I suspect a bit of light jocular banter was totally mis-read. I believe the commander never even moved from his seat, instead deciding to be an "armchair judge".
Captain could have quite easily acted on the concerns of his No 1 Cabin Crew Member. After all he/she is the one who would have to confront these passengers during flight while the flight deck are safely behind an armed door.
Could this not be a total overreaction by an arrogant crew abusing their position?
How can any decision to off-load passengers be seen as an arrogant crew abusing their position? If the passengers were even happy on alcohol the crew did the right thing. How is a passenger under the influence of alcohol capable to evacuate an aircraft in an emergency?
What right do those passengers have to endanger the safety of the other passengers?
Also, the Captain is not the only one accountable to the airline for preventing disruptive passengers from boarding the aircraft. The Handling Check-in and Gate Staff, Dispatcher and Cabin Crew are too.