I've always thought MR's approach to Sticky threads was a bit bass-ackwards, myself. Popular/Active threads don't actually
need to be stickied. Their own popularity will automatically keep them near the top of the heap. Conversely, threads that don't generate enough activity to stay on the first page probably shouldn't be artificially propped up by stickying them.
I'm of the opinion that the best candidates for stickies, are posts that contain important information that rarely changes. Stickying highly active, constantly evolving threads that see a lot of participants (and as a consequence, remain near the top of the heap naturally) is a bit silly I think.
I'd unsticky almost every single active thread that is currently stickied if were up to me. Luckily for many ... it's not entirely up to me. Just know that I'm a hard lobbyist for waaaaaaaay less than we currently have.
EDIT: Also ... more stickies means less page space for normal threads. What's the point of having to go to the second page of a forum to see the most recent posts (in popular non-sticky threads)?