CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman apologises for George Floyd tweet saying it was a mistake, but ‘not racist’
- Hours after the controversial ‘Floyd-19’ tweet, Greg Glassman U-turns and says he “should have been sensitive to that and wasn't”
CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman has quickly U-turned on a controversial tweet that cost the sport its main sponsors. Just hours after tweeting “Floyd-19” in reply to a Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation post about racism and discrimination being a public health crisis, Glassman tweeted again: “I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday.”
The initial tweet questioned the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation: “Your failed model quarantined us and now you're going to model a solution to racism? George Floyd's brutal murder sparked riots nationally. Quarantine alone is “accompanied in every age and under all political regimes by an undercurrent of suspicion, distrust, and riots.” Thanks!”
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George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer has sparked protests across the US, despite the Covid-19 lockdown and social distancing rules.
On Sunday evening US time, Glassman apologised, this time through the official CrossFit account and not his own.
“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.”
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“Floyd is a hero in the black community and not just a victim. I should have been sensitive to that and wasn't. I apologise for that. I was trying to stick it to the [Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation] for their invalidated models resulting in needless, economy-wrecking, life-wrecking lockdown,” the thread continued.
“And when I saw they were announcing modelling 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 catalyses 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.”
