Is Jesse Ventura Really A Pinhead?

I was watching Bill O’Reilly last night and, as I usually do, was looking forward to the “Pinheads and Patriots” segment which last evening featured dear old, commonly used, Jesse Ventura. He is such an easy target for these kinds of things because he has to be the most politically incorrect person on the national scene. Almost everything he says upsets someone.
So, does that make him a “Pinhead.” Not really if you take a close look at who he really is. I have had the pleasure, and I mean that sincerely, of meeting Jesse and spending a few brief moments in conversation and longer moments watching him do what he does best…bask in the spotlight!
Our first encounter came during an event called “Goofy Games” at Walt Disney World. In a nutshell, “Goofy Games” brought together a team of a sportscaster, contest winner and two athletes from major markets to compete in silly contests with the winners getting money for a charity. It was a very fun event that generated money for needy causes…and…good publicity for Walt Disney World.
Without a doubt the most fun athletes to be around were the professional wrestlers. Jesse, along with Big John Studd and Sgt. Slaughter were big names in the wrestling world at that time…and they were wonderful. The kids loved them, and they loved kids. They would do anything to help out children. They would visit children’s hospitals, take time to sign autographs and talk to the constant hoard of kids that surrounded them.
Well, to make a long story short, Jesse Ventura was voted, by a landslide, the “Goofiest Athlete.” And for good reason. He was everywhere during the uplinks that the sportscasters would do to report on their activities of the day. He would go from one setup to another putting anchors in head holds and generally disrupting everything…and…everyone loved it and everyone loved him.
I later ran into him at a television convention and he mentioned that he was thinking of going into politics. What??? Who in the world would elect this “king of comedy?”
You know the rest of the story. Jesse Ventura was not only a wrestling star, he starred in a movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, became Governor of Minnesota, and has written a book. How many of us can claim one of these on our resumes?
Does he often come” off the wall” with his thoughts and comments? Absolutely! But, let’s remember, Jess Ventura is an entertainer. He is a dancing bear in the circus of life. He cannot stand not being the center of attention and will do just about anything to remain there (see Goofy Games.)
Like the dancing elephant…don’t throw stones at his technique, just enjoy the show.