They didn't even try to PR it. They didn't build up to it. They just released it as a bulk "Hey guys, we've been lying to you repeatedly the whole time, but it's definitely for the good of football, so we're cool, right?"
Almost every person, even executives on the teams, had no idea this was coming. This incredible backlash was partly because of the overwhelming failure of these owners to do any part of this process correctly.
So a planet's somewhere out there, their history the same as ours is written. The only difference is that... Everyone's a kitten!