I don't dislike the stats, and i don't hate them.
In BF2 and BF 2142 the stats / ranks have a puorpose:
To select wich player makes commander.
To give achievments ( look at X-Box live) to the players to keep them longtime motivated
To give expired playes acess to special weapons (the G3 Battlerifle in BF2 needs more skill than the normal Assault Rifles)
It's true what BF 2 has some bugs in the stats system & unlocksystem, like some UEBER-Weapons.
BF 2142 has fixed most of the bug in this system.
BF 2142 shows also what the fieldupgrade system is a better way to promote Teamwork than stats.
As benefit for me as player:
If i want to invite a player to my clan / buddylist i can look at his stats.
Players who gets kicked and banned often or play regular on suspect servers (like "24/7Knife & Pistol" or "BIG-POINTZ_StAtsPaDiNgl33t"
) or have their stats reseted won't become part of my clan / buddylist.
For a good Stats / Rank system i think teamwork should be rewarded in the way the BF 2142 Fieldupgrades work.
Points for succsesfully following order, more points for teamwork near objectives with orders (like healing near "defending a flag"), extra carrier points for mebers of the best squad.
While teamkilling for a vehicle is not a problem in FirstStrike, BF2 would benefit from a system there you must apply to a vehicle like to the commander.
If more players apply to a vehicle, the player with the highest rank in this vehicle would get it.
(I know what were are to few maps with enough fighters for all, so the fighterwhores will allways get a jet- but this could easily fixed with some Aircombat maps with 8 jets for each side, so each player has a chance to make his "golden wings".)
CYNIC, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be. Hence the custom among the Scythians of plucking out a cynic’s eyes to improve his vision
