I think this is one of the most objective, mature, and thought-out posts so far regarding this game. Initially, I bet we all had the same thought progression:
- upon seeing the game in kickoff - "this is way too simple, why on earth did they do that"
- upon playing with the Trackball and inspecting the rules closer - "this is a horrible game, why on earth would they do this and this and this, way too complicated and complex"
Now, taking a step back and approaching the challenge of the game head-on, I think more of us are heading into the lines of thought you brought up. Although I disagree with you on one point - I personally think the audience will get a huge kick out of seeing 3.5' balls hurling through the air

(in the event that teams take that route)