With MLB and MLBPA currently locked in a cold war, the league took some seemingly drastic measures to try and and Thanos erase any memory of the players: At the stroke of midnight on December 2, the league decided to erase MLB.com of any referrals from current players, stories and more.

In fact, there’s a reason, silly or not: Due to the lockdown, MLB is unable to use player images to its advantage. It is apparently a legal thing, in short.

“Until a new agreement is reached, there will be limitations on the type of content we display,” MLB said in a statement on its site. “As a result, you will see a lot more content that focuses on the rich history of the game. Once a new deal is reached, the breaking news and analysis you expected will continue as usual.”

MLB expanded that Thursday night in a statement. David Waldstein of The New York Times: “Every action we are taking is with the advice of a legal advisor in accordance with the National Labor Relations Law.”

MORE: What You Need To Know About The MLB Lockdown

Well challenge accepted: In response to MLB trying to erase the existence of the players, legal ramifications or not, the players decided to bring the fight back to MLB with a hilarious backlash – some players swapped their Twitter avatars for the same ones. images of nameless and faceless placeholders on the MLB website Thursday.

The players and the league are reportedly far, far apart on either type of deal, meaning ill will will be cut through the winter, potentially until Opening Day.

Public displays of aggression during sports labor disputes are often the equivalent of a slap fight between two drunk and blindfolded homeless men. Usually those things are entertaining, so count us all in for a winter of this nonsense.

@thesportingnews The comment section on the 1990 #MLB crash was RIDICULAR. #lockout #sports #baseball # 90 #news ♬ Work imminent – DJ BAI