Probably coincidence. But darn, didn't a bunch of people end up looking bad at the end of that one?
Scorecard:
First, for the pax: Rule #1 is, when things don't go right, passengers are simply "adversely affected." This rule is why so many people have fear of flying, and part of the reason why for all passengers, flying on commercial airliners sucks. "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate" the adage goes. "Communicate to the passengers" is below that, and with good reason. As freight, they cannot bring about a change in the situation. "Would you rather know that we don't know when we're getting a replacement here, or would you rather we work on getting it?" And, once you hit tech cancellations at a remote airport, don't expect the company to have a dozen booking agents sitting around in case that one flight a day doesn't go. Frequent fliers don't just map mentally the way out of the aircraft, but also the reverse way through security and to the transfer desk, also noting any spots where unattended infants might congregate (seriously, you hit a one-way security door, lose 4 places, and get behind the infants, and you're in line for an hour). No need to wait for the announcement when they start pulling the bags off.
For the flight attendants. It's possible there's no connection between what the passengers heard and the fault that required an overweight return. I'm looking forward to hearing more information on the matter. Did the passengers start a ruckus for no reason, and in the delay that caused, someone used way too much Jerry Curl in the lav? Or did they have a legitimate concern by several unrelated and sober persons that was overridden by F/A's who thought they knew better and who refused to refer the matter to those whose ultimate job it is to tend to the safety of the aircraft, and not just its occupants?
Anyway, it should be cute. So far, everyone looks bad.
/rant