CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman 'told gym owners "I do not mourn George Floyd" several times during Zoom call' - as Reebok and top athletes cut ties with the brand over his 'FLOYD-19' tweet
CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman allegedly said: 'I do not mourn George Floyd' in Zoom call with staff and gym owners on the same day he came under fire for tweeting: 'It's FLOYD-19'.
One of the gym owners, Mike Young, recounted the call in a scathing Medium post on Sunday as Reebok and athletes around the world began cutting ties with CrossFit due to Glassman's comments.
The controversy arose on Saturday after the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) posted a tweet which described racism and discrimination as a public health issue that needs an urgent response.
The research firm shared a statement from its director, Christopher Murray, who said that IHME commits to researching racial disparities in a range of areas including the differential impacts of COVID-19.
Glassman retweeted the post with the words: 'It's FLOYD-19.'
In his Medium blog, Young allegedly describes Glassman's reaction when a fellow gym owner from Minneapolis asked him to speak about CrossFit's stance on the current racial tensions in the country and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Young said that Glassman's opening response was: 'I do not mourn George Floyd,' and that he repeated that same line 'several times'.
'He also denied any notion that racism might exist in some police forces and he seemed to downplay racism at all,' Young wrote.
'The discussion got increasingly contentious. Greg was self-righteous and confident.'
CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman (pictured) allegedly said: 'I do not mourn George Floyd' in Zoom call with staff and gym owners on the same day he came under fire for tweeting: 'It's FLOYD-19'
Mike Young (pictured), a sports scientist and performance director, described the Zoom call in a scathing Medium post on Sunday. 'The things Glassman was saying were among the most inappropriate statements a CEO of a multi-national, multi-million dollar company could possibly say in a time of national unrest over racial injustice,' he claimed
The controversy arose on Saturday after the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) posted a tweet which described racism and discrimination as a public health issue that needs an urgent response, and Glassman replied: 'FLOYD-19'
According to Young, a sports scientist and performance director, there were about 15 people on the Zoom call when Glassman made the remarks.
He said he recognized a few of the names from the CrossFit headquarters' staff, but the rest were all affiliate owners like him.
The call started out with a discussion of gym closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Glassman allegedly slammed New York City's response to the pandemic and said that businesses should never have been forced to close.
Things took a turn when the affiliate owner from Minneapolis, whose gym is only a few blocks from where Floyd died in police custody, asked for Glassman's take on the resulting unrest nationwide.
'I sat watching, amazed at what was being said,' he said of Glassman's comments about Floyd.
'Even though this was a private Zoom meeting, the things Glassman was saying were among the most inappropriate statements a CEO of a multi-national, multi-million dollar company could possibly say in a time of national unrest over racial injustice.
'While Glassman was not outright racist (in so much as he did not use the 'N' word or say that Floyd deserved to die), the most gracious description I can give is that he was tone deaf, insensitive, and in denial.'
Young said that he would not repeat all of Glassman's remarks in his Medium post for fear of legal retaliation by CrossFit.
However, he wrote: 'I am certain my retelling is a very cautious and conservative report of the inappropriateness of Glassman's position.
'I know that the call was being recorded by CrossFit HQ, so if they feel I am misrepresenting their position, I would encourage them to share the unedited recording publicly.
'Similarly, I know that there were at least several others on the call who were uncomfortable and can verify my account.'
Young said he came forward with his story after Glassman 'posted something on his twitter feed that at best, is inappropriate and inflammatory'.
'While I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt after the call, he actually seemed to be doubling down on the things he was saying privately,' Young wrote.
He ended the post by saying his gym would not be renewing its affiliation with CrossFit.
'I've always said that in the business world, you vote with your wallet,' he wrote. 'I'm well known amongst my friends for not supporting companies who lack corporate or social responsibility.
'If being silent against injustice is the same as being complicit, financially supporting it might as well be a full blown endorsement.
'While I will continue to believe in the CrossFit method as an effective means for general fitness, I cannot continue to support an individual or an organization that is so brazenly insensitive and inflammatory at a time of such national crises.'
Young said he came forward with his story after Glassman (pictured) 'posted something on his twitter feed that at best, is inappropriate and inflammatory'. 'While I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt after the call, he actually seemed to be doubling down on the things he was saying privately,' Young wrote
Glassman frantically backtracked on his 'FLOYD-19' tweet on Sunday amid mounting backlash from followers and human rights groups who branded it insensitive to current events and the death of Floyd, a black man who died in police custody on May 25 in Minneapolis.
In a statement on the official CrossFit account, he wrote: 'I, CrossFit HQ, and the CrossFit community will not stand for racism. I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday. My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake.'
But by that point the damage had already been done.
Within 24 hours approximately 230 affiliate gyms wanted nothing to do with the brand, including Rogue Fitness, which has provided equipment for the CrossFit Games since 2010.
Adidas AG-owned Reebok ended its 10-year-old partnership with CrossFit and updatied its US homepage in support of the Black Lives Matter campaign.
'Recently, we have been in discussions regarding a new agreement, however, in light of recent events, we have made the decision to end our partnership with CrossFit HQ,' Reebok said in a statement on Sunday. 'We will fulfill our remaining contractual obligations in 2020.'
Glassman frantically backtracked on his 'FLOYD-19' tweet on Sunday. In a statement on the official CrossFit Twitter account the CEO said it was 'not racist but a mistake'
Reebok said it will fulfill its remaining contractual obligations in 2020 then end its partnership after Glassman's insensitive comment referring to the killing of black man George Floyd
Reebok issued the statement above in a show of support for the black community
When Reebok tied up with CrossFit, the Adidas-owned company was struggling with falling sales and looking for a wider appeal outside its core female fans. The partnership helped the sportswear maker emerge as a personal fitness brand and return to growth in 2019.
Other affiliates like CrossFit Magnus also decided to cut ties with the Washington, DC-based global fitness organization.
'After eight years as a CrossFit affiliate we are ending our affiliation,' CrossFit Magnus spokesman Nick Hurndon wrote in a social media post.
'We will no longer continue to 'carry your water,' as it is antithetical to anything we stand for and only serves the continuation of systemic racism.'
CrossFit has over 13,000 gyms in more than 120 countries and generates some US$4 billion in annual revenues.
Alyssa Rose of Rocket CrossFit shared an email allegedly between herself and Glassman after she told him the gym brand would be cutting ties due to CrossFit's moral ambiguity by staying silent on the issues affecting black communities.
CrossFit didn't appear to take a firm stance in a statement following protests against injustice
Rocket Fitness had already cut ties with the brand after Glassman accused them of trying to brand the company as racist when CrossFit was called out for being silent on the issue
Rose also criticized CrossFit for controversial marketing amid the coronavirus pandemic that prioritized their business over health concerns (left) and body shamed members (right)
Rogue Fitness is one of approximately 230 brands that have separated themselves from CrossFit after providing equipment for the brand for 10 years
Rose also criticized CrossFit for controversial marketing amid the coronavirus pandemic that prioritized their business over health concerns and body shamed members.
Glassman allegedly replied in the email saying that Rose is a 's****y person', that she'd let politics warp her into something that strikes him as 'wrong to the point of being evil', and claimed she was doing her 'best to brand [CrossFit] as being racist'.
'I sincerely believe the quarantine has adversely impacted your mental health,' he reportedly wrote, before labeling her 'delusional'.
'You think you're more virtuous than we are. It's disgusting,' Glassman went on.
It was the final straw for Noah Ohlsen, who said he'd been considering for days whether to stick with CrossFit.
'This is probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make,' Ohlsen wrote on Instagram. 'I've decided that I cannot, in good conscience, compete during this time for a company that hasn't shown themselves to have values that I align with.
'I've been talking a lot about this movement and my strong desire to stand up and fight for equality. Right now, I'm taking action. The repercussions of this could be huge. I've weighed them and my belief in this is stronger than their potential outcomes.'
2008 CrossFit Games champion Jason Khalipa said his gym company was ending its affiliation with the brand.
'Our mission at NCFIT is to LIVE BETTER. And living better means nothing while standing by in the face of racism, injustice, and hate,' Khalipa said.
Congress candidate Michael Muscato urged Glassman to step down from the CrossFit brand
Athlete Noah Ohlsen (left) announced that he was cutting ties with CrossFit in an Instagram post (right). 'I've decided that I cannot, in good conscience, compete during this time for a company that hasn't shown themselves to have values that I align with,' he wrote
Rich Froning said the events of the last couple of days have 'made it impossible to stay loyal to leadership who make callous statements that alienate and divide'
Tia-Clair Toomey said she and husband Shane Orr, cannot stand for behavior that shows a lack of acknowledgement and empathy for those who are fighting for basic human rights'
Tia-Clair Toomey said she is 'saddened, disappointed and frustrated' with the company and Glassman, as she admitted her future with the company is unclear due to her morals and values.
'A lack of acknowledgement and empathy for those who are fighting for basic human rights and equality is simply inexcusable and it's behavior that we cannot stand for,' Toomey explained as she said her husband Shane Orr agreed.
Rich Froning said the events of the last couple of days have 'made it impossible to stay loyal to leadership who make callous statements that alienate and divide'.
Patrick Vellner called Glassman's comments 'unequivocally wrong and insensitive to a population that is hurting'.
Among critics were CrossFit athletes KatrÃn Tanja DavÃðsdóttir, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet and Kristi O'Connell. Alongside others, O'Connell posted on Instagram: 'I'm Out.'
'My participation in the 2020 [CrossFit Games] will be contingent on major changes being made in the leadership of CrossFit,' O'Connell said. 'I'm not comfortable associating the business we own with the current state and leadership of CrossFit, then I to myself will also not support or participate under the CrossFit events held by this leadership.'
Other figures in entertainment, including singer SZA, and politics, Congress candidate Michael Muscato, have urged people to boycott the brand.
CrossFit did not respond to a request for comment on Reebok's action.
CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman 'told gym owners "I do not mourn George Floyd" several times during Zoom call' - as Reebok and top athletes cut ties with the brand over his 'FLOYD-19' tweet
![CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman 'told gym owners "I do not mourn George Floyd" several times during Zoom call' - as Reebok and top athletes cut ties with the brand over his 'FLOYD-19' tweet]()
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