...doesn't sound gentlemanly.

I'm not so sure that 'ego' is such a bad thing. It can be useful. Even good for the morale. To build up one's self-confidence. Especially in relatively mundane pursuits, such as sports. In playful competition with others. For instance, I call for my Chicago Cubs to nurture a 'killer instinct' and to pour it on, so to speak. In the quest of winning a game. Do it decisively. Don't give the opponent a chance to come back. Of course, it can be argued that's being unsportsman-like. And that winning or losing a game, or anything, shouldn't make a difference. That a game of baseball shouldn't be like a 'game' of war. Funny thing. I advocate the elimination of war. But not the end of a 'war' mentality in baseball. Maybe I'll have to give that more thought. Because when I build up/fortify my ego, I'm often trying to deflate another's ego. That doesn't sound gentlemanly. --Jim Broede