great thread. didn't know we had so many bb fans.
are our kids too nice? i wonder. krysko was our guy, but he was also a mean s.o.b., just ask anybody who played against him. as a coach he was in charge--not only of the huddle, but of the court. he commanded tremendous respect from refs, announcers, opposing coaches. when he was on the sidelines, montana had a presence, an aura, much as it does in football. you couldn't define it exactly, but it was there. when we played stanford down here a couple of years ago, greg papa, a former play-by-play guy for the spurs, and now one of the top tv commentators in the bay area, was out on the court, pre-game, talking to krysko, looking up in more ways than one. you could sense the commaraderie, the humor, the respect. krysko in charge.
i believe tinkle is getting there. he too has an aura, but different from krysko's, and maybe not as tough. tinkle is a better recruiter, probably relates better to parents and players. but as a coach, krysko could summon a meanness that may not be a part of tinkle's inherent nature. i see him as a guy who was probably always the b.m.o.c., married the love of his life, and has a beautiful family, while successful coachs from adolph rupp through john wooden to bob knight could be mean s.o.b.'s.
remember, it always starts at the top.