[autofx]

Mick,

If being coldly decisive equates to the killer instinct, then
I agree.

When I think of this "killer instinct", I think of the softball
teams I used to play on (like American baseball, but played
with a larger ball and slightly modified rules). One team
got very good because we had guys who had played
high school and college baseball, and they coached us
about the killer instinct. We mostly called it "learning how
to win".

We found that at times we'd let up because we were crushing
the opposing team, and we'd see their droopy body language,
etc., and feel a little sorry for them. But we made it a habit of
brushing that aside and sticking with our habit of keeping the
pressure on, because that habit was important to maintain
for when we faced better teams.

Bottom line, though, is we knew what we were doing. We
understood smart base running. We practiced to make sure
our hitting, fielding and throwing skills were good. We learned
how to talk to each other in play situations and keep everything
coordinated.

When it came time to apply those skills, we were in fact a
bit ruthless. Cold-blooded, even.

If this is what we're talking about, we're all in agreement.