It's not like the current exchanges was going to adopt Bitcoin at that time. Mt. Gox was as far as I'm concerned one of the more qualified and logical places for a large exchange to start.

The whole Bitcoin network started with outsiders, it grew because of outsiders, because of hobbyists. The existing institutions saw no value in it; saw no point in it; saw a laughable attempt at creating competition with their established system.

Hating on Mt. Gox for doing something risky -and taking blows for it along the way- is ridiculous, and this schadenfreude over it being in a tight spot now speaks more to your character than it does the company.