Ignition timing used to be a manual process. And when they figured out a way to automate it, there were people who criticized the loss of control. And some of them were even right, for a while. Until they improved the performance of the automatic systems.
So if your issue with an automatic is that it doesn't react quickly enough -- which you, Andrew, seem to be saying -- then you may be right. Or you may think you're a better, more agressive driver than you really are. (You did say you haven't felt the need for the "performance" switch yet, right?)
But if your position is that stick is better because it demands more attention, then you should also be in favor of manually controlling the ignition timing. And the fuel richness. And the injector timing. And ... and ... and ...