Comparing Records to Players from Previous Eras is Derogatorily Dumb

Alexander Ovechkin just broke Wayne Gretzky's record for the most goals scored in an NHL career. It's an impressive achievement of both talent and longevity. Yet when you try to give Ovechkin kudos, there's always at least one person who says something like, "Yeah, but...he's still not Gretzky." Why do we need to put someone down? Why can't we just celebrate both players? And here's the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip we reference. What a gem!