EPD's, IMO, were created to 1) sell cattle 2)improve cattle. Both are noble and worthy goals.
One must remember, the numbers are only as good as the guy holding the pencil.
There is some discrimination, also. Many of the "show bred" or "efficiency bred" cattle will never have the high numbers in some areas that some highly promoted cattle have. On the other hand, many of the high-marbling or high IMF cattle just do not function well in pasture conditions, that I would call "real world". The show guys (including me) would never use over half the bulls in a given sire catalog, and the "carcass" guys would usually not use a FT. Worth champion.
It seems the folks up north of Texas have a better grasp of the practicality of raising good, functional cattle. To them, good is good, and a Denver or Louisville Champion could also work in the pasture
Balanced numbered cattle that will milk, breed back on time (high fertility), perform on grass, have sound feet and legs and travel well, along with superior muscling, depth and capacity and superior rib-shape, and will wean a HEAVY CALF, will always be in demand by REAL cattlemen.
And if they are good enough, they can win a show AND work for your buyers in real world situations.