I want to step aside a moment and submit to the court. Old DnD makes more sense when you consider you were expected to roll your stats at random. Usually in order. What you could even play, and how well, is determined by that. You can't even select some things if the stat is too low, and having low stats in other stuff will be a long walk off a short pier.

If you roll an 18 in dex, con, and int? Welcome to being a wizard megachad. It's obligatory. Roll an 8 in dex, 8 in con, and bare minimum int? Your life as a wizard will be short and upsetting. Something like fighter is easier to qualify for and the dumping ground for badly rolled characters too. Which may have shaped some perceptions. Since if you rolled anything particular, you probably played some other class that needs those stats. Why waste the chance on a rare stat block?