It's not really about caring about tier lists, but rather how unorthodox that particular list seems to be. In all honesty, I was rather surprised to see Maxima that high.
I get what you mean and it is unorthodox but every time they interview someone they have to ask him about what he thinks of the tier list or the strongest characters; I know it wont stop but I am getting sick of it.
Well one thing you have to remember is that to the FG community tier lists are important, especially for Japanese players. So if they can gauge a pro's opinion or perspective of who they think is strong or weak, that'll definitely influence what other players in the community will do. I don't care much for tiers myself, so all I can say is just try to ignore it.