I managed to be one of the "top dogs" (held number one for kills for a few hours, was in the top ten for a few weeks) in a previous aerial combat game. It was a huge hassle. Finally I just stop attending ladder servers. After that I had a lot more fun.
People who are obsessed with their statistics tend to be mean, selfish, and cheap. They'll usually do anything to protect or pad their numbers, including "gaming the game." They don't play nice, they only care about their own fun and no one else's. And in the end, they don't have fun, either. I know, because I was there.