I had to leave work so I wouldn't get angry when someone didn't understand why I was upset. I only met Ryan a few times, but I feel like I've known him half my life. From reading the comments, tributes and general support for Ryan's friends and family, I know a lot of you feel the same. "Fucking devastated" doesn't quite cover it.

Reading through these responses, all these great memories being shared, I'm bouncing between laughter and openly sobbing. As a moderator you are often exposed to the extreme worst of what a site such as this has to offer, but today I don't have to worry about that, because this grief is unanimous. That's more reassuring than I can really articulate. It reminded me why I'm here, on this site, as part of this community.

Thank you.

I know there are a billion threads about this already but fuck it, today we're more than happy to turn a blind eye. I've loved reading about everyone's experiences of meeting, watching and listening to Ryan over the years and it helps, it definitely helps to hear about how loved Ryan was, and how much he will be missed. So I wanted to add my two cents:

I met Ryan at PAX last year. We were in our hotel the night before Rock Band night and Matt got a text from Snide saying he was drinking with Nicole and Ryan over in some bar at the other side of Boston and did we want to join. So Marino, Matt, Andrew, Wafflestomp, Sparklykiss, DVDhaus and PsEG (Were you there, Trace? I can't remember.) hopped on the subway and made our way over. Dave and I drank shots of tequila and Ryan laughed at me for asking if we were going to need a lime. That fucker.

I remember standing outside and smoking a cigarette with him. I didn't know he smoked, but we chatted the whole time, just stupid shit, and I couldn't stop laughing. It sounds dumb, but I had been listening to this guy for hours every week for almost 10 years. It was great to finally meet someone who I felt like I had known for a big chunk of my life.

I can't imagine how the staff are dealing with this. I'm a complete wreck and I only met the guy once. A forum post doesn't do it justice. I feel like I should fly out to the US just to fucking hug everyone.

But yeah. If you have any thoughts or memories of Ryan, please do post them, either here or in your own threads. They are great to read, and genuinely helpful to those trying to come to terms with his passing.

I'm going to finish this with a video I took on my phone of Ryan dancing while the panel band was warming up before PAX East last year. It never fails to make me laugh.

Thanks for all the memories, Ryan.

Love Sweep

We're a family. Everyone in the Giantbomb community. We're one big, loving family. And today, we lost our father.

Incredibly well said Sweep. At this point myself, and seemingly many others on the forum, are celebrating the years and legacy of Ryan Davis. I've shed a tear today but I've also laughed myself silly at all Ryan has given us over the years. Bittersweet barely even covers it.

My shoe is in that video.

@matt: Fucking yeah it is!

Really well spoken, Sweep. I don't consider myself one of the more well-known people on these boards but I've been here a while and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one openly sobbing over the death of a person I've never met. But Giant Bomb, Ryan, his dickish humor and his borderline-insane- sounding and infectious laugh got me through some really fucking rough patches over these last few years. I suffer from depression and on days when I just wanted to crawl into bed and let despair cover me like a blanket, I would turn on the Bombcast and smile at "Hey everyone it's TUUEESDAY!" and knowing that that dumb little catchphrase that oddly became such a staple of my week is extinguished is what hits me the hardest. Fuck Ryan Davis. Fuck you for leaving us, man.

Very well said, Sweep. It's amazing to see how far-reaching one good man's influence can be.

Great post man.

I thought you were going to make an olive garden joke. When your here your family. Anyways, great post.

love you sweep

love you ryan

fuck this day

That was an awesome post, Sweep. RIP Ryan. Dat Ska.

@sweep:

The fact I cant talk to anyone in person without them understanding, just, how fucking tragic this is , is heartbreaking,

my only solace is that next week i'm flying to PAX aus,

hopefully there i'll get a chance to mourn with some people who know just how meaningful this is,

fuck me, i am going to reach the end of this jack daniels bottle,

i am a fucking wreck,

It still doesn't seem real. I read twenty pages of comments before work, came home, visited Giantbomb expecting to see... an I Love Mondays, with Ryan sitting at his desk behind his silly Ronald Regan portrait. I'm still secretly hoping that someone advised Ryan to "fake his own death" and he said "Fuck it, OK."

My favorite line from Ryan remains his loud "what the fuck are you SAYING!??"... What a fucking legend mr. Davis was.

It's hard to think of something like this happening. When I first saw the news this afternoon, I was sure if it was even real. I usually don't trust anything on the internet, but giantbomb has always steered me straight. I've been reading thread now for awhile and I find myself feeling a great lose. Like you it's hard to imagine that someone I watched and listen daily for years is gone. I have had the discomfort of lose before, but this may be the first time I've felt so sad for someone I really never knew. Ryan always seemed like someone with a big heart and maybe that's why this feels so bad, cause I can't picture Ryan ever doing anything bad.

Thank you Ryan Davis

p

God damn that glorious bastard's enthusiasm...how many tears can one drop before they run dry?

Great tribute Sweep.

thanks sweep and thanks again ryan davis :( :/ :) :\ :(

Wish I met Ryan Davis myself. RIP... :(

Awesome post duder. Even though I never met him, he and the rest of the crew brought me many things of joy over the years and I will miss him RIP Ryan :(

I can't say I have any enduring memories of him, but he has been a fixture in my life for years since the Gamespot days. Thanks for sharing. Reading all these posts is also helping me.

Today my heart hangs saddened by the passing of a man I've never met but would like to think I knew.

Farewell Ryan, a man with a personality so big it traveled through the "inner webs".

I KNEW IT! I always pegged Ryan as a smoker.

That doesn't really mean anything. I just always figured he would be the one in the crew that smoked. It just means there's one less mystery about him for me.

Great words that you have to say about Papa Bear, Sweep.

You're a funny hamburger Sweep. =-P I wish I was there at PAX to meet Ryan and everyone else from the staff and members that were there, including you. It's a shame that I'm too poor and too isolated from people because I wouldn't want to go alone going that long distance.

Ryan was a great guy, and he'll be missed by many. I miss him myself, and it's a shame of how young he was!