Oh, see, I don't agree; I rather liked it.
Yeah, the front game is entirely a minigame to see who gets the hammer in the Bonus Shuffle. But who cares; it's Beat The Clock. If you're worried about game structure you are taking it entirely too seriously.
Put it this way: how is that any worse of a method of determining who plays the Bonus Stunt than sounding a bell and yelling "THE BONUS! YOU GET THE BONUS!"