So it seems, by and large, you just weren't as big a fan of Ray as you were of Richard. That's certainly a valid opinion.
But I'm with Chris Holland in wondering why it was abundantly clear Richard should have been there instead. Ray was at the helm of a daytime version of Feud for 5 years, and a concurrent syndicated run that went a year longer than that. He had to come cheaper than Richard. Both versions stayed on at a point when game shows were in mass exodus -- particularly in daytime. That's no small feat, even if those versions never reached the heights of the original run. That was becoming less and less possible as time wore on.
FWIW, I found the 1994 Dawson run watchable, especially now, knowing full well Richard ended up being a different person than he was in the '70s. I don't think having Richard back in 1987/1988, after just a few years away, would have been good for anybody.
-Jason