WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — In the middle of a global pandemic, this was the last thing NEPA CrossFit Head Coach Brennan Morton needed.
"We're not mourning for George Floyd," former CrossFit CEO and Founder Greg Glassman can be heard saying on a recording. "I don't think me or any of my staff are."
That sentiment not reflective of the CrossFit Morton knows and loves.
"We are the most inclusive fitness regime I think you can possibly imagine, and so the man who's in charge of this, we just felt almost betrayed," Morton explained. "There's members who are literally on the cusp of quitting. He basically spoke for us and was going to lose us business before we opened in the hardest economy we've ever faced."
He has since apologized and resigned, though he's still the owner. Not enough in the eyes of Morton.
"No. Not for me," Morton admitted. "I think my clients deserve better. So I think they have a grace period. It's not long. In the next couple months, if they can prove that they've made these big changes for people, because right now, 'CrossFit,' I almost want to cross it off my sign for now and be like 'Yeah, we're just a gym,' because he gave us such a black eye."
It's a black eye that has Morton considering a difficult decision - not renewing the affiliation with the CrossFit brand.
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"Should it come to it, we're already picking names," Morton said. "It just feels like the loss of a family, and we know all the boxes will still stay close-knit, but it's not going to be the same if you're not under that same umbrella."
Here at this box, they're looking forward to putting this all behind them, and thanks to Luzerne County going Green, at the very least, they can reopen on Friday.
"We're going to open Friday, 6 AM, like it never happened and go right back into it, though they're going to go much slower – much slower," Morton said. "Everyone remembers what they were, and it's like, 'dude, we're starting over. We're back to zero."
Emotionally and physically back to square one – in the box.