R.I.P. Billy Mays

You know him. Or at least his voice. "HI, BILLY MAYS HERE FOR..."

The king of infomercials is either loved or hated by all, but now he's passed on. I've been watching his show Pitchmen with Anthony Sullivan on Discovery this spring/summer and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mays could be grating at times, but it was apparent on the show that he's a devoted family man who wasn't afraid to make fun of himself.

So how is this related to college football? He actually played the sport at West Virginia briefly, and you've probably seen him on those funny ESPN360 commercials:

Plus, at least one person thought Mays should have been the top candidate to replace Lee Corso on College GameDay whenever the coach is done:

It had potential, I think.

The SEC has had its share of pitchmen over the years, from Bear Bryant for Coke and Golden Flake to Jimmy "Yella Fella" Rayne for Osmose wood. We've taken a look at some of the not quite so good pitches this off season (which will continue this week), and it's safe to say that the coaches and players of this conference could use some lessons in the art of the pitch.

Anyway, there are some folks out there who plan to wear Mays' trademark blue shirt and khakis this week as a tribute. I don't know if I'll encourage you to go that far, but at least take this opportunity to tell someone close to you that you love them. You never know when that chance will be taken away.