No that's what makes mario kart popular. In mario kart the item system is handicap based, purposely giving last place a chance of winning, whereas it's not the case in smash bros.
You are forgetting that the "elite player" can also pick up these items, so it doesnt really make the crap player win. A "noob" would probably not beat an "elite" if he got 3 hammers in 2 minutes. Items dont really balance the field in smash bros, it just makes it more unpredictable.
But you probably mainly play 3 or 4 player matches anyway, which are highly unpredictable and uncompetitive anyway, and items just make the game more manic anyway, which I have to say can be quite fun.
In case you dont know, smash is considered by many as one of the most skill based games ever, and is a real fighting game (if I am not mistaken, the characters are fighting eachother in a 2D environment). It is much more skilful than games like Tekken (learn massive combos when you're on your own) and Soul Calibur (good but a button basher).