Issue on sponsored themes

Seems that there is currently controversy abound on the issue of placing sponsored links in WordPress themes. I am not sure why there are those noisy ones making such a big fuss about an issue which is currently in full swing and practiced by several major internet marketers such as Aviva Directory and GII. I simply don’t get it. Why is a sponsored link, just one sponsored link which is well-placed in the theme, considered as “spam”? It is not that the person who is making the hue-and-cry is going to spend precious time and effort making good and beautiful themes for the community.