Goodbye CrossFit! Hello Reebok Fittest Games

Photo By Pexels

Dear Reebok,

Thank you for immediately cutting ties with Crossfit HQ following the Founder’s and former CEO, Greg Glassman, racist and insensitive comment in regards to George Floyd. I also want to thank you for vowing to invest “$15 million over the next five years into black communities and organizations focused on ending racial injustice.”

While witnessing, in real-time, the CrossFit community come to a divide, I writing to you to propose an opportunity to capitalize by forming a new community for not only for athletes but also gyms around the world:

Reebok Community Fitness | Reebok Fitness Games

Before the divide, CrossFit has struggled between distinguishing between the CrossFit Affiliates and the CrossFit Games to non-members of the CrossFit community. As a former Crossfit gym member, I myself struggled with explaining to my friends how the CrossFit seen on social media and the CrossFit community gyms are totally different. With Reebok Community Fitness and Reebok Fitness Games, the name difference alone will allow everyone to clearly distinguish between the two.

In addition to the name difference, I am proposing the following to provide Reebok with the advantage over CrossFit HQ:

1. No affiliation fee required — Aside from the affiliation fee, gym owners run their gyms and programs anyway they want. They combine the knowledge learned from Crossfit Certification as well as other platforms such as NASM, USA Weightlifting, and personal experience. The only benefit of having the “brand” name is having the reputation of the community (AKA HQ) reflect the gym. This has the potential to provide affiliated gyms an advantage over non-affiliated gyms, IF the community has a positive reputation. After this betrayal of trust, many affiliates are going to be weary on relying on a franchise again, especially if there’s a required fee. This will also make Community fitness more affordable.
2. Offer Reebok Training Certification — As an incentive to attaining this certification over others, Reebok can allow gyms owners exclusive offers such as apparel and gear to offer their gym members. I personally became a Reebok fan after CrossFit. Having a brand to associate with, without the contract or an affiliation fee, may be more appealing.
3. Have a Board of Directors — Cause Obviously that’s not working for Crossfit HQ.
4. Co-Lead with Rogue — Since they are pulling out of the associating with CrossFit in the future, this leaves an opportunity for two major brands to overthrow CrossFit HQ.
5. Top Athletes at the Fitness Games — Once Reebok can acquire the top athletes (which probably wouldn’t be hard), CrossFit HQ would be the TNA compared to WWE.
6. Diversify The Fittest Games — I’d argue that CrossFit never found the Fittest man and woman, they only found the fittest person to compete. In order to crown the Fittest man and woman, the roster of competitors must be diverse across different walks of life. CrossFit HQ attempted to do so in 2019 and failed miserably. This will definitely take time. Reebok must make this an ongoing effort in order to, not only provide representation across genders, race and nationalities, but also solidify the claim as the FITTEST ON EARTH.

Challenges

1. Being viewed as the Alternative Brand — WWF (now WWE) was founded in 1980. In 1988 came an “alternative” to WWF, known as WCW. WCW very quickly became the top of the Professional Wrestling Industry neck to neck with WWF. In 1995 WCW went head to head with WWF by airing on the same day and the same time as the WWF, forcing fans to choose between the two. WCW was able to dominate WWF. However, overtime, WWF maintained consistent ratings over WCW forcing WCW to turn in their keys and sell the company to WWF. While in this scenario the original company won, Reebok and Rogue has a significantly better reputation over CrossFit HQ. Hosting the Reebok Fittest Games on the same weekend as the CrossFit Games will force athletes and fans to choose which company to associate with, and the potential to force Greg to sell the company.
2. Claiming the FITTEST — It’ll be challenging to claim the fittest with two separate competitive companies. In order to claim the Fittest, there must be an universal program that undoubtedly determines the Fittest is actually the Fittest. Fans and Athletes would may compare the programs as well as the athletes competing and rank one superior accordingly. With the experience Rogue and Reebok has, as well as the amount of gyms and athletes walking away from CrossFit HQ, Reebok FITTEST Games will be ranked superior.
3. Greg Never Quits — As quoted in the podcast Talking Elite Fitness, “Greg will hold on to this as long as he can”. That’s why we must leave him no option but to give up.

Conclusion

Considering the information above, I believe that the pros of moving forward with Reebok Community Fitness | Reebok FITTEST Games outweigh the challenges. New information regarding Greg’s behavior at CrossFit HQ, athletes pulling out of the 2020 CrossFit Games, and hundreds of Gyms disaffiliating are being announced everyday. Something must be done to save the community, while destroying Greg’s Legacy.

But then again, maybe this is just a dream.

Sincerely,

Keanu Taylor

Reebok Community Fitness| Reebok FITTEST Games #1 Fan