CrossFit CEO Calls Controversial Tweet a 'Mistake,' But 'Not Racist'

Brett Williams
·2 min read

From Men's Health

CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman set off a wave of controversy over the weekend with a glib tweet about George Floyd, the unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis last month after a police officer knelt on his neck for over 8 minutes.

CrossFit athletes, gyms, and partner brands have announced their displeasure with the tweet, with some going so far as to cut their sponsorships and affiliations with the corporate brand.

Last night, Glassman responded. The official CrossFit Twitter account shared a statement from the executive, tagging Glassman's personal Twitter profile, which was spread across several tweets.

Read the statement here in full:

I, CrossFit HQ, and the CrossFit community will not stand for racism. I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday. My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake. Floyd is a hero in the black community and not just a victim. I should have been sensitive to that and wasn't. I apologize for that. I was trying to stick it to the @IHME_UW for their invalidated models resulting in needless, economy-wrecking, life-wrecking lockdown, and when I saw they were announcing modeling a solution to our racial crisis, I was incredulous, angry, and overly emotional. Involving George Floyd's name in that effort was wrong. It’s our hope that his murder catalyzes real change resulting in a level playing field for our black brothers and sisters. Please hear me when I say, we stand by our community to fight for justice. I care about you, our community, and I am here for you.

Notably, Glassman denied that his tweet was racist, and doubled down on his controversial campaign against public health organizations that have advocated for gyms and other businesses to be closed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

His statement of apology also contradicts reports of what he's said behind closed doors. A Medium article by performance director Mike Young also published yesterday alleges that Glassman said, repeatedly, "I do not mourn George Floyd," to a Minneapolis CrossFit gym owner on a group video conference call.

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