First, let me make a simple comment on the "donk" side discussion: losing because your only Pokemon was KO'd in the first few turns is part of the game, and meant as a balancing agent for Pokemon who can be the focus of a deck with little other Pokemon support, or other decks that can get by running very few Basic Pokemon. Even if a deck is geared to take advantage of an opponent presenting the opportunity to donk, that isn't so bad. When a deck is designed to never give the opponent a chance to avoid being donked, that is where most of us draw the line. If it wasn't for my next statement, I'd try to think of a clever comparison.
Second, maybe we should stop using analogies because frankly, people are having a lot of trouble with it in this thread. -_-'
Take the sports analogy, where the poster tried to change soccer into basketball, but as has already been stated that would require we switch TCGs entirely, not continue playing the same one with different rules and sets. Plus I found it funny since aren't there rules tin both High School and college sports that restrict how long a person who manages not to graduate for multiple seasons retains player eligibility?
The Pokemon TCG is based out of Japan. In Japan, they decided the rules had to change. It only makes sense with a TCG that is global that we have to make all the rules match as much as Organized Play can, and that Japan gets to set the standards.
The last few formats have gone from "okay" to "bad". It may have taken worries about Sableye winning first turn to get something done, but I doubt that was the only reason, or else it probably would have been simply banned. I will play devil's advocate quick by pointing out that Pokemon's experience with bans is short and bitter: its been done but the results were debatable at best. Given the frustration many players have expressed due to this and the last format and what has happened with the game in Japan, an early rotation makes the most sense, and this puts it just early enough that serious players should be able to adapt in time, plus most players should just be able to enjoy the game more.
For those who find this crippling to your success at Pokemon, I ask: were you really successful? Or did circumstances happen to favor you unduly and you cannot really take any credit for your good fortune?