Scott,
Big Heenan fan here, but I thought he was pretty weak in WCW, especially during the NWO run. Do you think it would've been better overall if he stayed a heel commentator / pro-NWO back then instead of being afraid of them?
Bobby's thing wasn't showing backbone, though. He was the definitive cowardly heel manager and everyone knew it. Maybe had the NWO forced a shirt onto him or something, he could have joined them to save his own hide because that would be in character, but I don't see him just up and defying them otherwise.
Now, someone like Jesse Ventura in the same position would tell them to go fuck themselves and probably get over as a huge babyface in the process.