Maury Wills. There was no bigger fan of Maury Wills than I was as a boy, '60-'66 when he was the heart and soul of the Dodgers. After the team traded him in the '66 offseason it started to come out that Wills was less than a model citizen, which significantly narrowed my appreciation of him.
Wills was definitely, uh, brash.
Re: DiPoto, how's about we both agree that nothing would please us more than DiPoto's accomplishments (as opposed to his demeanor) definitively silencing our concerns. I don't mind brashness when it's backed up by results, although I'm sure we both would prefer the kind of guy who lets the results speak for themselves.
This is one area where I really appreciate Pete Carroll. Doggone if he doesn't just simply ENJOY success. He works hard, prepares thoroughly, preaches his philosophy, and then exults with his players and coaches when success comes. You never even get the sense that he is politely and politic-ly hiding an inner pride about it. I'm not sure I've ever seen a man more characterized by the sheer JOY of achievement without a hint of self-puffery. John Wooden would come closest, but he was so reserved in his demeanor that all you got from him was a smile after winning another NCAA title.
Carroll wears it on his sleeve but no sense of "in your face" or "take that!"