Bruce Maxwell Fired From The Team After Kneeling During National Anthem “We Won’t Tolerate Disrespecting National Anthem”

In a decision that has drawn widespread criticism, Major League Baseball (MLB) has announced a permanent ban on Bruce Maxwell, the former Oakland Athletics catcher who made headlines in 2017 for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice. Maxwell, who became the first MLB player to take a knee in solidarity with the movement sparked by Colin Kaepernick, has now been permanently banned from the league, a move that has ignited a firestorm of debate over freedom of expression, the role of activism in sports, and the consequences faced by athletes who use their platform to advocate for social change.

Maxwell’s protest was a significant moment in sports history. In September 2017, following in the footsteps of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Maxwell took a knee during the anthem before a game against the Texas Rangers. His decision to protest was in response to ongoing issues of racial inequality, police brutality, and social injustice in the United States. While many praised him for his courage to take a stand, the protest was immediately met with fierce opposition. Critics argued that kneeling during the anthem disrespected the flag, the military, and the country as a whole.

At the time, the MLB refrained from taking any immediate action against Maxwell, offering a lukewarm response that was largely seen as an attempt to avoid picking sides in a politically charged issue. However, as the debate surrounding the protests continued to grow, the controversy surrounding Maxwell intensified. Public opinion was divided—some hailed Maxwell’s protest as a brave act of solidarity, while others believed that he had crossed a line by using a national symbol to express his views.

Despite the lack of direct punishment from the league initially, Maxwell’s career was significantly impacted. In the years following the protest, he struggled to find a consistent place in MLB, spending time with various teams but never regaining the prominence he once had. In 2021, he was released by the San Diego Padres after a short stint in their minor league system, and since then, his baseball career has effectively been over.