I had forgotten about the tabards, I think that is a great idea.
Maybe the compromise would be the tabard being an unlock-able item along the way to maxing out the reputation. That way once people have finished the story and get to the point that reputation is mainly gained from WQs then there is another option.
I’m not here on a quest to convince anyone of anything, just discuss the systems and see where the overall community stands.
You like the new system, good for you. No need to get nasty about it.