Greg Glassman (R) talks to a reporter in 2015. Source: The Washington Post / Getty
UPDATE: Glassman resigned from his position as CEO of CrossFit on Tuesday night (6/9) in the wake of his comments. He said that he should have been more sensitive but remarked that he was not a racist.
“On Saturday I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members,” Glassman said. “I cannot let my behavior stand in the way of HQ’s or affiliates’ missions.”
ORIGINAL POST 6/8: When will brands learn that any slick talk concerning our people or plight will not be tolerated? One company got a swift reminder last week.
As spotted on High Snobiety the CEO of CrossFit showed his true colors when he responded to a post from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation saying “Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues that demand an urgent response. #BlackLivesMatter”. To which Greg Glassman said, “It’s FLOYD-19”. Naturally, his response left a very sour taste in many people’s mouths; regardless of gender or race. So much so the tweet went viral causing some of the fitness league’s partners to act accordingly.
According to The Morning Chalk Up Reebok has severed their ties with CrossFit. “Our partnership with CrossFit HQ comes to an end later this year. 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.” Even though they have drawn a line in the sand they will fulfill their legal duties for 2020. “We will fulfill our remaining contractual obligations in 2020. We owe this to the CrossFit Games competitors, fans and the community” a statement read. Additionally Rogue Fitness, a premier strength and conditioning equipment manufacturer, will also remove the CrossFit logo from their 2020 event programming. As expected some of the CrossFit athletes have also stepped down from competing.
Noah Ohlsen, who came in second at the 2019 CrossFit Games, has announced he is not competing unless the league makes some serious changes. “This is probably the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. It’s been weighing on me for days. I’ve consulted many of my closest supporters. All of that said, 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.
Glassman has since apologized for the tweet admitting it was crass but saying he is not racist.
CrossFit CEO Resigns After He Tweets Racist Remark, Reebok Ends Partnership was originally published on hiphopwired.com
