I agree that without scientific basis, we should err on the side of other preferences, like tempo work making us recover better! Im pretty sure i'm the only guy on the board who walks 7+ miles while cutting lol. When i used to keep a calorie log on here, i would have many days of 10-13 miles walking. Well that's what happens when you dont want to pay crazy amounts for a gym membership and have very limited time to play ball anyway. I'm not a fan of running, i find it boring for me 
if by only guy on the board you mean, including adarqui?
i have found walking to be a great aid in weight loss and also leaning out by increasing caloric expenditure by up to 1,300 calories (but still maintaining a tight deficit). It also didnt cause me muscle soreness whatsoever and didnt get in the way of me hitting heavy PRs. However, i DID notice a better ability to perform high rep squats (8+) when i was regularly doing cardio (basketball) instead of just walking!
i've also found high volume walking to be a great method for leaning out, possible aerobic improvements, possible strength improvements (legs/hips/back), and a great way to do all of that while not taxing the CNS. my journal is littered with walking. I used it alot with dunking (walked ~6+ miles quite often, the day before important dunk/jump sessions) and i'm utilizing it a ton now with this running + walking experiment i'm doing.
though, really pushing the pace hard while walking will need recovery and you can experience soreness.. but that's when you really push the intensity on your pace, rather than staying comfortable. from what i've been seeing recently, walking FAST might be a great way to teach your body how to use your hips; in a manner which doesn't tire you to the point of failure.
if you stay comfortable, it's a great recovery workout & can definitely help lean you out, with no strain.
walking + studying/learning is also quite fun.. ie, reviewing your flash cards while getting in a long ~2 hour walk or so. I recommend it (but stay safe obviously).
In the end, there are various methods that will work for us depending on personal preferences and immediate/long term goals. Scooby i dont suggest HIIT if it will get in the way of strength gains. On the other hand, some sprinting may benefit you. I think you need to find a happy medium and keep the sprinting to a bare minimum, but increase caloric expenditure in some other ways where your legs wont get as tired. Burpees, for example. Idn lol
