Japanese pro baseball showed its true colors this week, when the Nippon Ham Fighters revealed Monday that they were smacked down for asserting the individual team rights that NPB trumpets as the foundation of its business.

Although it was a small story, by revealing it, the Fighters did a huge public service for lovers of Japanese baseball by shedding some light on the hypocrisy that is NPB’s heart of darkness.

On Feb. 1, NPB officially banned fans from sharing video or photos on social media of players at the ballpark “during games”—which it defined as the moment the fans enter the park until the moment the on-field hero interview concludes.

According to the announcement, this commandment strives to “enhance fans’ experience at the stadium” and “for the popularization and development of professional baseball and the improvement of the value of stadium watching while also protecting the rights and legal interests of the host organization.” The rule, however, also gives teams the right to grant permission to the sharing of game video and photos.

That exception is in keeping with NPB’s façade that the rights and interests of each host organization, the home team, are the foundation of its business. The Fighters tested it, were called out for doing so, and then artfully publicized the issue.

Publicizing NPB’s hypocrisy

After the rule was issued, the Fighters issued a blanket permission to its fans to ignore the rule at their home games in their home park. This week, Nippon Ham publicly explained that its policy was intended “to enhance fans’ experience at the stadium” in accordance to the new rule, but said NPB objected to its “interpretation of the rule.”