"A big mistake I made was that I never really left bodybuilding training behind. Despite being a "powerlifter," I was benching like a bodybuilder: elbows flared, no leg drive, and wondering why I couldn't bench for **** and blew a pec in the process."
Dave Tate Link:
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/dave_tates_iron_evolution_phase_3_return_to_powerlifting&cr=
Also, just another thing that came to my mind when reading this thread is there is a major difference with the powerlifting vs. bodybuilding. Powerlifting has a risk vs reward that probably goes through every powerlifter's head. A good example of this is when Donnie Thompson got a disc injury doing deficit deads with a rounded back and said "I knew better. I was pulling with a rounded back and it got me." Should we say "don't listen to him about deads? I digress.
My main point is you can't compare the two. Saying that
"you shouldn't learn to bench from Dave Tate because he hurt his shoulders" is like saying you shouldn't learn to pitch a baseball from Roy Halladay because he is having shoulder surgery, you shouldn't learn to be a running back from Adrian Peterson because he got an ACL injury, etc. I'm sure I could google many more but I hope this makes the point. You could learn from it, just don't take the risks if it isn't your sport.
This is only in response to the "mostly ego" part. It is mostly ego if you risk form for weight. As far as hypertrophy...well you could probably look at bodybuilders with the biggest chests and their thoughts. Probably gonna be a combination of exercises including some sort or barbell and DB work as they both have their place.