Just as a viewpoint from the common rabble, I much prefer the system as it is now, as I want to view recent posts first, in order to be able to jump from topic-to-topic and remain up-to-date, and be involved in the current discussion. I think that's preferrable for most, and I can't imagine having to start at the beginning each time I change threads.
If I do need to view the original post, it's easy enough to do so. If you're jumping from thread-to-thread, it really makes little sense to have to start at the beginning each time, and view the primary post again and again. I'm pretty confident that most here do the same, and that management has definitely made the right call on this one.