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Note: a shorter version of this story ran in the later editions.
Much has been written about Jackie Joyner-Kersee of East St. Louis, America's Summer Olympic icon. Not so with the man who gave her that hyphen, husband and coach Bob Kersee.
The public picture of the Kersees comes across the television screen every four years at the Olympics. She is winning medals, usually golden, in the long jump and heptathlon. She is gracious and charming and modest. He seems gruff and stern and overbearing.
Kersee's image did not soften during his parts of three seasons as Blu es fitness coach. He understands why an outsider would be put off by him.
"Most people I work with, they don't like me maybe 364 days a year," he said. "But that one day, if I do my job right, they like me when they stand up on that podium or come off the ice.
"A lot of them come back at me and thank me - after being mad at me or throwing things at me or cursing me."
Blues goalie Grant Fuhr, who became a close friend, has a typical working relationship with Kersee.
"Bobby's a great man," Fuhr said, "but don't tell him I said that. He'll make me pay for it even more when he gets me."
Workaholic
Kersee calls himself a student of human movement. He has personalized Newton's first Law of Motion to read: An athlete's body at rest remains at rest, unless acted upon by an outside force. In this case, a skinny, bearded, bespectacled, 44-year-old screamer.
Well, that's the superficial view. The real Bobby Kersee detonates every stereotype that comes at first glance.
"He's a country-western fan," said sprinter Gail Devers, who won two Olympic gold medals under Kersee. "He likes NASCAR racing. And he's always dancing around the weight room."
Kersee's image problem - although he doesn't consider it a problem - stems from his workaholic nature. It's not that he won't stand for publicity. He can't stand still for it.
"I've always worked," Kersee said, "and I've always tried to go to school. And I always tried to read. I think that's very important.
"My grandfather always told me, `If you're not going to school, you should...