User blog comment:Gen Nakazora/Meta, Wolves, and Flash/@comment-5907289-20130417133726

Normally you finish wolves/wraiths before the buffs spawn, so you made use of your time and help from the lanes. Getting a smiteless means you can get your other buff way faster/prevent it from being stolen/smitesteal enemy buff and get first blood even! If you're invading lvl 1 enemy blue you should let your mid take it and save your smite for your jungle to prevent countersteals! Not smiting the first buff is really usefull and I only smite it if I don't have help in jungle, we got invaded or the lanes need to leave quickly.

I understand you hate the flame for not picking flash, but occasionally have the player who picks TP ignite and doesn't make use of it which makes me doubt their choice.

But you are asking why everyone picks it, well because it is god damn handy. For example, Lee Sin has two jumps, so you don't need flash, right? You know what's better than two jumps? Three jumps! We all know the Lee Sin I-fly-across-the-battlefield-w-q-r-flash-bam-the-adc-kicked-in-my-team trick.