darksabre Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 I had heard about this recently but there's a BN story about it today:http://buffalonews.com/2017/12/01/wgr-sabres-beat-reporter-loses-80-pounds-to-save-his-life/I had no idea the guy played college hockey. Looks like we won't be able to call him Paul Hamsammich anymore. Good for him. Losing weight and keeping it off ain't easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Paul's a friend of mine. Worked with him at USAir in late '80s....good athlete and great guy. went through a tough time losing his wife....I wish him good luck and health.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleven Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 I had heard about this recently but there's a BN story about it today: http://buffalonews.com/2017/12/01/wgr-sabres-beat-reporter-loses-80-pounds-to-save-his-life/ I had no idea the guy played college hockey. Looks like we won't be able to call him Paul Hamsammich anymore. Good for him. Losing weight and keeping it off ain't easy. Yeah, club hockey at Iowa State. Paul's a friend of mine. Worked with him at USAir in late '80s....good athlete and great guy. went through a tough time losing his wife....I wish him good luck and health.... I didn't know he had gone through that. Not fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 (edited) never understood the hate. I’ve generally found his takes to be insightful. Didn’t know he lost his wife. That’s a big deal. I’m not sure I’d survive losing mine. Edited December 1, 2017 by We've Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Aud Smell Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 His story is certainly a sympathetic one. I very much wish him well. The fact that the other on-air personalities all seem to like him (genuinely) confirms that he is, in fact, a good, good guy. It's funny. I can't hardly recall much of the specifics, but I know I had tuned him out because, I had concluded, his takes were so patently negative and narrative-driven. The Reinhart thing specifically, I guess. Well, well, well. Looks like I should've listened to Paul all along. I still think that a decent amount of how he views and understands the game is somewhat dated. But I now think he was right all along on #23. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted December 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 His story is certainly a sympathetic one. I very much wish him well. The fact that the other on-air personalities all seem to like him (genuinely) confirms that he is, in fact, a good, good guy. It's funny. I can't hardly recall much of the specifics, but I know I had tuned him out because, I had concluded, his takes were so patently negative and narrative-driven. The Reinhart thing specifically, I guess. Well, well, well. Looks like I should've listened to Paul all along. I still think that a decent amount of how he views and understands the game is somewhat dated. But I now think he was right all along on #23. Good call on the Reinhart stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Aud Smell Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Good call on the Reinhart stuff. Quick aside: Wasn't his brother -- Griffin? Griffon? -- recently waived or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTS Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 I'm so glad this story came out. I've known of his troubles through mutual acquaintances. It's why I didn't like when people poked fun at his weight. There's just so much going on there that it's not as simple as just saying "I can do better.". I think at times he is a bit arrogant and gruff with responses on air and I think some of that perhaps creeped into his persona over the past few years. He was not happy with his weight and that's something he had to take everywhere with him. I genuinely hope he continues his improvement and that it leads to better things for him in the future. Thanks for sharing the article and I am glad it's on the news roll on the main page of the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted December 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Quick aside: Wasn't his brother -- Griffin? Griffon? -- recently waived or something? Yup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacque Richard Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Some of the posters most recently were bad mouthing him, how you feel now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCard Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Some of the posters most recently were bad mouthing him, how you feel now? Pretty much the same. I feel bad he lost his wife, and good on him for losing weight. I'll even credit him with his Reinhart take, maybe he was right about that after all. I still think he put a garbage article about his stats out there, and generally has an antiquated and repetitive view on the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted December 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Pretty much the same. I feel bad he lost his wife, and good on him for losing weight. I'll even credit him with his Reinhart take, maybe he was right about that after all. I still think he put a garbage article about his stats out there, and generally has an antiquated and repetitive view on the game. Yup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudacek Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 I used to think Paul was perhaps the most worthwhile beat guy around the Sabres. But then his professionalism started falling away. Personal life will seep into professional life and that may be what happened here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabel79 Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Some of the posters most recently were bad mouthing him, how you feel now? It is quite possible to have empathy for the human being while intensely disliking his questionable takes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleven Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Some of the posters most recently were bad mouthing him, how you feel now? I'm not sure how much I was badmouthing him, but he has lost a little credibility with me over the last three years (or so). I used to trust him implicitly. I don't anymore. I knew he was losing weight; that was apparent just from seeing him on TV / Internet. Didn't know why (and still don't because I can't open the article, but I'll see the paper later). I didn't know he had lost his wife. None of it really affects my opinion of him, other than knowing some of what he's gone through and feeling bad for him for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_sauve28 Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 I've always liked him. Glad to see him improve himself. He's one of the better Buffalo sports media people I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTS Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 I think the key is to critique his knowledge and delivery of it in his professional career without spilling over into personal attacks on his weight or other irrelevant factors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunkard Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 I think the key is to critique his knowledge and delivery of it in his professional career without spilling over into personal attacks on his weight or other irrelevant factors. This coming from a guy with a racist avatar. So it's ok to make fun of Asians but not fat people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Aud Smell Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 (edited) I think the key is to critique his knowledge and delivery of it in his professional career without spilling over into personal attacks on his weight or other irrelevant factors. That is fair. I am interested in the notion that his apparent grumpiness, crankiness, which seemed to cloud his judgment at times could have been the product of his poor health and/or personal tragedy. This coming from a guy with a racist avatar. So it's ok to make fun of Asians but not fat people? I can't tell if this is serious or for yuck-yucks. In any case, Mr. Yuck: Edited December 1, 2017 by That Aud Smell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunkard Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 That is fair. I am interested in the notion that his apparent grumpiness, crankiness, which seemed to cloud his judgment at times could have been the product of his poor health and/or personal tragedy. I can't tell if this is serious or for yuck-yucks. In any case, Mr. Yuck: It was a joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Aud Smell Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 It was a joke. Copy that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 It is quite possible to have empathy for the human being while intensely disliking his questionable takes. Yes, it is. Paul and I have disagreed often Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 So is hammymath no longer a thing? Some of the posters most recently were bad mouthing him, how you feel now? Nope. Not even a little. I am satan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Buffalo Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 Always seemed to be a nice guy, worked driving limos while going back to RAD school and gave him a ride from MSG to the airport in 2011, couldnt have been more gracious. Dont always like his repetitive analysis in recent years but never any hate for him. Didnt know he was an Amherst grad... go Tigers class of ‘82! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matter2003 Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 (edited) Good for him...ive been there myself...not that heavy but at 255 lbs I thoight I was having a heart attack several years ago and had elevated cardiac enzymes when they ran tests at the hospital... Over the next few years I got in tremendous shape and dropped 75 pounds...you have moments in your life when you just look in the mirror and dont like the person you've become and have to make a serious change. Good for him that he realized it and even better for sticking it through and doing it. Edited December 1, 2017 by matter2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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