I suppose one of the best telling stories of a good pilot whose skills were honed not in a sim but in a glider and as a PPL holder is the Gimli glider. He managed to land a B767 by side slipping it onto a disused field.
I for one would rather fly with a pilot who flies a C120, PA 28, a T21 or whatever in his spare time. They do have good current stick and rudder skills.
Another example of poor airmanship is probably the AF A330 that was effectivly stalled because the crew did not recognise a stall or the signs of an incipient one.
As a PPL holder even I know what it is like to get airborne after being out of the LH seat for a few weeks and that is in a PA28. Heavens only knows what it is like to be a little out of currency in a fast jet or a slow one for that matter