Stop Anthos from Taking over CrossFit

[Lynne Pitts]

Originally Posted by Daniel Scarnecchia

If the goal of this conversation is education and information, this is not the way to go about it. If the goal is unhinged groupthink, well, I guess we're already there.

Daniel,
This is your second post of insult and insinuation. Could you please tell us whether you're trolling and baiting, or if you're actually a genuine and honest individual who just "accidentally" keeps coming across as a troll?

If the former, please try harder not to use such hostile language ("unhinged groupthink", "HQ Staff, along with Coach Glassman, are engaging in a deliberate attempt to devalue the business (in dollar terms) in an attempt to poison the well vis-à-vis Lauren Glassman's attempt to sell her 50% to a private equity firm. How is this not either a breach of Greg Glassman's fiduciary duties or at the very least tortious interference?").

If the latter, we'll happily show you the door.

Thank you.

[Randy Tarasevich]

Originally Posted by Brian Thurmond

I met Coach on a Wednesday morning at a small seminar in Coronado. The seminar was mostly for military folks. I think that Coach had been told that some higher ranking folks would be present, but when they didn't show he gave us the seminar anyway. He did not outwardly demonstrate that he was in anyway frustrated by those people not coming. Instead, he treated each and everyone of us lower ranking folks like we were the only ones he was interested in speaking to. I was immediately impressed by Coach and what he had to say. I drank up every last word. This man, who had been dismissed by the leadership, had not dismissed us. I always wanted to personally thank Coach for that. I know to him it was a very minor thing, but to me, it was impressive. Coach invited all 12-14 of us Sailors and Marines to the weekend seminar going on at one of two affiliates in San Diego at the time. Coach did not charge any of us to go to this seminar, we were his guest. Seminar prices are the same today as they were back then. I thought to myself that Coach was a hell of a guy, but a poor businessman. I thought this for one instant before I heard Coach speak on excellence. Coach spoke on chasing excellence as opposed to chasing the dollar. This is something that I had never fully tried to understand or embody until Coach spoke of it.
Coach, through CrossFit, I struggle with excellence on a day to day basis. Some days are more excellent than others. I am constantly reminded that it is a noble endeavor to pursue excellence in everything that I do. I am a humble affiliate. We train out of our garage, and our home's backyard. I say "our" because it is my groups home too.
Coach is CrossFit. My group and I are 100% CrossFit...a humble part of it. 50% of anything else and you can subtract the letters CrossF, and add sh to the front of it.
Coach, you have my support in whatever form that may take.

I like that.

[Liz Higgins]

Originally Posted by Steve Liberati

This reminds me of a pre-arranged marriage in which the man is required to get in bed with someone he does not love (nor ready to love).

It begs the question: WHY would the woman in this example, if given the choice, choose to marry a man that does not love her?

Wealth could be the knee jerk answer, but that is not enough reason to marry someone. Compatibility is the first checkpoint to any successful marriage and different wants, interests, goals, religious views, and political views will ultimately weaken the bond and result in failure.

Based on everything I have read (especially the preceding pages of this thread), this is clearly not a good match for either side. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize this.

EXACTLY! My gut tells me this Anthos deal stinks. I don't need to even hear the he said/she said BS, I know what feels right and what doesn't. I can read between the lines. People, trust your instincts!

[Nathan Holmes]

Originally Posted by Lynne Pitts

Daniel,
This is your second post of insult and insinuation. Could you please tell us whether you're trolling and baiting, or if you're actually a genuine and honest individual who just "accidentally" keeps coming across as a troll?

Ms. Pitts,

I am an avid Crossfitter and have met Coach on a few different occasions (Okinawa) and always enjoyed his speeches/seminars. I, too, support the idea of keeping the ownership of Crossfit "in house". However, a lot of posts on here have made Coach Glassman out to be a saint and "she who shall not be named" out to be evil incarnate. Somehow I don't think either is true. Although its not my call, I think you are being a bit draconian in the application of your moderator duties. Surely there is room in our ranks for dissenting oppinion? I would hope that everyone could agree that not all the facts have been revealed and just as many would concur that it is wise to wait until all the facts have been reviewed before committing Seppuku.

The posts on this thread do closely resemble group think. Rallying the troops to threaten "de-affiliation" is deliberately threatening to devalue the brand. As HQ is so fond of saying (roughly), the strength is in the affiliates. Lets call a spade a spade here. We are threatening that, if the deal goes through (and Coach Glassman asks), we will all stop calling ourselves "Crossfit" and now call ourselves whatever our new buzzword is. That will leave the brand "Crossfit" with nothing, making the investment by Anthos worthless (i.e. devalued). The time might come when that is the right thing to do. Threatening to do it might also be wise, but it seems like we might be burning a bridge that we don't need to yet. Coach has said that A) he won't let it happen and B) he has the upper hand. If that is true, then we all don't need to burn our bras, grab our pitchforks, and swallow the cyanide just yet.

Questioning this strategy doesn't make Daniel a bad guy. It makes him a cautious and reserved guy. If I were on the opposing side, I would certainly consider bringing this up during whatever proceedings might take place in the future.

And before you threaten me with banishment for "trolling", please remember that I love Crossfit just as much (or more) than you and want to see it succeed. I too would like to see ownership kept "in house". I would just like to caution us all from ostracizing or casting out those who disagree with us or those who, like Daniel, reserve judgement until all the facts are known.

-Nate

"If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."
George S. Patton

[Joe Wright]

Originally Posted by Nathan Holmes

Ms. Pitts,
I think you are being a bit draconian in the application of your moderator duties. Surely there is room in our ranks for dissenting oppinion?

Lurk moar. Also, toasting in epic bread.

[John Seiler]

Originally Posted by Tony Budding

Gravity existed before Isaac Newton, but he was the first to describe it in a measurable way, which obviously changed the world. Fitness existed before Greg Glassman, but he was the first to describe it in a way that allowed the world to begin optimizing it. Weightlifting, gymnastics, calisthenics and even combinations of them existed long before Greg wrote What is Fitness in September 2002 (published Oct 1). But no one understood the implications of constantly varying the high power output of functional movements as it applies to human work capacity in all its domains before Greg. Greg is THAT GUY.

Brilliant analogy, Tony!

[Bob Cieszkowski]

Originally Posted by Liz Higgins

EXACTLY! My gut tells me this Anthos deal stinks. I don't need to even hear the he said/she said BS, I know what feels right and what doesn't. I can read between the lines. People, trust your instincts!

This.

Anthos entering into the picture feels like the beginning of the slippery slope of corporate oversight--a deathblow to this community.

[Nathan Holmes]

Originally Posted by Nathan Holmes

Surely there is room in our ranks for dissenting oppinion?

Apparently I can spell as well as I can do burpees.

[Craig Massey]

Originally Posted by John Seiler

Brilliant analogy, Tony!

I wish I'd heard it before, it's a great rebuttal to an argument I get into too often.

[Lynne Pitts]

Originally Posted by Nathan Holmes

Questioning this strategy doesn't make Daniel a bad guy. It makes him a cautious and reserved guy.

It's not the questioning; it's the tone and tenor of the questioning.

I hope EVERYONE is giving serious thought and consideration to the situation, and discussion is welcome. Tossing out conversational bombs like Daniel's (and some of yours) are the antithesis of either. It's just as inflammatory as you are accusing me/us of being.

I do, however, admire the careful order of bra/pitchfork/cyanide (although I might go pitchfork first, I think).