I'm not sure that papers being theoretical means that they're less rigorous. You could argue the opposite as well; they're more rigorous if you prove strict upp

I'm not sure that papers being theoretical means that they're less rigorous. You could argue the opposite as well; they're more rigorous if you prove strict upper bounds whereas practical papers just require you to implement something and measure it. I don't think either one is better or worse than the other; they all have their place and are just different.