Greg Glassman:
“I’m stepping down as CEO of CrossFit, Inc., and I have decided to retire. On Saturday I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members. Since I founded CrossFit 20 years ago, it has become the world’s largest network of gyms. All are aligned in offering an elegant solution to the vexing problem of chronic disease. Creating CrossFit and supporting its affiliates and legions of professional trainers has been a labor of love.
Those who know me know that my sole issue is the chronic disease epidemic. I know that CrossFit is the solution to this epidemic and that CrossFit HQ and its staff serve as the stewards of CrossFit affiliates worldwide. I cannot let my behavior stand in the way of HQ’s or affiliates’ missions. They are too important to jeopardize.”
Dave Castro:
“CrossFit is a community — one that is global, diverse, and tough. Every person in our community shares a common bond. We are all dedicated to a visionary, transformative approach to health and fitness. Our individual passions for that approach have forged an enduring community.
Our community is hurt, though. Our shared bond brings together millions of people with differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences. Friction is inevitable. Common ground, mutual respect, and fellowship must also be inevitable. I’m honored to take on the role of CEO of CrossFit, Inc. I hope to do right by affiliates, trainers, athletes, and other members of the CrossFit community around the world and never lose sight of the mission Greg established for us all.”
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Comments on Greg Glassman Retires
Super interesting, his potential, especially on the squat cage exercise where he gave everything!
I have been crossfitting for about 20 years now. I started in NYC before any CF gyms were even there. Nobody knew about it. I fell in love with an approach to health and fitness. I had always been active and pretty fit. I was an athlete in HS and college. I took a long beak for about 2 years post college and then just worked out but kinda lost my drive. When I started learning about crossfit it was after I was working out for a while and learning about this event/ fitness competition called STREND, Strength and conditioning where you do a series of max rep attempts every 3 minutes and then hit a 5K run. You divide the resp by the time of the run to get a number.The higher the number the fitter you are.....that was when I stumbled onto CF. I read and read and read. They really were giving it all away and the environment of sharing information and encouraging development for all was a beautiful one to be an active member. To be clear, I am competitive, but competitive really with myself. Perfect for CF. You are to chart your work and progress. You find what works and move forward. It's quite scientific in it's approach and search for improvement.
I have NEVER run into any racist people or tones in almost 20 years in CF. I have attained my level one certificate, the first that was given out and certified with test. I love the encouraging, supportive healthy and yes competitive spirit of CF. I and it has never been defined by a person. This is a concept and an environment. this is movement. In the end it's much larger than any one person. It took a lot more than just Glassman and his methodology to get it where it is today. YES, Greg Glassman said some stupid and racist things. I do not forgive those things said, but that doesn't define crossfit.
If Trump or any other president said something I didn't support I wouldn't resign being a United States citizen. Why would one bad thing or a few from it's leader make me no longer support a movement and a concept?
I will continue to train using many CF methodologies and movements and their standards as they are great. NO, CF doesn't own the burpee, or the Muscle Up, etc. buy the did certainly bring them out to the main attention of millions of people.
I know Glassman, and have met him a number of times. He is quirky and odd, but intelligent and moving all the time. He's full of energy and usually has interesting ideas and is willing to go in a new different direction for the sake of CF and improving others. I have never heard him, Greg Glassman, say anything out of color or degrade anyone in a racist manner.
I would like to personally give anyone more than one failed attempt.
Thanks for posting. That is a really thoughtful response. You also articulate a lot of the things that drew me to CF.
Dear Coach, I'm not sure I ever took the time to say a proper Thank You to yourself or CrossFit HQ staff both past and present for everything you've done over the years. In addition, I'd just want to say something I feel is pertinent right now. I used to get myself focused before coaching a class by using something you said one time like “do the right things, for the right people, for the right reasons". I believe you came up with and could communicate this concept because it's what you did as a leader and who you are as a person. I just want you to know that I used that saying like fuel for every class. I'd recall to myself all the videos I had watched of a small weird gym in Santa Cruz that was doing things that were different and fun (and really F'n hard). That gym also had this palpable vibe of community and acceptance. Anyway, I'd take all that and kinda package it up to try to replicate as best I could every class I that coached. Over the years I don't know how many people said to me "this place is different" or "I feel so welcome here". I'd simply tell them I boxed up some Santa Cruz Style and brought it to them. Good Luck Coach and I truly hope this isn't the last we hear from you. Best, Paul D
Love the community and the heart of the people but honestly HQ and many others Head coaches are just overrated people and they should retire just like G
Lets think back to the time when we heard “constantly varied” and seriously considered “eating real foods” for the first time. Lets think about that feeling when the light bulb finally went off and our world was set on fire and we couldn't wait to share what we had learned.
Thank Greg.
He has made it his life's work to get that information out there to ALL people.
I remember logging on to crossfit.com to read the latest journal article or waiting on edge to see the latest “WOD” for FREE.
I appreciate your efforts Greg.
I started reading the comments and have noticed a lack of gratitude by many. I have been part of the community since 2006. Like many it changed my life. There was around 20 gyms back then worldwide. Coach had told me who to look up for a WOD when I was traveling. Dave hadn't even thought of the games yet. We the community stood behind one another looking out for each other. We were mostly Military, LEO or first responders. We came from different backgrounds, different political views. etc. The scene exploded soon there after. Coach literally changed physical fitness world wide. He changed how we, the world viewed performance and made it accessible to everyone. Coach made people rich in both health and wealth. There would be no Rogue fitness, RX jump ropes or any of the dozens of spinoff companies we buy products from. Lets not even mention the thousands of box owners who have earned a living because of him. USA Weightlifting saw dramatic increases in lifters directly because of CrossFit. Many went on to be power lifters and myself like many others took up BJJ or Judo. Weather or not you agree with him, you owe him a big Thank You!!
Roger that
All the virtue signalers disgust me. Glassman said nothing wrong. These people who continue to call for his head on a platter will never be satisfied. The Left ruins everything it touches. If you don't like who's in charge, go start your own fitness program. Don't ruin crossfit.
you are EXACTLY right
First of all, Glassman built the damn program (far as I understand it), so him using it for his goals isn't an unethical behavior. Second, the purpose he's using it for is remedying public health. It's not my biggest passion (I'm an almost elite level crossfitter, and happened to love the sport of it), but it isn't an evil thing to want to help other people be healthy!! His recent comments were simply clowning on how these supposed public health organizations don't do their actual job and help/protect/remedy public health issues. Instead they they just try to look nice and go along with current political and social trends. He's about the real deal, not whats popular, but what works. The guy deserves credit, not hate. The fact that he is pressured to step down for defending public health honestly makes me feel less loyal to CrossFit than I was before. At least he brought it as far as he did, now we can just use it for what it's worth for a few generation before another real leader comes along.
The Left?? This isn’t a political issue. It’s a morality issue.
It’s sad that you quit and gave into these people. You did nothing wrong and they will never be happy. So quitting just empowers them more. We all need to stand up for what is right and quit all this complete nonsense. The bad people out there are just getting what they want. If they quit CrossFit over that they are still going to quit weather you quit our not so come back and finish all the great things you have done and let them quit and start there own little games.
Well said. 100% agree.
Greg is 100% owner. Soooo is he selling? Or simply calling shots from the couch (aka retired)??
Unless Glassman sells CrossFit, which I understand he has full ownership and control of, stepping down as CEO is a meaningless gesture.
Why do not you ask to put his head in a pike on the public square??? You people are amazing!!
I find it appalling and worse what Glassman has said. He should have been FIRED for it not allowed to "retire." I love crossfit and have been in a box for over 6 years but such behavior is despicable. Not matter what his long contribution to our community, nothing excuses such behavior. Nothing.
Well Judy, while you continue to walk on water and do no wrong, remember one thing. Nobody is without fault. I gather if you've been in a box for over 6 years, you more than like it. Do you remember who created the concept? Maybe 10-15 years from now, people will view you as a racist just because you were part of an affiliate at the same time Coach Glassman was at the helm. He made a mistake (debatable), apologized and then stepped down from a company he owns. So in my books, he's holding himself accountable for his actions. That says a lot more than many people out there beaking off.
Ha! TRUTH Marc Huot!!! I howled out loud at that comment! LOL!
I’m sure Judy has never said anything she regrets as “she walks on water!” LOL! She’s perfect just like the rest of the bandwagon riders!
Nothing? I've spent time with Greg. I've lived in his house. I've seen the way he works. From the time he got up in the morning till the time he went to bed, it was all CrossFit. If you've heard of the 10,000 hour rule (roughly the time it takes to master a skill), he has put probably 100,000 hours into CrossFit. The advancements made to the craft of training that he's passed on to you would not have been possible without that level of dedication. No gratitude for that?
He's apologized. He's stepped down as CEO. If that's not enough, then I hope you never make a mistake in your life.
It would not matter if Greg were drawn and quartered in the public square to people like Judy because it still wouldn't be enough. They spend their entire life looking for something to be outraged over to prove their woke-ness, if it hurt you so badly maybe you should give up the membership to your box and join planet-fitness, those corporate places are plenty woke from what i've been told. However it's been my experience that the people who are the most outraged are usually the one's harboring some deep seated issues of their own but refuse to admit it.
Thanks coach Glassman. Since 2007, and specially 2009 when you come to (CrossFit) Peru with Dave Castro, you have been supportive, friendly, open to a different culture, etnicity and language like mine. In 2019 in Whistler 10+ you were so kind to ask for me, even though it was a decade later, and even though the CF community in my country is very small. I mean, it does represent a very small percentage of the income to CFHQ. And Kathy G is an incredible person, a very professional director and an actually good friend.
We CrossFit Peru will continue beeing CrossFit Peru.
I hope to come visit CrossFit Peru someday!! Ya'll sound awesome!
Check out Elliott Hulse. Not afraid to speak the truth. https://youtu.be/Onqdfk92jhA
Thank you Coach Greg for everything! ♥️ All your altruistic projects from out of your own pocket in the last 2 decades is not forgotten. You always have a big heart but not many people can handle your brutal honesty. No one is perfect nor sinless yet so many have cast their stones.
NEW RULE:
1) Before posting, complete 1x Pushup, Situp or Airsquat for every previous post.
2) While completing said reps, think about when and where you first developed a love of fitness.
3) Enjoy the pump, be happy and write something positive, or in support of those you care about.
4) Welcome back to CrossFit!
I really enjoyed my 112 air squats + 112 pushups, feel great, and have a smile on my face.
I owe a lot to CrossFit for helping me correct and abolish negative lifestyle habits, whilst bringing me closer to a genuine community that is based on support. Noone, and nothing is perfect. But, if we help each other out we can make ourselves, each other and CrossFit that little bit better day by day.
Hundreds of thousands of affiliates have been working hard on this quest for years, and yes MAJOR changes at the top are needed, but lets not forget the work put in, the positivity that has been spread and the friendships that have been made across the world.
Much love x
Wow. Thanks for sharing...
It is very clear to me that CF only is what it is today because of its anti-establishment culture defying stablished "trues" on fitness, dieting and how it all relates to the medical sciences to greatly improve health and quality of living. So in order to keep its original DNA it will NEVER yield to political correctness. One thing is to say that black lives matter, a concept every decent human should abide under. But being forced to approve and donate money to the movement "BLM" is a whole different story. For example, my vision on the subject of race is quite aligned with public figures from the black community like Candace Owens and David J Harris Jr. If someone inside the CF universe cannot deal and accept to live with multiple opinions on a subject like race, let them go! They do not belong here. It should not be accepted to call someone racist just because of a different vision on race that honors every person. It is an electoral year and the pressure to surrender will only rise. Keep your DNA CrossFit and you will be stronger in one year then you you are today! Even if it is the hardest WOD of your life.
Very well said. I loved crossfit for exactly what you said. In my opinion Greg said nothing racist, he was just going against the establishment, against the media that are actually making people fight against each other with the BS. Like the hoax that is covid19. People don't even understand what Greg mean and they are labelling him. BS man.
Well said
Rodrigo, please explain with detailed evidence based in facts how COVID-19 is a hoax. Thank you.
This action is just the first step of the process. I believe that to make the change permanent and meaningful other changes are needed.
First Greg needs to divest at least 51% of ownership in CrossFit Inc or he is still in charge and can change this decision at any time. Affiliates should be offered shares as part of the divestment as they are the heart and soul of CrossFit.
Second a board of directors needs to be formed. Seats on the board for the affiliates will help ensure diversity within the board.
I’m curious if you would give up 51% of your company?
Agreed insofar as it takes more than just a symbolic gesture to make us believe there IS a change.
Plus 1
that’s coach ford all the memories and the brutal workouts. It will be interesting to see the direction HQ goes from here
Thanks Coach...for all. Your intentions were to shake, as always. Thanks Greg
I´m far away to see this and say...., Evil wins this battle!¨We don´t have to lose the war! Every day, every wod & how it becomes what it is. The route remains the same!
3, 2, 1...don’t go!
Empty statement while he still owns 100% of the company! Castro will be his puppet and he will carry on as usual.... I'm sure in a month crossfit will go back to growth as people return
Everyone needs to calm down and stop letting social media and youtubers dictate their lives
Scary world we live in today! VERY scary world... Makes me scared for my children!
Agree
Wow! I see more people on here talking about white privilege (it's not real, it's a perception). You perceive someone who is white as having a privilege over another person is an underlying issue with equality and you all need to find a mirror and sit down for a while to reflect. Glassman, Castro, you, and me are really no different when it comes to comments on these matters, jokily, satire, whatever have you. He is just on a different platform and ridiculed because of it. The comments in here supporting a hero WOD honestly is disrespect to the true heroes they are reserved for, those that had values, morals, and ethics and selflessly sacrificed their lives to protect your freedoms. If you think that Floyd is on that level, then you are sadly mistaken.
I find it telling that you feel free to cast aspersions on the values, morals, and ethics of someone you know very little about and never knew, and who was murdered in cold blood. If you can forgive Glassman for his misguided comments and failures as a person, then you should be able to forgive George Floyd for his mistakes and his failings. We're all flawed. I know I am. Even the heroes we honor had flaws, yet we still honor them with WODs in their names.
I do think Glassman and others in leadership positions have a larger responsibility than the rest of us in these matters. Leaders are expected to lead. They should not shirk that responsibility. In the present context, we need to see people like him taking leadership on the issues of racism, inequality, and police brutality, and the fact is he did not. Lord Nelson was held in awe, and rightly so, for his unfailing enthusiasm for going aggressively into the violence of battle. Sea captains who flinched were publicly shamed, justly or not. (I just happen to be reading a book about Nelson so this is the analogy that comes to mind). I guess what I'm saying, it's not unfair to hold someone in Glassman's position to a higher standard than the rest of us down here in the mob. Besides, don't cry for him, I think he has pretty thick skin.
A WOD in honor of both EMT Breonna Taylor and/or Ex-Police-Sargent David Dorn, I support 💯🙏🏼❤️ Let’s do it💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
I look forward to seeing where Dave brings us. i believe he will do a great job and lead us into a better future in Crossfit.
Time will tell.....
Thanks Coach it's been a wild ride, I'm sorry it had to end this way for you.
Of course I don't agree with how you played this out. But who cares what a 59 year old white Canadian male thinks? I wouldn't, I'm too far removed as are most in my shoes.
I love most of the CrossFitters I meet , and I'm proud of their accomplishments and that won't change.
What is the point Greg still owns crossfit and Dave is the same character as Greg. Simply not enough and turning of comments on insta is a chicken move
I've been CrossFitting solo for 13 years as of yesterday. It's been one of the best things ever and I love CF for so many reasons. Now, all of a sudden, I feel very sad about CF. I have lots of different feelings about all this. I think Glassman (he's not Coach anymore for me) was just being his usual iconoclastic, contrarian self with those comments, and that's fine, but I don't understand someone who has no compassion whatsoever for an innocent man murdered in broad daylight by cops. It shows that a person can be very bright in some ways, and very clueless in other ways. Glassman's insights that created CF in the first place were brilliant--defining "fitness", creating a method based on the theory, integrating theory with practice, the open source model, inventing workouts that make every second count, pulling the best ideas from all kinds of different sports and areas of knowledge to create a vibrant, effective, science-based approach--all of that was brilliant. And yet, the tweet and the stupid, insensitive comments to his staff show just how un-brilliant he is in regards to having compassion and understanding the CF community and the society we live in. I don't feel qualified to do a psychoanalysis on him like a lot of the other commenters are doing. All I can say is, his comments were horrible and did a lot of harm, him going out is a very good thing for CF, and I wish the best of luck to Dave Castro and the rest of the crew as they try to keep CF going. Btw, George Floyd was a great athlete; it would be really nice if you could do a hero WOD in honor of him.
Very eloquently said, this is exactly how I feel. I agree with the idea of a George Floyd Hero WOD- it would be a true gesture on the part of Crossfit.
Clearly you don't understand what the hero WODs represent.
Steve, clearly you don’t understand the definition of a hero
Thank you for your thoughtful comment.
Let us 'speak' the CrossFit way: I like the idea of a WOD in the memory of George Floyd. I think we should have 'getting up from the ground' as a movement in the Floyd WOD, like burpees, devil's presses or manmakers. I'd say burpees to pullups. And a 19 minutes total time cap.
A hero WOD...you have to be kidding me!! While I find it totally appalling what happened to George Floyd I think you better read into what hero WOD's are actually about. Read into the full character of the people we do those WOD"s for and tell me this fits the criteria, enough with this talk.
I absolutely agree with you. And there is a WOD in memory of him, which there should be since the community that was supposed to protect and fight for him ended up doing the exact opposite. From my point, he is a Hero. Not all heroes have to be in war or dying to save our country. Why should George be held to that when the U.S. didn't do that for him?
Ivonne, George was a lifetime criminal. Someone who breaks into a pregnant woman’s home and holds a gun to her stomach to rob her is a hero? Clearly you also do not understand the meaning of a hero.
I'm just so shocked how far left people have gone to completely disregard factually information in the name of being a member of mob mentality in the name of political correctness. Here are some facts for you sir, Floyd was in prison 4 separate times for cocaine charges, Floyd also went to prison when he was convicted for holding a gun to a pregnant women's stomach, threatening to shoot her unborn child, while he and his buddies robbed her residence.
On the day of this incident Floyd was high on Methamphetamine and Fentanyl and was attempting to use counterfeit money to purchase/steal items from a store. The store owner called the police due to the fake bill and Floyd acting erratic.
Floyd deserved his day in court like any criminal in the American justice system and there in lies the tragedy of this incident. Floyd has a documented life of crime and has current drug addiction. You call him a hero, I call him a criminal. I also don't bend over to mob mentality. It doesn't matter what color Floyd's skin was he deserved to be arrested like any criminal and receive due process like any criminal. If Floyd was not a drug addict trying to use counterfeit money he would still be holding his daughter and loving on his wife and this tragic time in Americas history would have never happened. Glassman would still be leading crossfit, and we would all be complaining about Covid 19 lock down.
Sorry if the FACTS hurt your feelings.
Thank you Jonathon Johns for such a well written reply, even after several minutes of deep breathing exercises my little couple sentence response was all I could muster. In fact I'm still not 100% sure that Steve Cole was just being sarcastic when he made the suggestion at the end of his post, hopefully he was. But I will say my guess is that if Michael Murphy were alive he would probably not partake in the WOD after looking up the information of the person it was named after. And as I said before what happened to George Floyd is appalling and anyone involved should be tried for murder but using the word hero is totally out of line.
Ya'll are damn fools. That guy wasn't a hero, unfortunately, he was a victim. We honor hero's so we don't become victims. There's a difference. It's sad, real sad, to think about victims. But sadness isn't our leader, nor is sympathy. You let your life be lead by sadness and sympathy and see where it takes you. I've had people in my life be victimized, I don't think they are hero's, I see it for what it's worth, that were vulnerable. That's why we train, so we don't become that. Someone puts their your knee on my neck too long and I'll kill them. Not because I followed those who died from it, but because I learned from that and forged a different path of survival. We honor and follow hero's, we learn from victims. Any of us could be either one, and it's a hard pill to swallow, but that's why we train... to shift our odds.
Heroes are not always so different from other people in most ways. They're not made of gold and angel dust, like some of you seem to imagine. They're just people made of flesh and blood like the rest of us, who did something heroic. Most never wanted to be a hero in the first place. Maybe George Floyd isn't a hero. Ok, so then he's a martyr. Let's have a WOD in honor of him to show that his wrongful death matters. To show we as a society won't stand for this anymore.
I find some of your comments appalling. Blaming the victim for his own murder. Blaming "the left" for political correctness, when we all do it regardless of party affiliation. It's politically incorrect among right-wingers to criticize cops! It's always been politically incorrect on this page to even hint at any inkling of criticism of CrossFit! Don't forget, cops criticize cops, and crossfitters have made huge contributions to CrossFit by finding ways to make it better.
I think we can learn to find the good in criminals, and forgive, and give them a chance to be right again. I think we can understand police violence without making one party a demon and the other an angel. No doubt many factors came together to produce this awful result, the choking of a suspect to death with no apparent concern for his rights--the victim's drug use, his criminal history, his skin color, his physical size; the perpetrator's training, his skin color, police dept. leadership and culture, racial politics, perceptions or misperceptions of how dangerous Floyd was, the crowd angrily yelling at the cops and the cops' defiance of that. In the end, what happened was wrong. And, it would not have happened without that cop showing complete disregard for the man's life, and that has happened way too many times and we the people are sick of it. I think Glassman could have done a much better job of modeling leadership in these times. I just don't think he's cut out for it, with his ego, vengeful attitude, right-wing views, and hatred of fads; despite all the great stuff he did, which included giving loads of money to charities. He was absolutely great in creating and growing CrossFit, for which I will always be grateful. But I still think his leaving is the best thing for CF right now.
I think it is right and proper that Glassman stepped down. This is a prime of example of the systemic racism that has no place in society. It is no doubt dividing opinions, racist Vs non-racist.
Some individuals are saying they don't condone or support Glassman in any way; they are willing to still pay him money. Those affiliates that dropped crossfit straight away can hold their heads high and know that they acted with integrity.
Nobody should be holding their head high for doing whats right. Nobody deserves a cookie for that nor should it feed their ego or allow them to feel a greater sense of moral superiority. That inspires virtue signalling. This whole call out culture went off the rails and people are acting absolutley disgusting the last month. It takes away from the real virtue out there and the good cause and change happening right now.
Jonathan, so Glassman should just remove himself from society then? He shouldn’t ever work or own a business because you misinterpreted what he said? Did you you care to ask him what he meant by what he said or did you just jump to the conclusion that he’s a racist? He spoke with his constitutional right of free speech. People can pay him for affiliation if they want to without condoning a single word he says. People can keep CrossFit as their common ground and agree to disagree on politics.
I graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Ethnic Studies. For you liberal identity politic fools, I'm Native American, and black, and fluent in my traditional language and culture and live on the rez. I find it funny when lay folks talk about ethnicity and race politics based on social media. Coming from someone who studied it in depth for 4 years at the top of my class... it's a damn lie. Your talking about a guy who died from 'systemic racism' and here Glassman has saved hundreds of thousands of lives lost due to 'system' public health misguidance - yet he's an evil bigot? Ya'll are bigots against the obese, those with diabetes, those who die of heart attacks, who weren't given the 'privilege' to end up fit; with the arrogance to attack the guy who's helping them. Retarded.
Cor Oz, I think history will remember Glassman the way he should be remembered.
Thank You.
Recognize their mistakes its a first step and perfect way! And i accept the apologies and thanks for all your job.
Now i hope that we can do more, and we can do better! This start its for yesterday..
Greg,
I am a 65 year old man and have been doing CrossFit for 5 years. It has become part if my life and I so appreciate you creating this amazing program that actually works. I am fitter that I was in my 30's hope to continue as long as I can. I personally don't think you need to step down because of a bad post, but that's your decision. To me, an apology would be sufficient. The CrossFit environment draws all ages, colors together as a family (inclusive) and it's been a gift to me, and to society.
One thing you could do for me, as you are my age, PLEAE CREATE A 65+ age group. I want to keep competing until I die.
All the Best,
Jim
I am a 73 year old doing Crossfit for 6 years. It has changed my life. Greg has brought more to spotlight the health issues we are facing today and you do not get that kind of influence by always being politically correct. Keep pushing forward Gregg!
My conclusion (POC speaking here):
Is CrossFit racist? No. Is Greg Glassman Racist? No.
Is this just a case of another rich white guy running his mouth and taking liberties with the freedom of speech he has been granted and adding to collective trauma that visible minorities face on a daily basis from bias and discrimination? Yes.
Simply put: White people say weird sh** all the time and have no idea it's offensive lol.
white privilege
noun
- inherent advantages possessed by a white person on the basis of their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice.
So Laura according to your philosophy it was white privilege that had me starting work at 13 years old (2 jobs no less) then spending over 20 years in the auto repair trade in 100 plus degree heat many months of the year making a living to buy a home. Then putting myself through college paying every penny myself (again a second job) so I could change professions without a ton of debt, not having a bunch of kids I could not afford to have, driving a 14 year-old car because it's what I can afford. Well Laura if that's the case then I'm feeling far more exhausted than privileged, but nice try on your part, I will never feel bad for what I've accomplished and since this is America anyone could do the same.
That certainly is an accomplishment and do not need to feel bad about it at all. But, you do not have to worry about a cop choking you to death just because of the color of your skin. That systemic racism sets one back and makes it doubly hard for them to succeed like you.
Actually Shawn I disagree with your statement about not being worried about cop choking me to death for one simple reason, it's called "compliance". I have had dealings with law enforcement in my 54 years and every time the first thing I did was shut my mouth and comply with what they asked for, not running my mouth or jumping out of my car. I was respectful regardless of whether I was right or wrong and just chose to fight the infraction at a later date, which I have actually had to do with decent results. While I fully agree there are some bad cops my experience is that most are actually nice people doing a job that you could not pay me enough money to do due to some of the situations they deal with on a daily basis. Regardless of any of the above I have felt from the second I saw what happened to George Floyd that the person(s) responsible should be tried in a court of law for murder.
Again; compliance works for you. If you're black/coloured and compliant the moment you begin interacting with a cop there's a good chance you're done for all because of the colour of your skin. See Rayshad Brooks, he was extremely compliant and somehow ended up dead. He tried to resist arrest because for him, he knows that if he gets taken in by the cops his life is over as they will find something to charge him with so it made for sense for him to run at that point and the only reason for that is systemic racism.
As much as you think the playing field is level it's not and 'following the rules' doesnt end up with the same result for everyone.
Shawn I fully respect your opinion and I can't say you are wrong which I find to be sad in this day and age. I personally afford everyone the same level of respect regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. As a school teacher in an inner city school (12th grade) I'm proud that many of my former students from as far back as 11 years ago (my first year) keep in touch with me all the time. And once again it's former students of all different backgrounds, to me once you're part of my class we're family and they all know it, maybe someday we'll all think that way.
Greg,
Are you selling the company?
New Rule: all the individuals and entities that collectively made millions off of CrossFit, and now disavowing, have to donate 50% of their net worth to their favorite social charity. Otherwise, its all just show.
Exactly!
Old rule: You do what you like with your money and others can do what they like with their money.
Much better.
The comments on here supporting racism and bigotry and giving Greg Glassman a pass reflect the reasons George Floyd was killed—so many white people look the other way. I’m astounded by the amount of white privilege reflected on here. A man was choked to death and Greg reflects a callous and flippant attitude and people say,”What about the good Glassman has done?” This sounds like Birmingham, Alabama in the 1960s. Yes he did start a fitness movement but that does not mean he gets a pass. Those who defend him are part of the problem and blindly continue white privilege. Pay attention to the peaceful protests that are occurring nationally and internationally. Many people have had enough and those in control are threatened and lash back as evidenced by the “poor Greg” comments on here.
A poor analogy. That would be like saying all blacks who did not march at Selma did not believe what they were marching for. Some people can hold multiple opinions on an issue. Crossfit has done a lot for many.
I discussed this in length with a group of dear African American friends last night, and oddly enough, they all forgive Greg Glassman. Given his position, we all agree that what he said was totally unacceptable, but oddly enough this group, although African American, forgive him and are moving on.
We all believe that part of being a dam good human being is being capable of forgiving, and I believe that “Black Lives Matter” tremendously, and obviously my group of African American friends do too, but we also believe in forgiving people who make mistakes, big or small. Hold a grudge and forever be a prisoner of yourself!
That said, I sure hope that those who protest here are never in a predicament of saying something Ignorant out of a fit of rage or anger and then expecting forgiveness; for, what we give to the world we get back! Fighting hate with hate is not the answer. We need to be more kind to one another. Very sad world we live in...
Additionally, and not to mention any names, but one specific person seems to have a huge vendetta against CrossFit and Coach Glassman to have taken this so personally. Not to mention comparing this situation to the likes of the one with Harvey Weinstein. Whaaaaaaaaat!?!? Really?!?! Now THAT I find truly disturbing!
May God bless us all. We desperately need it as a country....
RIP: Breonna Taylor, David Dorn, and George Floyd🙏🏼❤️
What is white privilege? How would such privilege apply to George Floyds murder when 3 different race officers (white, black, and asian) physically held him during his final moments. How does one obtain this privilege? Does it require DNA testing or is this just a catch all phrase for all that's unjust and unequal in the world? I know these are tough questions but they are asked in a peaceful way. I really want to know. I have seen nothing but good come from Crossfit, its really sad to see something so good get tarnished. Isn't there more to consider over the coarse of time as we process everything? Human nature is to find immediate justice after such a heinous crime and I understand that but its our responsibility as good and just people to be patient enough to process things in a rational manner and then act appropriately instead of constantly looking for next way to satisfy anger through means of retribution.
Thank you Greg for creating this sport and this great community.
I met Crossfit when I was 25 years old in 2014 and it has been a big part of my life ever since. I just hope that people who quit being a part of Crossfit would remember why we loved this sport and come back. Dont forget that we are a global community and your community only exist in your neighborhood.
Good luck Dave.
99.99999% of people joined and participate in Crossfit because
of the location, the coaches, the community and the box itself..... how many people walk into a Crossfit box and think “ wow I am doing this because of Greg Glassman” not a single 1. Now to hold him accountable for his singular actions... unbelievable. This man has changed the life’s of millions of people and none of them for the worse.
do I condone his actions not in the slightest.
its done now.
the king is dead, long live the king.
I want to thank you Greg for being the greatest influence in my life. Your teachings put me on course for my life's calling. And have shown me what true excellence is. You have done tremendous good for the world. And I hope that you continue your fight. Not for an instant have I thought you were racist and I cannot express in words my deep remorse that we are where we are.
I wish you all the best! Thank you!
Dave Greene CF-L3
Thank you Coach Greg!! Your dedication to creating change in people's health and wellness will not be forgotten. Crossfit has changed my life and I'm proud to be part of it and always will be! To those of you who want to crucify this man, I welcome your departure from Crossfit, in fact I will even hold the door open for you. Dave Castro welcome to your new position, I know you will serve us well.
Greg's interest and best contribution nowadays is the CrossFit Health angle; I hope his retirement will not preclude him from continuing this important work perhaps after stepping away for a break and resuming in this reduced role. I also hope Castro can bring back Nicole. I would like to see an initiative to encourage more urban youth programs like Steve's Club. I heard there was a free middle school program that was not renewed? Hope this helps.
My best for both of you!
Gregg Glassman made many good things for the sport and health, and the life of many
Greg I cannot express in words the positive change you have made in my family’s life and the change your insights have allowed me to impart to the lives of others. I am eternally grateful and I will never forget. I am going to keep doing my part to pull people onto the island.
Coach,
I’d say to the world, let he/she who is the first to have successfully achieved old age without sticking their foot in their mouth stand.
Let he/she who sent off that email/tweet/post in the heat of anger and/or frustration without having to regret it later stand.
Let he/she who never uncovered a conscious or unconscious bias after words have been said stand.
Let those who have never been insensitive or tone deaf at the wrong moment stand.
So we can uncover the liars.
We are all human, and capable of hurting others, and we are just as capable of asking forgiveness when we do. I’ve rarely posted something without some form of backlash or criticism. It’s the product of a platform with unlimited exposure and relentless opinions. It's the product of having to draw lines before rational thoughtful consideration takes place in order to please the fans. What we all wouldn't give for a "timeout" button.
I do not for a moment believe you are racist. I do not believe your tireless work for the benefit of the black community was done in jest. I do not believe you fight big soda, big pharma and deep pocket science to the benefit of one race or culture. You are a rarely intelligent human that required more from us all and in such you have dedicated your life to the pursuit of excellence, equally, for everyone.
I wouldn’t even try to fathom what holding the reins of this giant machine that CrossFit has become, and heavy is the head that wears the crown. Personally taking on the battle of a world health crisis – before the added complication of a global pandemic had to be utterly exhausting, physically, mentally and emotionally draining. How you’ve managed to not publicly ex-or-implode
before this was exemplary. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t condone what I have read and heard – but again – when do we step back and realize that acting out is a response to trauma, not simply an act of inherently bad people.
The short of it is, most times we as the public forget that our public figures are humans too. I don’t think you were sitting on your high horse demeaning others because you felt like you could or because you think you’re better, or I’m wrong, and well, I’ve been mistaken before. You have the benefit of the doubt where I am concerned and I publicly stand by that in your defense.
Thank you for your contribution to the health and welfare of a world. Had you done nothing else, the methodology you created revolutionized training forever. Your commitment to the betterment of healthcare, scientific reasoning, and the human condition has been nothing short of extraordinary. You changed my life, and in doing so allowed me to positively impact many more lives as a result of my coaching, and as a result of the revenue I've been able to convert to philanthropic work to better my community. I am so very grateful.
In Gratitude,
Tara Johnson, CF-L2
Well said 👍
Couldn't have said it better myself, so I won't. Thanks Coack Glassman.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏EXACTLY CORRECT
👍
Nothing has changed at CrossFit Pottstown.....Everybody has a bad day, this planet existed long befoe those affilliate and wil be here long after, get over your selves - HQ drive on!
👊🏽
Coach Glassman should be remembered for his entire career and not a single incident.
Yes.
WOW. Unreal. He is allowed to retire without ever apologizing. When a time calls for unity someone that could’ve used his voice and influence to unite instead showed his true colors and Expressed how he actually felt about current the situation. The CrossFit world is disappointed and hurt cause by this man. I guess I’m happy that my box decided to disaffiliate themselves and not associate themselves with people that can’t admit when they are wrong and simply apologize. Retire is not an apology and this is what’s part of the problem Grey and Dave are part of the problem. And for everyone praising these men is a shame. Bottom line true colors was and is shown, and the support was not given to a community that has only demanded to be treated like humans. I pray that God opens your eyes to see the truth and hear the voices of the voiceless.
THIS IS NOT OK!
Greg Glassman joined a Zoom call with 30 box owners from the black community to apologize prior to posting the retirement statement.
Also, since everyone has a short memory, don’t forget ALL he’s done in Kenya (building schools, supplying clean water) and other parts of the world to help those less fortunate.
Trust me, there is plenty more
When are they gonna cancel Trudeau, Northman in Virginia our blackface friends? They exempt ? This woke cancel culture is choosy and nuts and funny so many here support it .. what about Biden? When is he getting cancelled? Let’s go after a tweet made in bad taste and ruin a whole sports work based off that. Surprised how many clowns there are in the community that value hard work not impulsive idiocy
They have a D in their name so it doesn't count...
Hasta la vista.
Thank you for everything Coach Glassman.
CrossFit has given my life direction. It has given me a way to help. I can't ask for more than that.
You and CrossFit have helped and do help so many people in so many ways.
Forever Grateful.
Coach Glassman,
Your extraordinary insight and vision regarding health and fitness which led to the creation of CrossFit is a substantial and timeless work. Three years ago I joined the affiliate, CrossFit Hilton Head and went from being sick to fit in about three months by living the methodology of what you created. Last year, as an CF-L1, I was introduced to CrossFit Heath, and was invited to attend the seminar in Madison at the Games, as well as the DDC in October, December and February 2020. As a practicing physician in primary care for 28 years, the work at CrossFit Health and those involved have not only brought life and joy back to my practice of medicine, but have reignited my vision and hope in the validity of the true scientific method of Bacon, and the practice of medicine that focuses on fitness and health, not pharmaceuticals to prevent and reverse chronic disease. CrossFit Health has provided encouragement with likeminded people in an unparalleled forum to discuss these topics, which in turn has led to a clearer and more powerful voice when I’m caring for my patients. In well over 125,000 hours of practice and study in the field of medicine, I have not encountered a more succinct, substantial, applicable and true body of information as that found in CrossFit Health to help my patients and me live healthier lives and avoid chronic disease. Thank you for your labor of love in the field of fitness and health. I remain a proud CrossFit athlete, CF-L1 Coach, affiliate CrossFit Hilton Head Co-owner and CrossFit Physician, and I hope your personal work at CrossFit Health continues.
THANK YOU GG for developing a program that has changed my life.
Thank you coach for changing my life and giving me the opportunity to do the same!
Thanks Greg, Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
With all due respect, thank you for the vision, now enjoy your retirement.
Like many, I have been and remain a huge admirer of Coach Glassman. His intellect, rigor, passion, and uncompromised focus and drive revolutionized fitness. He took on big soda and largely won. He is improving health care. He never tolerated muddle-headed, sloppy, lazy thinking.
So like many, yes I was disappointed. His tone-deafness, while not intended, crossed a line. I am sad to see him leave the CEO role. I hope he continues to guide the organization in a different type of role, and in a way that allows the community to heal.
This episode raises the issue of corporate governance and how well prepared is CF. As a long-time corporate executive, I have seen first-hand how important it is to have a deep management team. Does CF? Is Dave C up to the task? I think he is, but my concern is not about him, rather, who's next? What is the team under him? If the proverbial beer truck strikes Dave, what would happen? CF is far more now than a loose collection of fitness enthusiasts. It needs to be managed like any other large, complex organization.
What's the plan?
Thanks, Greg.
You have made a remarkable contribution to society with your inclusive programme. CrossFit has been tremendously beneficial to millions of people around the world. It will continue to be, even if it is called something else.
You have challenged commonly accepted erroneous views and methods and brought clarity and effective results. CrossFit uses science and measurable data and the recommendations for quarantine were based on theoretical models not robust data. You have apologised for your mistake and I accept your apology.
What a sad day.
The company I work at (not CrossFit related) was founded about 40 years ago. It is a company that is controversial
to many things that are known in our branch. Still it not only competed against
companies that exist for more than 100 years, it out ruled them. Mostly because
we do things differently, wiser, better.
The founder made the company out of nothing. He built this thing up. He was a visionary
After 30 years of great success the founder and CEO got fired. He was also the leader of
the vision board, and CEO. It was the government that suspended him from his own
company for governance errors (obviously it is not a good idea to be leader of the
vision board and CEO at the same time).
Since then our company invested a lot in company governance. Things like publicity,
transparence, and separation of powers.
I hope everyone sees the similarities. The loss is hard and sad, but it is the right thing. The
company governance must adapt to the size of the company. Different size,
different rules. I don’t want to address the happenings of last weekend, many
do already. However, I address that a single person should not be in a position
to represent on his own a company this big. It was a governance error.
I hope CrossFit HQ will fix its policies. Dave Castro made similar errors as Greg Glassman with
his posts regarding the Crossfit Games 2020 and Coronavirus. Hope he gets this
down right.
Many thanks to Greg Glassman and to Crossfit for what you have done the past decades. I
hope Crossfit HQ can make the needed adaptions so it can keeps doing what it
has always done but adapted to its new size. Let’s not forget Greg Glassman was
a personal trainer and he founded Crossfit and he built this up out of nothing.
And now it is an international multimillion business.
Big Kudos to you Sir!
I remember my first ever wod from main site. Whitten, I just thought WTF just happened? That was 10 yrs ago.
GG, you did an amazing job getting fitness out there and making it inspirational and enjoyable. You fucked up. Bring a public figure in the age of social media means that fucking up basically means you're done. Enjoy the quiet life. Try not to say anything stupid in the future, read through your posts and take a deep breath before tapping the send button next time.
Hard pill to swallow. Just THANK YOU. You are the best.
You shouldn't swallow pills. They're part of the machine.
Dear Greg, for all that you have done over many years - building CrossFit and fighting for better health and fitness for all people - I am incredibly grateful. I thank you for your service. I hope you enjoy your retirement.
Thank you coach Glassman. Thank you for everything
I will always be grateful and appreciative of the great work that Greg Glassman has done and the opportunities it has created for me on a personal level. The virtue of this man for me will be considered with an appropriate response to his actions which is equal and proportionate to his impact. Of which decades of hard work to a noble cause is worth more than a couple of foolish remarks. Thank you for the positive impact you have made.
I dont get the racist bit can't find it! Insensitive yeh (aren't we all sometimes in the heat of the moment?), what I do feel is disgust at the treatment of coach Glassman by this community! You all train like warriors but lots have shown you don't have the heart or the loyalty of one!
I wish coach Glassman all the best in the future and thank him for all he has done, and I no it's not the end for him he has TRUE heart.
And I wish Dave all the best, I know he can do great things.
And to all you pro athletes i hope your cushy sponsorship deals are safe..
I agree and couldn't have said it better!! Thank you Mr Glassman for the opportunity to experience CrossFit. Best wishes and enjoy your retirement.
Agree 100%!
Coach Glassman... I'm sorry your hand has been forced to resign by people who fail to see the truth of what you communicated, not just in your tweet, but in the years of dedicated service to your affiliates, the global CrossFit community and those impacted by your efforts and that of HQ to change the worlds view and understanding of what health is!
Your resignation and retirement shows great leadership, commitment to a cause greater than yourself and a humble heart!
Thank you
thank you for changing my life my work and making my ideas so strong
Thank you coach Glassman!
And good luck Dave.
Also good luck even to those who jumped ship with their own hidden agenda, see you soon.
Hidden agenda? Are you kidding?
Thanks for all you’ve done for the world Greg. I hope this change frees you up to find even more ways to help, with less stress. Crappy, sad week for everyone, but it’s because you built something amazing that is deeply cared for by a whole lot of people. As frustrated and disappointed as I am, I will still be thankful for what you’ve done for me, and how you’ve enabled me to help others. Everyone has learned something in this process, and I hope there is light ahead for us all.
Haven’t left a comment here in 14 years or so? Although have visited this site almost every day. I remember exchanging emails with HQ staff directly and even Jason Khalipa once!
Thx Coach. In the end, the good going on here will far out weigh the dumb comment and whatever the other grievances are.
What did folks expect, btw? This thing was never P.C. with the Nasty Girls and Pukie and what not. There have been public and ugly falling outs. The culture of challenging the stays quo, and doing hard things, has been intertwined with a certain amount of brashness for as long as I can remember.
Profound caring for one another has also been an obvious ingredient to this observer.
One of my favorite videos of all time is of Coach talking about the Parlor Trick whereby one writes a personal goal on a piece of paper, puts that away, and then suffers through WODS for a few months. The trick being that the hard work in the gym makes everything else easier.
My hope is that this group of people really suffers through some WODS over the coming days. Then folks can translate that into more effort towards the community thing. This all went down too easily to my eyes. Did we ( Coach, HQ, affiliates, athletes, sponsors, etc) all work hard enough to overcome the first thought that popped into our minds? It seems like nurturing this will be harder from here.
Coach, thx again. You changed my life and I wish you the best. S/F Joe.
I've been a Crossfit athlete since 2013 and witnessed much along the way. I've held my L1 for several years now and have had the wonderful opportunity to help athletes change their lives. Part of what makes Crossfit so popular is the community. This sense of community started with the brand new athlete in foundations all the way up to the athletes competing at the games and staff at HQ.
Then.... It all changed. The communication changed, the mission changed, the presentation changed, the support for boxes and athletes changed, and all without respect to any of our opinions about the future of our sport. Greg went on his trades and delved into legal battles using money from athletes, coaches and affiliates as his personal coffers when all we that were investing in this company wanted quality training and entertainment.
I'm glad that Greg invented all of this, but I've wanted him gone for years. He's done far more harm to Crossfit culture over the last several years than just this horribly insensitive tweet. Boxes have been fed up with the "just take what we give you" and "I know best" attitude from Greg for years and this was just the last straw in a long history of disrespect.
I hope that Crossfit can recover from this, but I'm glad that Greg is gone. He was an absolutely terrible leader for an organization.
Dave, best of luck. If there's anyone who can lead the way in rough seas it's a SEAL.
Completely agree, although I'm not sure Dave is up to it and I think HQ needs to take a good long hard look at itself
Will miss you Coach. Thank you for everything
Well, it’s clear that all of this was a pre composed political propaganda which worked well. You don’t throw a man under the bus who has given so much to the community for making one single mistake. People who come and say “Greg is Shit” should first reflect on themselves to see if they have never made a mistake their life.
Its not a black and white story my friends. We all discriminate in our own ways - men discriminate women, rich the poor Etc etc. Let’s not attach it to our favourite sport and make it die.
What have we given back to the sport that we get the right to speak negatively. It’s just like in our Wod’s we pick the last one up and cheer for them. Let’s forgive and forget and remember Greg as some one who gave us something to cherish all of our lives.
Thank you Coach !
https://robbwolf.com/2009/11/24/the-black-box-summit-or-how-i-got-fired-from-the-crossfit-nutrition-certification/
Can someone just tell Morning Chalkup they can relax now.
Seems like they got that message and are taking a day off tomorrow.
Coach,
It is heartbreaking to see you go. You have done so much for so many it can’t be put into words. Know that you will always be a part of this amazing community and we will continue to reach out and push what you taught us to everyone and anyone willing to listen. This community is your legacy and it’s incredibly tough, resilient, and motivated. Thank you for all you’ve done.
Thank you Coach Glassman, both "for stepping up, and for stepping down!" It takes a man!
That's the biggest problem with people........ No matter how much good you do in the world, make just one mistake and people will nail you for it and remember it and keep throwing it back in your face even if you have apologized.
Yes it was a mistake, he apologized, accept it.
Absolutely, totally agree with you on that!
The problem is not his mistake. It is the attitude underlying that mistake. His mistake didn't come out of nowhere. It had a context which was his mind. What created a problem is how that mistake revealed Greg Glassman's actual attitudes about black people and the systemic violence that is inflicted on them which is obviously consistent with the same heartless indifference to the lives of black people that has been causing the brutality in the first place. He just underestimated the gap between how unimportant he thinks George Floyd's death was, and what his sponsors and (many) CrossFit athletes think. I have no idea what the CrossFit organization looks like internally but I have a feeling that there is a lack of diversity consistent with the kind of attitude that would make someone make the mistake of thinking those comments / that joke was okay.
Right, Katie, with that one tweet you were able to see inside Glassman’s mind.
I started CrossFit more than 10 years ago. It changed my life and the course of my medical career. This is an incredible community that will survive. Mr. Glassman, no doubt you have suffered from your actions. I also believe CrossFit can reverse chronic disease and I’m grateful for what you created. I wish you peace and for the CF community to thrive under new leadership. — R. Fischer, MD
Prayers for all🙏🏼
Glassman said nothing racist . He was insensitive towards floyds death but nothing racist. People are so freaking sensitive right now just like the media and the deep state wants. This whole movement is communist plot and hoax just like covid19. Crossfit was doing great things but you guys had to kill it with your cancel culture. Sorry Greg. Hope you can still do great things somehow. You already did enough. Hope we keep it alive.
The American Mind Virus (beyond black and white)... https://youtu.be/6oUYP6uj3EQ
Yeah, i agree to a certain extent. Everyone felt like that they had to prove their worth of what side they are on...really? It's racism obviously for most we know its wrong and we don't all need to put our stamp of approval for the sake of having the general public approve that you "spoke"...words are easy...i just watch the action that's what matters...social media forces the hand don't you get that???? Let them have free will and do what matter...act, not words. Social media is skin deep and for those of you that use it to force a public statement...ignorance. total ignorance.
Even if you believe that his comments were not a problem, how about what they reveal about Greg Glassman's actual attitudes about black people and the systemic violence that is inflicted on them? It's pretty heartless to crack a joke about a man's death period. But to wave off the international outrage as an inconvenient upheaval comparable to Covid 19, reveals a heartless indifference to George Floyd's death, to the lives of black people, and the unjust brutality against them that Floyd has come to represent. With his tweets he showed that he has nooooo reverence, no compassion, no consideration what so ever to Floyd, black people, and really doesn't care about the brutality that caused George Floyd's and so many other black people's deaths in the first place. He just made the mistake of underestimating the gap between how unimportant HE thinks George Floyd's death was, and what his sponsors and (many) CrossFit athletes think. I have no idea what the CrossFit organization looks like internally but I have a feeling that there is a lack of diversity consistent with the kind of attitude that would make someone think those comments / that joke was okay.
Shut up, you clueless conspiracy theorist
I posted this part over on Mainpage: "We will see where the future goes. The box I go to deaffiliated and most of the boxes in my area have already, are talking about doing it soon, or are going to not renew at the end of their affiliate year. And alot of it is not just based on what happened over the last few days, but that's the straw that broke the camels back for most of them. Changes to the Games system and the reorganization of CrossFit HQ in 2018 without community input were also heavily cited as reasons for them to deaffiliate. It makes me sad to see what is going on, and we will as a community have to figure out what direction we go, or if we need to start anew. "
Greg Glassman transformed the world of fitness and health, and all of us are eternally grateful for that. Even those who don't still practice CrossFit as it is were transformed by Glassman's methodology, from Mark Twight (Gym Jones) to John Welborne, to OPT. SEALFit, Spartan Race, and other brands barrow heavily from the methodology. The International Functional Fitness Federation is trying to get CrossFit all but in name into the Olympics. And there are a lot of facilities that are not affiliates using CrossFit's system all but in name, even before this week.
CrossFit does need to stay on and lead the fitness debate, but also needs to be more diplomatic with groups such as NSCA and ACE, and collaborate where common ground is found. And CFHQ needs to stay the hell out of politics that does not involve itself or defense of its system or its affiliates. Finally it needs to be more involved in the development of the remaining affiliates, respecting the diverse opinion of affiliate owners and being to take constructive feedback from them. Do this and the community may forgive CrossFit and some former affiliates may reaffiliate. Failure to do these steps will cause a competitor organization to emerge. A lot of us will be waiting.
Well said my friend, well said...
I’d rather see you grow and be better! RIP
Thank you for everything Coach!
CrossFit exists because of who you are and who you have always been. You have opened the eyes of many trainers, coaches, and athletes to what true fitness looks like.
There is no doubt the world is better place because of your thoughts and ideas for fitness and battling chronic diseases.
Excited for you Dave! Let’s go!
Right on!
Mr glassman,we are grateful for all you have done to making lives better.you motivated me,gave us idea to strive,redefined true fitness. and It’s truly sad people receive retirement in this circumstances.
again thanks for everything glassman,and all the good wishes to CrossFit.
an ordinary crossfitter.
Thank you, Greg Glassman, for changing my life. You saved me...you saved my family. Forever grateful...
Coach Glassman, thank you for changing my life and the lives of so many others. I personally believe your methodology will go down in history as being the most valuable tool for proper healthcare. I hope and pray you continue making a difference in this world.
Thank you Greg. I am so sad to see you go. You have given me so much. I did not think your tweet was racist, and ALL of the people in the CrossFit community that I have spoken to personally this week did not think it was either. I have heard ZERO criticism of you in my gym this week. I do not believe that the loud, condemning voices that we are hearing represent the majority of the CrossFit community. I fully accept the apology that you gave and your explanation of the tweet. I forgive you. I wish you the best, a long life full of joy and immense satisfaction. You have given the world an elegant solution to chronic disease. I hope you find a way to stay involved somehow. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
CrossFit saved my life. Truly. Thank you for helping me, I have in turn done my best to help as many others, from all walks of life as much as I can. Thank you.
Coach Glassman - Thank you for all you have done for me and many others. You have improved the lives and health of so many people! Thank you doesn't seem enough. Best wishes in your retirement!
Coach Glassman, CrossFit has been one of the best things to happen to me and I’m forever grateful for your vision! Allowing affiliates to operate their boxes independently was a brave decision and in my opinion a very American thing to do. Your creation has helped people all over the world every race and religion included, for that the world owes you a high five. Our community is diverse, loving and supportive and that’s because you had faith in people and allowed us to grow and learn for ourselves, test and retest what we know to become the best versions of ourselves and express that through fitness!
Dave Castro, I’m happy to see you at the helm! You have a lot on your plate, that is without a doubt but I have faith that do great and not get enough credit for it. My box is here to stay!
Thank you for everything that you have done for the sport, and thank you for everything that you have done for Trying to cure the disease. Thank you for giving me hope but most of all thank you for the wonderful people I have met while doing CrossFit some of them that I consider best friends some of them I know that I can go to no matter what time of the day it is or no matter what problem I have going on they will be there to listen. I was very hurt and saddened that you made those comments everyone has their own opinion with everything being said I respect you for the decision that you made I know it has not come easy.
thank you for everything, regaurdless of the comments that you make or have made I hope to shake your hand one day
Remember that time that we used to be able to speak our own opinion and not be judged?
Yes, thank you for branding Crossfit and reversing illness and giving so many an organized platform to work from. Crossfit saved my life I’m so many ways and I will always respect you sir.
Thank you again and best of luck to you as you retire. I hope that you still continue to share your knowledge and wisdom and understanding of this amazing methodology.
Thank you for Crossfit
Freedom of speech doesn't include freedom from the consequences of that speech. Greg can say what he wants to say. Then affiliates and sponsors get to have their say. That's how it works.
Cancel culture strikes again. Mob think rules the day. Crossfit has changed my life in numerous ways, and I owe much to you Greg (should you happen to see this). It's unfortunate that forgiveness is no longer a virtue and that a miscalculated, misconstrued comment can completely uproot a person and erase literally decades of good. What does that say about our society? Just how fragile have we become? Unfortunately our social landscape no longer tolerates diversity of opinion from anyone in prominent positions and the damage is done. And after numerous people in the Crossfit community quickly turned their back on you (with genuine concern of being tagged with guilt by association) before seeking to sit together and discuss with you, followed by Reebok and other sponsors' knee-jerk reactions (also from fear of the cancel mob), honestly, the only way to save the name/brand and keep the Crossfit community from fracturing, was for you to step down. By stepping down you at least showed that the Crossfit community, unity, and reputation was more important than your control or legacy. Sad it came to that though. All the best to you Greg, and looking forward to Dave's leadership and seeing what direction we all take from here.
This is spot on.
Well stated...i have to agree a 100%. American social media culture and reactive thinking if always at the forefront, not true understanding or even empathy for both sides of a story. It persecution in minutes..i don't get it.
Well said. This is exactly what happened.
Well said Jason 👍
The mob and the media are not who you want to judge you. They both live in glass houses and like to throw stones at others.
To Greg Glassman,
I truly didn't think you'd do it. From one old fart who puts their foot in their mouth regularly , I think you are doing the right thing.
I truly feel that when you fired the media staff you cut off an important part of what brought so many of us into the fold. People don't want to go searching everywhere to find the CrossFit media. We like to go to one place. That CrossFit media team educated us on the "whys" of particularly devastating movements. They were open, funny and represented a company that made us feel bad ass to be a part of. The games and the opens past those firing speak for themselves. We had the big build up and tradition .... Tradition is as important as change but your changes forgot that. It's had enough time to bounce, and it hasn't.
You messed up but are bowing out. I think it's the right thing. I hope that you will allow DC to do what evers necessary to get people excited again, to get the media team on board even by way of contracts let him get CREATIVE!!
Also, hearing from so many black Crossfitters , CrossFit needs to put some extra effort there. Talk to them, ask them for solutions, promote/fund young black CrossFit athletes that you and I now know won't get the big sponsorships that enables them to make a career out of CrossFit. It's the right thing to do.
Enjoy retirement. Stay out of DC's varying styled hair.
From one grey hair to another, Peace brother
Fair winds Coach, you changed my whole life. You gave me the tools to perform in combat. You gave me the tools to successfully transition out of the military in 2013. Most importantly you gave me the tools to help other people, one of which is my father. After his heart attack, I trained him personally until he joined our group classes. 7 years post heart attack he is healthier at 65 than he was at 40. You gave me the tools to develop a successful business that I was able to sell for profit, setting me up for success in a different pursuit. Thank you Coach. I really hope to see a benchmark WOD named “Coach”.
Wow. Nice post. Thanks for sharing Aaron.
Aaron-- I too am that 60 yr old heart attack survivor that has embraced the Crossfit community and affinity for painful WODs that make me want to quit every time. Jared my trainer says that is a sign that I'm trying ;-) thanks for sharing
CrossFit changed my life and only for the better. These events have saddened me. To see my fellow CrossFitters take such hateful stances toward each other reminds me that we have so very far to go in regaining our respect and humanity toward mankind. For my part, GG created a movement that improved me, mentally and physically. I thank goodness for his foresight and dedication to the fitness and health of all people. I will forever be in his debt. Bless you all and may your WODs be spicy.
What a sad day week month and year Coach Glassman has given us all he could it’s a shame 7 digits can undo so much good in so many minds
forever grateful for that man coach Greg Glassman Thank you
Someone commented that we need a new outsider to repair relationships with brands such as Reebok, Rom WOD, Rogue etc? These brands are not in-line with what CrossFit stands for and Glassmans vision. Maybe CrossFit the sport which let’s be honest only effects less than 1-2% of the entire CF community. As an affiliate owner these brands do zero absolutely zero for me except sponsor those in the minority. It
will be interesting to see what happens from here on in. Dave is just as abrasive as Greg which is great. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
Sooooo... Glassman is still the owner and receive affiliates money?
Coach Glassman - thank you for all the deep contributions you have made to the physical health of many hundreds thousands of people. Just as you have shown the way for an elegant solution to the vexing problems of chronic disease, the body of American and World Society is also clearly afflicted by another insidious, chronic disease - racism. The strength of community of the body of the CrossFit community has literally just been demonstrated, and hopefully this learning experience for all of us will make the community even stronger going forward.
Here is the TRUTH everyone needs to read.
https://www.theabjectlesson.com/2020/06/09/in-defense-of-greg-glassman/
Right thoughts
I think Mr Glassman said what he needed to say, and did what he needed to do. It is done. The community will move forward, hopefully enlightened, and more engaged.
Joe, Bravo! I never worked for Greg but have had many conversations/phone calls with him. I am sure everyone in my and your shoes echos the same response from him- “how can I help”. A completely selfless man, his influence and vision will be missed in his absence.
“I doubt very much that they’re mourning for Floyd,” Glassman said on the call about protesters and CrossFitters who were looking for the company to speak out.
I do not like anybody speaking on my behalf, to be honest it really pisses me off.
I owe debt of gratitude to the CrossFit methodology, it has positively influenced my personal health, as well as my wife's. I plan to share this with my 3 children, but now I have to explain to them why the founder has retired. With that said, as a member of this community, I mourned the death of George Floyd.
Wish you had stood firm. Once you start stepping back and apologizing it never stops. The wolves demanding you step down will not be satisfied with anything you give. They have overtly and with Malicious intention overlooked all the good you have done. Dave will have no easier time with it. The loud crowd will demand more and more until you have nothing left to give. At first it was just arrest one officer. Then arrest all three. Then change policies throughout the department. Then defund the police and now it is dismantle the whole department. For whatever reason CrossFit is in their sights. None of your “elite” athletes have stepped up for you and that is sad. Draw a line in the sand quickly or die a death by a thousand cuts. Good luck and Sincere best wishes.
I will not see the Athletes I respected that have spoken against Glassman the same, many have a new disrespect for them. As expected, nothing will be good enough, just like with Elan Musk, Drew Brees for their controversial words, and on and on and on. I and many others stand by CrossFit and hope to mend a Community that people depend on for their livelihoods.
Absolute truth!
So true!
For me it’s personal. I was fired today as a CrossFit Coach because my Affiliate owner ask us collectively to speak our mind. And then I was attack for not seeing the same side as my affiliate. It’s sad that it’s come to this, I supported CrossFit and Glassman. Until I spoke up on how I felt and then I was attack. And in front of my husband no less who is also a CrossFit coach at the same affiliate. You can’t use the word retire🤦🏻♀️ What you can say is stepped down that’s what Glassman is doing. Glassman has to step down because If he doesn’t then the the millions of small business called boxes disappear. I am truly hurt by this all. It affects me differently. Than changing owners. I have no affiliate and I love my sport. What do I do now Castro?
Greg, apology accepted. Beware nothing is ever enough for the mob mentality. First they demand an apology, then they want you to retire, next it will be to give away your own company, after that it will be tarred and feathered in public....... It is never enough.
Thank you Tygh. I said something similar and you can see it beginning right here in this thread.
Thank you Coach for changing the Fitness world. Thank you for setting CrossFit free.
Greg, as so many have said here thank you for creating this thing we are all a part of. It’s too bad that in the current climate everyone immediately seeks out the worst possible intention behind something poorly worded and gives no one the benefit of the doubt. You’ve shown definitively over the years that you care about the health and wellness of all people of all races, backgrounds, etc - and that’s clear any box you walk into. Wishing you the best in retirement.
Thank you Coach Glassman Im forever grateful for all you have done to change lives for the better, this saddens me however you are taking the high road stepping down to save us affiliates, Cf Games, your staff! All that you have built!
with a heart felt thank you!
Kim Bono Founder/ Co-Owner/Coach Crossfit Del Mar 🙏
Thanks coach. Hope all the best to Dave and CrossFit HQ wonderful staff.
Thank you for sharing your methodology.
I’m behind you Greg, what you have created and what you stand for is bigger than a misconstrued remark blown out of proportion. Your work to help people gain health, a one of a kind community and to call people out on bullshit won’t go unnoticed! Thank you!!!
I’m with you. Thank you for speaking up.
I concur, Chrissie. Thank you, Greg -
Greg Glassman saved the lives of millions. I am astonished at how the community failed to stand behind him. Dave Castro cannot fill those shoes. Glassman was probably the best chance our country and the world had at a reformed health and wellness culture.
Greg - If you read this, I wish you had stood your ground and rode the storm. Hundreds of affiliates and sponsors and athletes leaving; is their loss on being part of Crossfit. You gave them something to band together, something to be part of. At one moment in your life you mad an attack against an enemy. And because your intentions were “misconstrued”, the Crossfit community turns its back on you. Some loyalty.
Cheers sir, thank you for giving us the gift of long life.
Ditto what was said here.
From "The Rhetoric Of Mao Zedong, Transforming China and its People":
"It employs no thologian, but it closer resembles an attempt at inducing religious conversion--saving souls, stressing guilt and shame, demanding atonement, recantation, and rebirth. It makes use of no psychiatrists, but is certainly a covercive form of psychotherapy--focusing upon catharsis, analytic interpretations, and causative influence from early life".
I echo many of the comments on this thread, Coach Glassman. Thanks for what you’ve created. I’ve been at CrossFit nearly nine years and love the challenge. You built this and a lot of us are grateful. It’s too bad that your comment led to this. Like no one ever said something they regretted? Enjoy retirement. Thanks again for all you’ve done to help people.
CrossFit has changed my life for the better! Farewell Coach Glassman, you've done a great job. Welcome Dave Castro! you're a prick! Looking forward to the future of CrossFit! Many thanks to HQ and all the affiliates I have dropped in on over the past 7 years!
Thank you so much coach Glassman!! You give us a new way to think, train and live. CrossFit (your methodology) Change my life in an amazing way! I feel proud to say I’M A CROSSFITTER and I always will be a CrossFitter.
Crossfit has been a very positive influence on my fitness for almost eight years. Without Glassman Crossfit does not exist. Thanks
CrossFit exists with or without him. We are the culture, we are CF not him.
Thank you Coach!
Joining CrossFit in 2011 saved my life!
Becoming a CrossFit Coach In 2013 completely inspired my life!
I started CrossFit 1927 in Bloomington Indiana last year, One of the best experiences of my life.
If you’re ever in town you’re always welcome here.
Thank you for leading the way and best of luck in your retirement.
In health
Andy Weddle CF-L2
CrossFit 1927
I think is bullshit that we can’t express our opinion, someone always have to be offended.
the death of George Floyd was sad but fair or unfair, it is not up to us to judge
black people make fun of ANYONE and it is ok,
so Mr Glassman made a joke , so what
a black man shot and killed a former police of in St. Louis , but I don’t see black lives matter making accusations about this guy, why???? Because he is not white!!!
I found Crossfit.com in 2012 at 42. I've never been a member of a "box" and have followed .com everyday since then. Mostly just selfishly for my workouts, and then for the information on health education(I'm a Health Teacher). I've always looked back at posts from the very beginning of the .com wods and articles/comments and it seems that Coach (or whoever Pukie is) has always posted the wods and his/her opinions freely. I don't think he/she ever catered to anyone but his/her ideas/ideals with a "take it or leave it" approach----this is just my opinion. I have no idea about the affiliation fees or anything associated with being a "CrossFit box." I can only speak about what the mainsite has posted and I am thankful for the health information and workouts that have been posted.
Honestly--I still miss Bingo's posts and lots of other viewpoints for me to consider. I've never had the answers and the older I get the more I question....the more I want to hear from others.
Thanks Coach.
RIP CrossFit, as we knew it. Very, very sad.
From "The Rhetoric Of Mao Zedong, Transforming China and its People":
"It employs no thologian, but it closer resembles an attempt at inducing religious conversion--saving souls, stressing guilt and shame, demanding atonement, recantation, and rebirth. It makes use of no psychiatrists, but is certainly a covercive form of psychotherapy--focusing upon catharsis, analytic interpretations, and causative influence from early life".
Thanks for everything Coach Greg!! My life changed because of you.
Greg Glassman:
Your methodology, therefore, yourself changed my life since the day I tried CrossFit for the first time... and FOR THAT I will ALWAYS be grateful!
Thank you. All the best.
Thank you Coach Glassman.
You made a change in my life.
God bless you.
Love Ya Coach G. You saved this veterans life.
Castro dont show up drunk to the open plz. Thx
Thanks for everything coach Glassman!
Thank you for everything over all these years, Coach.
Good luck, Dave!
As a woman of color and a Crossfitter for over 6 years I am sad that in a time of need, understanding and empathy we have to hear someone share and spread a non-positive message when we could have used CF as a way to bring people together G. Glassman you missed the mark. I challenge Castro to speak out on what side of this you stand so we can be clear he doesn't stand for division, and wants to see equality for all. I have created a CF group for people of color to have a safe space on FB to share, listen , and bond together since all of this has happened. Castro I am here in hopes that you will call on several people of color to help bridge the gap in hopes that CF will be able to move forward to provide equal opportunities for all POC in the sport. Please reach out as I would like to be apart of this conversation being transparent, open honest and more . Please reach out as I think this COULD be a start to repairing what has been damaged.
What’s the name of the FB group?
Well said. Thank you.
Are you serious? So if someone is not on your side they are divisive? You created a group for people of color and that’s not divisive? I have not read a more conceited comment in a long time.
THANK YOU!!! Those that don’t GET IT, never will... let’s move forward together
Reading the comments on this post shows where the CF community stands. Eye opening
Well said! There’s always a time to learn from the best or the worst way. Unfortunately, Greg did it the worse. And now all community pays the price of his arrogance. I am so sorry to see CF community breaking apart. Also, I think it’s time to rebuild the values and recognize the community Diversity (AMEM)
Vee Dub, you apparently know nothing about the CF community, they/we are about as inclusive as any group I've ever been associated (and proudly) with, now go troll somewhere else please.
This is a good first step. Please do take the logical next steps: make a clear statement of where CrossFit stands with relation to the Black Lives Matter movement, and make a clear statement of how CrossFit will address concerns about its diversity.
Thank you in advance for taking the necessary steps to reinforce a positive brand image.
I was an affiliate owner for 5 years. I closed my doors just prior to the pandemic, non-related to recent events.
I had lean years during my tenure and CrossFit HQ helped me by taking care of my affiliate fees for a period of time to help out. I thought, WOW! they didn’t have to do that, but they did. I felt they were concerned for their owners and looked to help wherever possible.
In 2018, a member from HQ visited just prior to the 18.4 OPEN announcement which was hosted at a neighboring box. Upon finding out I didn’t obtain tickets, they ensured myself and my coaches could attend the event. Small gestures to some, but big to a box owner. I can go on.
Greg and team have done so much for the health industry by taking on “The Establishment” which opened our eyes to the hypocrisy that was right in front of us.
I’ve experienced the benefits of this CrossFit methodology, and, like other owners and athletes, have seen countless people improve their health as a result.
We all make mistakes, for so many owners and games athletes who have benefitted from CrossFit, who have obtained sponsorships because of their affiliation with CrossFit, it’s sad to see a cold shoulder is given to Greg even after his apology.
None of us are perfect, I’m sure anyone can bring up “not so good stories” about each of us. Where is the forgiveness, especially to those confessing Christianity? 70 X 7 ring a bell?
Thank you Mr. Glassman for helping me view health in a whole new light, for making me feel empowered to take control of my personal health and fitness.
Wishing you the best in your future endeavors.
Miguel.
Forgiveness is there for the taking. Apologizing is required, in all honesty...
Rob, apologizing is not a prerequisite to forgiveness.
Thank you Greg Glassman for CrossFit! Thank you for all you have done.
Greg Glassman, for what it is worth and with all the negativity I hope you find this and I hope you feel it. You changed my life. You created a platform for my family to build a life with. We affiliated 10 years ago, I began training with Josh Everett in college and never looked back. Thank you for the years. Thank you for bringing CrossFit and its community to the world.
When things happened we decided to drop the CrossFit brand, we needed strong leadership and we wanted a brand that represented inclusivity. We did not question our loyalty to CrossFit as a methodology, but rather our need to make all our members feel safe and at home with us regardless of their diversity.
At the end of the day, our memories will not change because of this and we appreciate the life we have because of your methods with health and wellness. So while you sift through a variety of emotional responses, I hope you know your positive impact was immense. This moment may define you to some but we are all human and imperfect and to us the impact was great but what defines you, to us, is the person who inspired us to affiliate in 2009.
Vanessa
Greg, the broad general and inclusive methodology you created proved it's inclusivity to me immediately, walking into CrossFit La Verne 100# overweight and I was welcomed by insanely warm-hearted, insanely fit people. I am grateful to you for what you have given me personally, and the entire world. That's about all I can muster without breaking down.
CrossFit has done so much for a lot of people (myself included) and Greg Glassman was the man to start it, however he has lost his way and made this mistake that could cost the company an awful lot. He does not represent everyone’s opinions at CrossFit HQ by what he said and did. However he has ONLY RETIRED and it will still be HIS company and HE will still be the one in charge. I think it’s a good start that he’s retired and I really do hope that the company can move forward from this and make it right. CrossFit as a training methodology and a community is so much more than what one man has said and done...MAKE IT RIGHT
So saddened to hear this, but I understand.
Mr Greg Glassman you are truly an amazing, wonderful, warm hearted, compassionate genius of a human being.
Thank you for the multiple contributions of the world you created and the evolutions you fostered. I cannot wait to see what comes next in the life of Greg Glassman.
Seremos eternamente gratos por Greg, mas vivemos tempos difíceis, e nem todos estão preparados para continuar e reaprender.
nos manteremos forte!
What about ownership? Doesn’t Glassman own 100% anyway?
I'm personally in your debt, Greg Glassman. Thanks for what you brought to the world and more specifically to me indirectly through the owner of CrossFit Rising Tide. I appreciated how you tried to transition CrossFit into a health-changing organization. These are extraordinarily unforgiving times with no room for unique views. I believe you to be misunderstood by most. Most geniuses have a history of being eccentric and equally misunderstood by the masses. Your genius is not lost on everyone. Thank you.
Son tiempos muy difíciles para
todos... éxito Dave en este desafío, recordando que lo único constante es el cambio... es el momento!
Thank you Coach Glassman. You have positively impacted the lives of so many.
Where Does Nicole Carroll, or Pat Sherwood fit into the structure of CFHQ. There where numerous candidates who have the empathy, intelligence, and compassion to lead affiliates forward, why was Dave Selected?
Nicole would have been a better choice.
She would also have been a great fit but she quit.
CrossFit is bigger than one man. Even the one that brought it to fruition. I hope it recovers and continues to grow.
Awaiting more information on the financial details of this change. Who will be benefiting from affiliate fees?
Why would there be any changes to affiliate fees after a internal employee change? This has nothing to do with CrossFit’s contracts with their affiliates.
It's important because my affiliate fees go to CrossFit, Inc., which Greg Glassman owns 100% of.
So even though he's stepping down as CEO, as long as he owns 100% of the shares, it's really just window dressing.
I’m sure Greg will get some, as he deserves. Dave mentioned continuing Greg’s vision, so I assume the rest will go there.
Castro retains 100% ownership so ita his picket the fees will ultimately end up in
You changed the world Greg Glassman in a very positive way. You changed my life in a very positive way. These times of zero tolerance or openness do not diminish what you have accomplished. God bless you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bob Parker
Bravo.
Dr. Bob,
these aren’t times of zero tolerance or openness, I will happily draw your attention to Jimmy Fallon. He made a mistake, sincerely apologized for it, and the world has forgiven and moved on. Also, he’s working to see why it was wrong and helping to educate himself, and the others within his reach. Mr. Glassman could have done the same, but chose a different path, with different consequences. Sorry is the hardest word.
Bravo DR Bob
Very well said.
Thank you
Hopefully this move is not too late... Please continue to share the plans you have for those that have chosen to leave; how you will win them back, how you plan to change the way HQ interacts and supports the affiliates and what all of this means for the CF Games.
Greg Glassman Retires
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