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Macho Man displays firm biceps, soft side
By BRADY DENNIS
© St. Petersburg Times, ZEPHYRHILLS -- OHHHHHH YEAHHHHHH!!! All it took was that familiar phrase to send about 200 summer campers into a frenzy Tuesday afternoon at the Zephyrhills YMCA. Standing before them, with biceps bulging and his eyes hidden behind a pair of Oakley sunglasses, was legendary wrestler "Macho Man" Randy Savage. He wore a black leather beret, a tight black shirt and blue jeans. Silver jewelry dangled from his neck, wrists and ears. But it was his trademark growl that made him instantly recognizable. "It looks like there's a bunch of tough guys and pretty girls here," he said, to wild cheers. Savage, 48, who gained fame in the 1980s when he became the World Wrestling Federation champion and later appeared in a series of Slim Jim commercials, proved he isn't nearly as gruff as his tough-guy image. He patiently fielded questions from the young campers:No, he never has wrestled "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Yes, wrestling is fake, but you have to be in shape to do it. Yes, that shiny black Humvee in the parking lot is his. But he didn't stop there. Savage shifted from talk about headlocks and body slams to some real-world advice. "You always have to have goals," he said. "When you put goals out there for yourself, that's very important. That's where we are all alike; we all have goals. You've got to believe in yourself." He also warned them to avoid roadblocks along the way. "I want each of you to stay in school, say no to drugs, listen to your teachers and listen to your parents," said Savage, whose mother-in-law is a member of the Zephyrhills YMCA. YMCA branch manager Joe Mangione said the wrestler's visit provided an ideal end to a sports-themed week at the summer camp. "It's really worked out perfect," he said. "The kids just love him. They are so excited he's here." Mangione was right about that. After his speech, Savage sat patiently to sign posters of himself for each child who wanted one. He required only a handshake and a look into his blue eyes. "It was super. I've never met a wrestler before," said Benny Vargas, 12. "He was a nice human being. Some wrestlers probably wouldn't be that nice. To shake his hand and talk to him, that was cool. "I just wish I was that built so nobody could mess with me." Savage, who next year will appear as Bone Saw McGraw in the motion picture Spiderman, seemed to enjoy Tuesday's atmosphere as well. He kept grinning and growling, even as the autograph line in front of him grew longer and longer. "I get an energy from that," Savage said of his talks to kids. "If I can show one person a little different way to treat themselves better, that's what it's all about."
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