I do not agree that a MAYDAY or PAN call is not important, because it is.Specially in Europe procedures for ATC are based on those calls. A lot of things happen when such calls are being made.
I would imagine that controllers in Europe have the latitude and common sense to invoke whatever emergency procedures are appropriate once an otherwise fully occupied crew says they are landing in the local river, mayday call or not. Correct me if I'm wrong.
From my perspective as a airline pilot I'm trying to figure out what additional assistance Cactus might have received by stating mayday as opposed to what was said. The good Captain might have won a contest amongst the anal pedants out there but it wouldn't have changed anything for the better. There's a time and place for mayday calls, the grace is to know when it's time to simply fly the plane, pass information as needed and let anonymous posters dissect the phraseology and format used to save all aboard.
Leave it to rest people.