This could also be something Thompson added just to mess with his editor. The editor didn’t see it and Thompson didn’t correct it before it was published. That is what I get out of the “I won’t even bother explaining the joke because it doesn’t matter.”

I enjoyed that the Washington Post linked here.

I don’t think the issue was that the brands were NRA affiliated as much as that Vista owned brands that made guns and ammunition.

I thought the same thing you did. With a 1 second gif, zero context in the post, and not having watched the game what else was I supposed to assume? Sorry my attention was drawn to the kid getting his brain smashed instead of the clock not ticking to 56 and the ref waving his hands.