It's strange, I remember when I was young playing NES games was a way I made some of my friends I still have today. None of us cared how good the other person was, it was all about having fun and bonding over a common interest. In my college dorm I can recall gaming with people on my floor and even then skill level was never of any concern. I guess when the person with the other controller is not in the same room as you people just don't want to treat them like another human being. Instead you just create a label for them based on their performance.