NFL Draws the Line on Guns and Super Bowl Ads

The National Football League has made a new enemy of conservative pundits after its decision not to allow a pro-gun ad to air during the Super Bowl. The commercial for Daniel Defense, a gun shop specializing in assault rifles, depicts a soldier whose primary goal since returning home is protecting his family -- and his Second Amendment rights.

The one-minute spot violates the NFL's advertising policy, which prohibits both "social cause/issue advocacy" and anything promoting firearms, ammunition or other weapons. The policy includes an exception for establishments that sell guns, such as camping stores, provided that the store primarily sells other items and weapons aren't mentioned in the ad. Although Daniel Defense CEO Marty Daniel told "Fox and Friends" that his company specifically designed the ad to comply with these guidelines, noting that his store also sells "outdoor gear," a cursory glance at its website reveals that such gear consists of a few T-shirts with the company's assault rifle logo and a $99 pocketknife.

The NFL has yet to comment publicly on its decision regarding the ad, but it could have something to do with the line in which the soldier defiantly states, "No one has the right to tell me how to defend" his family. That sure sounds a lot like "issue advocacy."