EVEN THOUGH THIS CAPSLOCK BUSINESS SEEMS SARCASTIC, I'M DEAD SERIOUS WHEN I SAY HE'LL BE MISSED.

I could dig it.

I HATE TO ADMIT IT BECAUSE HE DROVE ME NUTS WITH ALL THE YELLING, BUT I THOUGHT HE WAS KIND OF COOL.

RIP Billy Mays... I miss you already!

And how long has yelling been stressful? Granted, stressful things may make you yell, but that isn't the case here.

The general rule of thumb that I try to follow is, if you feel ill after sustaining a blow to the head, see a doctor.

I will say though, that what Pitchmen taught me is that I'd rather hang out with Sully than Billy. As passionate and skilled as he is, he did come off as a bit of a drama queen at times.

CAPS LOCK IS THE CRUISE CONTROL TO BILLY MAYS.

@KyleOrton: Yelling for a living isn't stress free. Emotional stress, and physical stress are two different things. Exerting physical stress on your body all the time usually leads to heart problems.

People really only die of two things, heart problems or pneumonia.

GREENUNICORNS HERE OFFERING MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I WAS ONLY MARGINALLY FAMILIAR WITH HIS WORK, BUT CERTAINLY LIKED HIM A LOT BETTER THAN THE GUY WHO PUNCHED THE HOOKER.

REST IN PEACE, LOUD BUDDY.

@ironchef: That's exactly right. Generally you don't need to make up a story either. I know my docs offer that sort of thing at 40 as a comprehensive physical exam for people turning that age.

@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): I WAS ALWAYS STRANGELY DRAWN TO HIS INFORMERCIALS. THERE WAS SOME STRANGE APPEAL TO HIS CHARACTER. ONE TIME I BOUGHT ONE OF THE PRODUCTS HE WAS HAWKING AND IT ACTUALLY WORKED NICELY. I WAS IMPRESSED.

@DreamTheEndless: Also, a stress test won't always find a problem that is going to kill you so soon. They only show that there is a chance.

The guy was incredibly successful at something he liked a whole lot and had a personality that held nothing back. I bet he had a whole lot less stress than your average joe.

No shit.

Not to be an ass, but the guy was obviously high stress.

@Jim Topoleski: Hmmm, I don't think I can just ask ask a doc for a stress test and get one. Unless I have some symptoms. At least with US health insurance involved...

KINGPSYZ HERE WITH HIS OWN THEROY ON THE DEATH OF BILLY MAYS...

I think it's likely the jolt of you know THE FUCKING TIRES EXPLODING DURING LANDING might have caused the heart attack and his weakened heart couldn't stand it.

He even played along when Conan brought out a Sham Wow. I laughed so hard.

RIP Billy Mays.

All the time. Your body doesnt give a shit when it decided to close up you arteries.

As for a pay off, he would also have to forge all the test results, and have it stand up to scrutiny, which gets harder.

@WearingBlue4BillyMays_GitEmSteveDave: My mom has had 3 hip replacements and has gone for physicals and bloodwork each time. I don't think they do a stress test before the surgery.

Someone who worked his butt off his whole life to get to where he was... seemed to really care for his family, and seemed to be a genuinely good guy.

A guilty aside... I am glad to hear that it wasn't head trauma because after Natasha Richardson's death, and then had that been the cause here, hospitals would be overflowing with bumped heads looking for checkups.

Billy annoyed me when I first saw him in an Oxi-Clean commercial, but he grew on me. Definitely seemed to be one of the good guys.

RIP.

Also, as a side thought - how much money would US Airways pay the medical examiner to rig the autopsy report so as to avoid the lawsuits and bad publicity? Sure, its a zany conspiracy theory, but the motive's there, isn't it?

Waitasec... Someone whose face has been on TV more than just about anyone in the history of the world, and he WASN'T abusing his prescription painkillers?!

It's shocking, but good to hear. :)

Ah, I'll miss him yelling at me. He was the least-irritating salesman out there, IMHO. I worry about who they'll find to replace him...

GO TO THE DOCOTR AND GET A STRESS TEST!

Especially over 40! It only takes your first heart attack to die from one.

He didn't lie when he said he had a hard head. I will miss him though. Pitchmen really showed how great of a man he was.