CrossFit CEO resigns after George Floyd protests tweets that cost Reebok deal
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
CrossFit founder Greg Glassman posted a tweet that made light of both the coronavirus pandemic and the killing of George Floyd in police custody.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM YOUTUBE
NEW YORK (NYTIMES, BLOOMBERG) - CrossFit Inc founder and chief executive Greg Glassman announced on Tuesday evening (June 9) he is stepping down after his tweets on the George Floyd protests and Covid-19 sparked ire from consumers.
CrossFit is a brand of fitness regimen that incorporates weightlifting and aerobic exercise and has spawned at least 15,000 affiliate gyms worldwide. Its vast appeal and popularity was so widespread that the company created the CrossFit Games in 2007, an annual televised competition where athletes compete for more than $2.3 million in prize money.
Adidas sportswear brand Reebok, which had overhauled its offerings in recent years to position itself as the key athletic wear company targeting those athletes, earlier said it would end its partnership with CrossFit, citing the tweets.
Last week, Mr Glassman posted a tweet that made light of both the coronavirus pandemic and the killing of George Floyd in police custody, and last weekend spoke belligerently to CrossFit gym owners about race and racism in a remarkable Zoom call that was leaked to reporters.
"We're not mourning for George Floyd, I don't think me or any of my staff are," said Mr Glassman on the Zoom call, according to a recording of the call provided to The New York Times.
"Can you tell me why I should mourn for him?" he said. "Other than it's the 'white' thing to do. I get that pressure but give me another reason."
This particular conference call came while many were asking Mr Glassman on social media to make a statement in support of Black Lives Matter, and several hours before Mr Glassman responded from his personal Twitter account to a tweet that said "Racism is a public health issue" with the sentence, "It's FLOYD-19."
That tweet set off a public outcry and prompted an apology statement from Mr Glassman the next day.
"I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday," the statement said. "My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake." By Tuesday, nearly 1,200 gyms said they planned to disaffiliate from CrossFit.
"I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members," Mr Glassman said in a later statement on Tuesaday about his resignation. He maintains his ownership stake.
He will be replaced by Dave Castro, a longtime CrossFit executive.