Tampa radio personality Todd "MJ" Schnitt says he talked to
infomercial pitchman Billy Mays at about 10 p.m. Saturday, calling the host directly after
hearing about Mays' rough landing on an airplane which blew a tire while landing in Tampa.

But Schnitt's rival in morning radio, Bubba the Love Sponge Clem, says he first broke the news of Mays' death online at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Schnitt announced it at 11 a.m. Sunday on WFLA-AM 970, after getting tipped to Mays' death around 9:30 a.m.

Schnitt's conversation could make him the last non-family member to speak with Mays, who died in his sleep after going to bed Saturday night.

He plans to feature Mays son, Billy Mays
III, on his morning show for WFLZ-FM 93.3 Monday morning -- delaying
his vacation by a day to memorialize the infomercial king.

 Schnitt (left) also taped a conversation with Mays' partner Anthony "Sully" Sullivan for airing Monday and spent time Sunday telling local media of his last conversation with the well known pitchman -- revealing that Mays had just signed a deal to represent Taco Bell in his signature style.  

"I just called him as a personal friend," Schnitt said, noting that Mays talked about getting hit in the head when the luggage compartments opened during the flight. "He sounded groggy . . . (but) he was coming off an OxiClean (commercial) shoot in Philadelphia . . . He said he was tired and he was going to sleep."

Will Mays' death become another bone of contention between Clem (right) and Schnitt, who sued his rival last year alleging "false, highly offensive and defamatory statements" against him and his wife?

I guess that's something we'll learn Monday morning.

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Were you on the plane?
Were you a passenger on the U.S. Airways flight from Philadelphia to Tampa on Saturday that blew out a tire on landing? If you were on Flight 1241, we’d like to talk to you. Please contact reporter Rebecca Catalanello, (813) 226-3383 or rcatalanello@sptimes.com.

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