To absolutely no one’s surprise, the Crossfit CEO’s apology was rapidly followed by a resignation:
The founder of the US fitness brand CrossFit will step down from his position as CEO following a disastrous few days that have seen the fitness program lose key partnerships, endorsements and the business of hundreds of affiliated gyms around the world.
The move comes after a pair of offensive tweets by Greg Glassman. On Saturday, in response to a tweet from the research centre Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which stated “Racism is a public health issue”, Glassman tweeted “It’s FLOYD-19”, in reference to the police killing of George Floyd, whose death has sparked a global protest movement.
Following the tweets, Reebok, the official outfitter of the fitness program, told Footwear News they would end their partnership. On 8 June, Glassman issued an apology, stating “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.”
This apology was not accepted by many of the brand’s partner gyms and collaborators, Morning Chalkup, a CrossFit newsletter, is reporting that over 1000 affiliated gyms intend to end their relationship with CrossFit.
Once you take the knee, they own you. Glassman’s response to the reaction to his comments is a masterclass in what NOT to do. This why you never apologize under SJW pressure and you certainly never resign.
Never apologize for the truth. And never apologize for your opinions.