All right. Good evening, everybody.
John was here for a minute and now.
It bounced back off. Some waffles?
I don't know. Good evening, everybody.
Sabir and Kelly first. They beat Rambler.
Rambler, be first in the comments.
I can almost guarantee that. Wad Zombie.
Hello, Trish. A different Trish.
Congrats on the West, John. What?
What W? This afternoon What What were
you doing this afternoon that you may have won some
competition? Against oh, workout.
Oh, Peterson. We knew.
We knew that was going. To happen Humble humility.
Hey, you know what's fun? Me.
And I'm hoping spin wins. I don't know.
I'd like to talk with down too, but spins on the next one?
It'd be funny if it ends up just being a spin show, you know what
I mean? Tyler, That's on one of these
things. And then we, if the three of us,
can. I don't think.
I don't think Tyler's on the 3rd.
I don't think Tyler's on the third week, is he?
I'm not. I haven't.
Peter has not invited me to that.
I wonder why? Yeah, just be be stubborn.
I will say I was I was very frightened with the questions
because other than the open, I have no nothing to contribute
with those other two questions like that's you got you got Aceo
talking about how to make profit in events.
What am I going to say? That he doesn't know?
You know what I mean? Like I I have.
Oh, you, you. Sponsored every big competition,
knows what, so Rock knows more than what we do on the costs and
what he's been putting into. You didn't give them their your
off site events pitch. Well, what is that pitch?
For Palooza, you saying we just go off site?
All we gotta do is just yeah, yeah.
The venue's lined up all across Miami.
No, I tried to think. I tried to think of like, OK,
well what what can I contribute to this conversation that those
other guys are are not going to, you know what I'm saying?
Like, try to put my lens on it when I was willing to be up
base, which they were both like, yeah, that's not going to
happen, bro, whatever you're talking about.
But luckily for me, it sounded good enough that that Peter
liked it, and that's all that counts.
That's all that matters. Just got to convince Pedro.
All right, good show lined up for you guys.
We got some viewer comments. You guys were much better on the
comments. So if you're watching, you're
not subscribing. First subscribe, then go drop
down and drop some comments and we'll read them off.
My favorite ones next week. Then John is back, this time
with a comeback Canyon. There's a little bit of a little
bit of a teaser there on the the thumbnail, so if you saw that a
few guesses I've had, they were all wrong.
So we'll see if you guys can guess who is on the Comeback
Canyon. Blind rankings are coming up.
These guys don't even know the topic yet, so it is Roman.
Empire. Is that the topic?
And then the last one is Roman Empire.
So if you guys are big tik tokers, the Roman Empire are big
thoughts on what what what we've been thinking about as it
relates to CrossFit. So anything is game.
We'll see what you guys come up with.
So all right, reading the comments, so.
Did I send you anything for that, Brian?
No, you better have some for. The Roman Empire.
I got it. Oh, gosh.
And my, my thing is the first thing.
OK, I'll figure it out. I'll go, I'll figure it out.
I'm going to go off the cuff on it, but I'll figure it out.
I've got a lot to deal with the last couple days.
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure he's rattled his.
His big day to? Get ready for around the white
board and just skips on preparing for.
Us do OK at the fittest experience and I just have to
contribute to everything else. It's OK, It's OK.
I'll be fine. It'll be fine, isn't it?
Isn't it deloaded week? You don't have to do anything
this week. No, I tested a couple of the
work, at least today was my last.
Day OK Sam J 6846 Jeff wins the games.
Pat wins Rogue, Roman wins Dubai and Ricky wins Watapalooza.
I know everyone has seems to have their winner penciled in
for 2024 but it's shaping up to be an exciting games.
I don't think you can call it. Yeah, I I mean, when you when
you read it that way, like I think we all kind of knew it.
But to actually list it off as the four big competitions and
four different winners. Yeah, it's all over the place.
Yeah, I was thinking about Ricky today.
I mean, like if he had hit a better snap, like if he just had
overhead squatted, he won. He won handily.
Yeah, but you know, yeah. He he still did.
I mean he obviously quant. Handily.
Quant was there, but he he was in control.
That whole last event so. I mean, you can make an argument
about the events being having changed and all that stuff, but
I mean like still those are fitness events and I don't know,
I like. I don't think it would have
changed. I think he probably would have
been as good or better in some of them before they were
changed. Jackie, Millie 2805, the comment
that we talked, what we talked about last week about leaving
versus staying at home is interesting.
All of the young people did not go to college, which is why many
of them are homesick. Moving to another state at 17
without having a tangible purpose like getting a degree is
probably really hard. That being said that way, some
people like Danielle have said they like to move, travel and
meet new people, but those are who are returning home.
Did not go to boarding school or university.
Just my thought, are boarding. Schools still a thing?
Maybe. Yeah, like.
Private schools. Yeah, but boarding schools where
you stay there all the time. Oh.
I think there's some. I know there's one in New
Mexico. As crazy as it sounds, I
actually had to visit Roswell, NM and there's a huge boarding
school in Roswell I. Mean There's like all boys and
all girls like preparatory schools.
Yeah, potatoes. Sleep there.
Yeah. Sure.
Yes, mostly the Northeast, OK. I can see it in the Northeast,
that's. Where all the rich kids go.
They're called prep schools now. OK, Tyler from Cameron.
Are we going to see Heat One for the Open or quarterfinals this
year? Yes and yes, where we landed on
how we're going to pull that off today.
So we're in in high gear to get that into the app as fast as we
can. John's helping out a little bit
with it. Making Adam work for it?
Yeah, Christian Kettler, 3667 by the By the Games 2025 underdogs
will be, if they aren't already, the best camp in the space.
Agree. Disagree.
By 2025. Yes.
So not this year, but the following year.
I think they will say where they are.
I think they are one of the best camps in the CrossFit space.
I don't think you can declare your camp the best camp in the
CrossFit space unless it's like unless it's like clear cut.
Because you can always frame somebody.
You can always frame another camp in a certain light.
Like, yeah, Brute sent five people to the Games and four of
those five were top ten athletes, or three of those five
were top ten athletes. That's hard to beat.
But you know, underdogs this year might have the CrossFit
Games champion and a podium athlete.
You know what I mean? Like, so I'll say this, I say if
Alex Kazan and Ricky Gerard can never win the games together in
the same year, then Underdogs has pulled off something that no
other camp has ever been able to pull off.
And I think that would be pretty crazy.
It's not going to happen this year.
So Ricky, you better win a couple years in a row because
you got Alex has to catch up. Prove it'll have a coffee shop
though. Mayhem's already got one.
Suck it. I'll have a pretty cool one
though, so. Yeah, I what's best to to me
that's. Yeah, what's best, That's true.
But Mayhem will always have the most pool.
You know, Mayhem has the biggest empire.
Proven has Tia and Mertens. You know what I mean?
He's just the biggest Tia. Day 2 for Mertens, right?
Day 2, you know, so I it's your definition of what's best.
But I like what I'm saying though is I think, I think
Underdogs is the only camp that has that could do what I just
put out there. Like have a guy and a girl in
the same camp win the games. And that's hard to argue with I
think because it's too, you know it's different people.
It's not like you got lucky with one person, right?
Yeah, I'm sure. I mean when Pedro wrote who did
the best, which camp had the best, like semi finals and then
they qualified for the games that got everybody riled up.
So maybe I'll get him to write another one.
Another article for us. Last one here watching this a
bit late. This is from Aha 8008, but as of
now Victor Hoffer is on Teneriff, the Spanish island
with Yon Koski and a few others. Doesn't seem like a HWPO gig, so
he likes this show. The most watchable in the
CrossFit space right now, So just.
Nice most watchable award I saw. Victor.
Yeah, that's from some other person that was saying that
Victor and Yanukovsky and a few others are training on some
Spanish island. Oh, those are two separate
comment. Yeah, yeah.
OK. OK.
So I I just like the last comment so.
Yeah. Thanks.
I saw this thing called the Webbies or something like that.
It's like an award for Internet content producers.
So we win the What was it? What was our award right there?
The Wednesday night CrossFit Space Show.
The best, the best one on Wednesday night.
The best The best. Wednesday night at 6:30 Central.
CrossFit Show. We have it on lockdown.
I'm honored. So again, if you are watching
this later or have a comment, throw it down there.
We'll catch up on it next week. John, Are you ready for some?
All right, here we go. What's the preface?
OK. The way I looked at it was, I
thought so if you're further down the Canyon, like you are
low and you can come back high, but you have more of a comeback
to be had. That's that's kind of how I
prefaced it. So that's the nicest way to
phrase that, yeah, yeah. Right.
But but no, no, no. But but like, I also thought
about like, are you capable of that comeback?
You know what I mean? So.
Everybody in the Canyon is capable to you.
Yes, I think everybody in the Canyon can come back.
But some have a bigger climb than others.
And but some have a bigger climb than and what I'm saying is so
like if you didn't make the games and you can go like top
ten in the games, that's an enormous comeback, right?
Whereas if you were 13th in the Games and you can come back and
get 4th, that's that's still a comeback, right?
Especially if you're a podium material, because I feel like
those are held in rare air. It's just not as big of a
comeback, so you don't have as much of A climb.
Does that make sense? OK, so we'll start with the top
row. Easiest comeback?
And. We'll start, we'll start here.
So Luka Jukic is off by himself. And then we have, we have Jason
Hopper, Amanda Barnhart, Sam Quant, Emma McQuaid and Justin
Maderos on the top row. This is a row right here.
What's going on with Luca? So Luca, it, you know, it was
brought to my attention about Luca as far as.
But here's the thing I think he can make.
Who brought that attention, right?
He did. He did.
But. But here, here, here's the
thing. Like, I agree with him.
You know what I mean? Like I I don't think it's much
of A comeback. But you know, if you go from not
making the games, making the games, you know what I mean?
You're going to be I'm, I'm for it, right?
But like, I don't think, like, I think if I think when he makes
it, he's going to be like 20th to 30th, I don't think it's
going to be anything special. So now, Luca, you get top 20,
then you should have been further down the Canyon because
you made a bigger comeback, right?
So. But I agree with him.
I think he's games material, so he can be on the comeback
candidate for sure Now the other people.
And Luca, he basically wins every offseason.
I don't care about those. Good.
Do do what against people who matter.
Do what it makes more. Money.
Than that's cool. Come to the games with money in
your pockets, but do it against people who matter.
If you want respect. As far as like this guy's crazy
fit. Listen, if I have a, if I have a
competition with Tyler every single week and then I say, man,
I've done 50 competitions this year and I've won 48 of them.
What are you trying to say? Does it matter?
Because I'm against. Yeah, right.
Respect doesn't pay the. Bills, dude, we are one and one
in quarterfinals. I'm no, take that back.
I've made two quarterfinals and you want to make.
One, you want to make a bet on this quarterfinals.
No. Right.
I'm talking straight Perkins, man.
I'm not talking about did you make it or not?
OK, it takes me a while to make stuff, but once I get there, I
show out OK. I'm a game day player.
I'm legitimate, man. I've been playing this game a
long time. I made.
Every I just I just have AI have a longer trip to get to the game
but once I get there once I get there I'm I'm I'm decent anyway.
But I I accept his criteria I I I do.
I do think he's a capable of this and I I agree with him I
didn't have him on there originally Luca so and you know
what prove me wrong. Get top 20.
OK. But until you beat somebody that
matters. I don't care what you do in the
offseason beat somebody that maps.
I don't care how much money you got.
Show me that you could beat people that map anyway.
Scratch Hopper. Some could argue he could have
been a little bit lower on the Canyon.
But here's the thing, here's the thing.
Hopper is like that kid that goes to the Grand Canyon and
then like wanders off from his parents and then falls down the
Canyon and then gets back and then climbs all the way back up
to the top, to the top of the Canyon.
And his dad is so mad that he fell down the Canyon, that his
bad B and Fraser and then kicks him down the Canyon again.
And that's where he's at. Can he come back?
Can Jr. pull him back out of the Canyon?
We'll see. Barnhart.
I think Barnhart just had, you know, Barnhart wasn't as good as
she normally is. But she's been dealing with
injuries. She had a big life change.
I think she can come back. Same with Quant.
He didn't have changes in his life, but he we're accustomed to
him being better. And then when he can get second
in water, Palooza like bro, be better, You know what I mean?
You're capable of being better. Be better.
Emma McQuaid was hurt. I think she's a top 25 ish games
athlete. Top 20 games athlete.
I think that's where she belongs.
You know how there's a tier after the top 10 to 10 through
20, how there's a tier of ladies depending on the programming?
I think she's in that tier so she deserves.
And again, this is the top row of the comeback Canyon, right?
There's not a there's not a big comeback to be had.
So think about that. Have that thought going in,
Justin. Maybe don't reckon to Luke Lazar
twice, you know what I mean? Just, you know, drive your bike
a little bit better. I don't know what to tell you,
Justin, but you're better than what you were just.
Throw that in. There, I think you're.
I think you're capable to get Tier 1 pollution.
Oh, God. OK, I think you're better than
13th place, right? So I I think that Justin gets
top five and like I think he'll be fifth place is what I think.
But I think he's that's where he should belong, is in that
conversation of the top five guys.
And if if he's not, then the comeback, he's still in the
Canyon, all right. I have a couple of comments
slash questions. Go ahead, spin.
You're going to bring up people. 'S first before you get going
wad Zombie 499. Thank you.
Tyler's accent gets thicker and more triggered.
He gets. Yeah, you should see me drink
about. Understandable.
Pedro, how slippery is this Canyon?
You think? Like, are we talking like just
after a rain there's just mud everywhere?
Or is it kind of stable? Or is it person dependent?
A person dependent, you know. Some are more athletic than
others. Some can slip on the rocks and
catch themselves, and some can slip on dry dirt and fall all
the way down that little Creek that's down there.
Fair enough. I like that there's a.
Creek some some just drive their bike straight off of the Canyon
into the Creek, You know like like, I mean we'll we'll get
there. I like that there is a Creek at
the bottom, 'cause you could, you could, you could get washed
away. You could.
Get down there and you can't.
Ever come back, feel better, Hope he never ends up in the
Canyon, 'cause I don't know if he's going to be able to swim
out. Amanda Barnhart, I don't know if
you guys have been following her, her Instagram.
She was just doing like, I don't think she could do marine muscle
UPS right now. And like kipping chest of our
pull ups was difficult. So that's a tough one.
That one might be a game in the Canyon, Yeah, at least at this
point. Now she probably can make it
through it regardless. Well.
Listen, this isn't a guarantee that they're going to be able to
climb out. It's just I think they're
capable of climbing out of the Canyon.
I love questions like this. Maybe, like we're we're just
throwing out the ideas. Why not?
Sorry, did you did you bring one up?
You know next you want to go next row.
Yeah, we'll go next row. All right.
We got Danny Spiegel, Haley Adams and Jacqueline Dahlstrom.
All right, these three girls took a trip together to the
Canyon, to the Grand Canyon, just to look at all of the
peasants that are down there, right?
Not to fall down, but they got pulled down and they didn't make
the games, right? So these three girls, I know,
Haley, for different reasons, but all are capable of coming
back and making the games, and they did not make the games
previous. So that's why they're in this
tier. As long as Jack and Dahlstrom
does not get placed in lane 8:00, as long as Danny Spiegel.
I don't, you know, just train more.
And then and then I think Haley's going to be a beast.
I know you don't like the Tyler. I know you hate Haley Adams, but
I don't hate her. I know that you.
I know that you wish she fell down this cane and drowned and
never came back, Tyler. But I like Haley Adams, and I
think she's going to be a monster.
So. It'd be a lot better for my
predictions, but. That that is this category.
It's just these three women did not make the games and I think
that are capable of making the games.
This is like, I'm not feeling good about about these, like
this is real close to the bottom.
So it's like Dahlstrom. I don't, I don't feel great
about her getting back to the games.
Do you? No, I I agree.
But I do think she's capable. Listen like.
Who's more capable? Sometimes are harder than
others. Who's more than most Spiegel?
Spiegel or Dahlstrom? I think we can all, I think we
all would say Haley's probably. The most likely Who's more
likely to make the games? Yes, between I.
Think I think you'd have to say Spiegel, but I mean,
Jacqueline's been there 3 * 2 or three times.
You know when you're a perennial games athlete, I don't want to
bet against you. But Danny Spiegel's also, you
know, a perennial games athlete. So I it's hard to say.
I think it depends on the programming.
I hate, I hate that answer. It's such a cop out answer.
But I really, really do. You know there's a high volume
gymnastics work out that Dahlstrom's going to be easy
money on and not a Max snatch, you know?
I like that we haven't seen much from Jackie thus far as she's.
She's in the dungeon. She's in the dungeon, the HWPO.
Dungeon. Is she still?
Is she still a Singleton? Yeah, no, she's H she's.
Proven she's HWPO training, but I assume she's still with John.
But no, I meant not. Not for the training, yeah.
Relationship wise, yes. All right, I hope that he put a
runner in her bedroom and just put the a tape on there that
says the worst. Runner he can buy.
So, so, like, so, like, mentally.
And she runs on it every single day and then, like comes back
looking like freaking what country is she from?
Norway. The Norwegian form of Rocky.
Is it Norway? I want to get that right.
I don't want to call her the wrong country.
I will find out here soon if you're.
Wrong. Oh, you guys don't know.
Come on. Or didn't do it.
Yeah. I think it's Norway.
Yeah. Jackie's from France.
No, no. Yes.
Dude. She's French.
Where you at, Patrick? We need ya.
I my gut says Spiegel. But we've seen too much of
Spiegel and I like people in the dungeon.
Tyler's You're nuts. She's from Norway.
Yeah. Does Daostrom sound French to
you, bro? When she speaks, she does.
All right, I'm just going to default.
OK. We're going to move on with that
one. Next row we got two on here,
Brooke Wells and Gina Heroes. Now these are you're getting.
Real close to the Creek, you're getting real.
Close. These are two people that did
not make the games, but probably, but probably should,
right? Like they, their fitness are
both, they're both good enough to be top 20 in the games,
right? I get he has to be a little bit
lucky with the programming to get top 20, but he gets home run
hits like he's bound to get Kenneth.
I don't disagree with you, but he deserves to be there.
Sorry, he got me on that. One, you know, so like, I think
if he makes the games, he'll be top 20.
I think if Brooke makes the game, she'll be top, honestly,
top 15. So that's why they're lower on
this lit in the Canyon, because they will climb further than the
three above them, you know, I think Haley will be better than
Brooke. That's not what I'm saying.
But like this group as a whole, I think will be better than the
group above them if should they make the games.
How did Gee do it and how did he finish in water pools?
I can't remember. 8th. Yeah.
But he had a Max snatch that's automatic, 100 points.
And then he's a he's a good, he's a good swimmer and then
they'd like he had two events that he was going to do really
well, like automatic really well.
So in in a five event contest I don't think he gets 8th.
If you make him do 15 events, do.
Do you think it's guaranteed that Haley is finishes better at
the games than Brooke? Yes.
Brooke had the better finish two years ago.
That's cool. Just saying.
I think Haley's top ten in the games.
I don't think Brooke is top ten at the.
Game You don't think she'll get back into the top 10?
Nope. I like I.
Like, I think Brooke will be fringe, fringe on the fringe.
So I I say no confidently. But like, I'm talking and like I
I think she'll be like 12. I think Haley will be like 7th.
And I know that doesn't sound very far away, but in my head
they're two different tiers, like Brooks and that Paige
powers tier, Haley's in that Alexis Raptis tier.
They're different. I know their their placement's
not different, but they're different.
I I can't disagree with Jon on this one.
Go ahead, You really think so? I I tend to leave Haley's
playing with Jon in this, yeah. I mean, if if Brooke doesn't
have a whatever ankle foot injury and she qualifies, I
think she does. She does fine.
About where she was last time. Yeah, but Brian, if if a frog
had wings, he wouldn't bump his butt when he jumps.
You know what I mean? It happens.
I know, but I'm saying that I don't think her fitness has
decreased in the last two years. No, but we we, we we're
consistently having injuries pop up.
And go ahead. Greater frequency.
That's all I was going to say. They they're they're starting to
happen on consistency. Now she's rowing all day with
HWPO, so she'll be fine. Oh.
And I think it takes a toll mentally.
I know, I know we're dealing with Haley, but like, I I think,
I don't know. I just feel like Haley's will be
mentally tougher than Brooke on game day.
And I mean, that's speaking out of pocket.
And I have no idea. But that's just how I feel.
Haley, to me, just seems like a different tier of athlete than
Brooke does. Maybe I'm wrong.
I don't put it past myself. But for me she is.
I think for Haley, it's going to be very dependent on the
programming if she makes it back to the games of where she
finishes. In semi finals.
No, back to the games. So I think semi finals should be
fine, but when when you make it to the games, I think she's more
dependent on the programming than say, Brooke is.
We'll see. And it's inside.
So again, I don't know what that means from a programming
standpoint. Couple comments here.
See Hill, Hal or Mal, Haley and Brooke in the same division.
So that's three spots. Who didn't make it?
Who did this past year? First comments, we don't know.
First of all, we don't know if Mal's competing.
Second of all, if she does, I think she's been in Iowa and
living at home, which would mean she's in the West.
And y'all, notice Mal is not on this Canyon.
Not yet, anyway. She's not on there.
She done what washed away. Spoiler.
Yeah, Mal, Mal has. He's in the power boat.
Yeah, no, there's no boat. The boat didn't get there on
time. She doesn't run off in the power
boat. LDY 2742 four 99, Thank you.
Looking for a big year from Brooke, Just feeling that I'd
probably rank her higher than you guys do.
I just don't think there's anything that has changed in.
Oh, I say 12. Where would you put her?
7th or 8th? So you don't think anything has,
You don't. Finish fifth in 2022.
How'd she do in 2023? She.
Was hurt and didn't qualify. Gotcha.
I think Matt Fraser tears, ACL and still win the games.
I think there's something to that.
Maybe I, I and and again we'll see.
We'll see. I just think Haley's better.
And then also Mal is also in Hawaii right now.
Y'all mal's not competing. I'm just she's not going to.
I don't know if you heard O'Keefe, but like, he got asked
that question and O'Keefe was like, yeah, she's not competing
this year word for word. Is that exactly what he said?
That's exactly what he said. It's on your behind the scenes.
Everybody go check out Brian's behind the scenes in water.
Palooza O'Keefe just said she's not competing.
This is not misinformation at all.
That's. That's an interesting
interpretation, but it's worth. If you.
If you if you click on the subtitles.
If you click on the subtitles, oh Keith, oh Keith, like if you
like, like act like you can't hear, right.
You're deaf on the subtitles. It says she's not complete.
Well. You have so AI AI know
something. You have to translate it into
Chinese and then into German and then back into English, and
that's what it says. No, no, no.
Listen, I heard Rosa translate O'Keefe and she said Mao's not
competing. There you have it.
That's the better version. All right.
So now we're getting into the top comeback of the year.
I think this guy will make, I think he's capable of the
biggest comeback, and you guys will see what I'm talking about
when I say it real quick. We'll give you 5 seconds.
OK, Comments. Go ahead and comment who you
think it is. Who is at the very bottom of the
Canyon? He had a great year.
Ronnie. Ronn made the games and nobody
thought he could. He had a great year.
Here we go. Hosted go ahead.
Man, somebody. Nobody's gotten it yet.
Nobody said it. Ricky Garon and listen what you
say what he didn't do the games. This is cheating and listen he's
going to win the games. How do you go from not doing the
games till you're going to win the games?
I this is. Like this is like.
AI Guaranteed. Guaranteed.
He is top three if he does not get hurt, and I personally think
he's going to win. I didn't think he was going to
win to Water Palooza, but man, if you listen to the behind the
scenes, what? What a, what a is it?
It's not released yet, right? The waterproof limousines?
No, it's. No, I don't.
Know. No, it's not.
It's not. I got calmed down.
So listen, when it gets released or honestly, y'all go, go be a
member and and check this out like the way other athletes talk
about Ricky. Everybody's like, it sounds like
he's like, dude, he's just better, he's just better, right?
They talk about Ricky the way people used to talk about
Fraser, and I'm not. Similar, this is similar to your
translation of Matt. I'm going to push back.
No dude, that's how I get that. And you and listen, you listen
to Hopper and and down like multiple workouts.
They're like, this was the craziest, hardest part.
And Ricky did sixty of those and then and Hopper's like and then
I was supposed to double under and I didn't double under and
Ricky ended up doing like 200. Double like the way and the way,
the way. I just think the way athletes
talk about Ricky, it makes me think.
It just makes me think he's going to win the games.
Like I really, I listen and I was Team Roman.
I was Team Roman all the way. But Ricky was a solid #2 and I
thought they would go hand in hand.
And I know Jeff still did. And Jeff's going to be Jeff and
he's going to be great. I'm putting my flag in the
ground. Ricky's going to win the
CrossFit Games. And I and listen, if you go from
not making the games, which you know, I know you drove the bike
yourself off the Canyon. You played.
You were joining Knoxville for a minute and you drove off that
Canyon and you failed to the river and and and you broke your
shoulder. But you know, your shoulders
healed and you're and you're climbing your way back up.
Ricky's going to win the games. That's the biggest comeback.
But wait, there is one comeback that is a little bit bigger than
Ricky's. Because if this person does
what's been put out there, this mystery works.
Yeah, if this person don't, don't put it up yet.
If this person does what's been put out there, what this
ludicrous statement has been put out there, it will be the
greatest comeback of all time. Because there is not.
There is also a person who did not make the games.
Go ahead and put it up. And if Travis Mayer gets top
five in the CrossFit Games, it will be the greatest comeback of
all time. And I don't care what you say,
Rich, to come out of retirement and win the games in 2024.
And it still wouldn't be as big of a comeback as Travis Mayer
getting top five of the games. OK, it would be.
The craziest thing ever. That's how ridiculous that this
thing is not going to happen. OK.
And track. Like if Travis is watching, it's
unfair to you, Travis. It really is.
Because it I, I know you know that you're not going to be top
five. Oh shit.
And and I'm just saying like if it comes about, man, you're
listen, I'm a Fraser guy, I will forever talk about Travis Mayer.
Is that my highest guy that I think about in the CrossFit
world if you are top five? Because I'm that confident that
it won't happen. You so if Ricky gets. 1st I'm
almost rooting for it to happen though, because it would be that
crazy. That's what I need.
I need people in the stands at semi finals just screaming mayor
top five. You're putting this.
You're putting this unneeded pressure on him.
Oh no, no. He's a seasoned vet.
He loves. OK.
All right. He also does.
This Sarah Cooper's very happy, John, that you included Travis
just for Tyler. Thank you.
And this is your 2024 comeback, Canyon.
But there's there are some people on the ledge though,
right? There is, there is, there is
people on the Cliff and the Cliff is different.
Wait time out. So we got, we got canyons and we
got. Listen, Listen, listen, listen,
listen. It's coming.
Don't show it yet. It's coming.
The Cliff is a different thing. It's not come back Canyon.
If you're on the Cliff, it means you're about to fall, OK?
There's a doger near the. Cliff, there we go.
This is the Cliff. I love it.
Yeah, this is the Cliff. And listen, if you're on the
Cliff, it means you had like, whatever year you just had.
You're about to not have that year that's that's kind of what
that this means. John's about to hurt some
people's feelings, right? Here.
Yeah. And you know, it is kind of a
Dick thing to put out there, but.
But it's not stop you thus far but.
I'm going to be, I'm going to be nice about it because, But
listen, because if we do a comeback Canyon, I will have
predicted who's in the Canyon of 2025.
You see what I'm saying? Is it possible?
To get away from the Cliff. Yeah.
If if I think that you're going to do, you're going to
continuously do what you have just done or if you're going to
be better than what you just have done, then you're not in
the Cliff. The Cliff is for people who I
think are going to have a worse year than 2024 or 2023.
It's not falling off at all. It's just you're not going to be
as good then. Why is it a Cliff?
Because you're because Comeback Canyon is what you had a bad
year and you want to come back, right?
So these these are the. Clip is the clip is we're about
to fall, Yeah. You're predicting the fall?
Yes, yes. Got it ready.
Go. Here we go.
And here is Ariel Lowen. Olivia Kerstetter, Bailey Rail
Cristobal. Danny Spiegel.
Wait a minute. She's.
She's on the Canyon and the Cliff.
Yeah. I will Matthew and Alex Vigneux.
All right, so let me explain the clip.
Walk through these real quick. Yeah, I I will Now, Ariel
Lowen's the biggest one. You're like Ariel Lowen was just
the third fittest woman in the world.
How is she on the Cliff? How far is?
I think she's going to be 10th place.
If she gets 10th place, then she's deserving of being on the
Canyon, is what I'm saying. Right.
It's not a bit no. Yes, She's going to be the 10th
fittest woman in the games, is what I'm saying, Sarah.
But she was just the third fittest woman, right?
That is a fall. Somebody call Ariel, get her on
the show. We need her take on this.
And and I'll say if she's like, so like say she gets fit.
If she gets fit, it's not a fall at all.
She's awesome, right? But I think Tia's coming back.
That's one spot guaranteed, right?
Haley is somebody who could be in the mix, whether y'all think
so or not, Brian thinks Brooke is going to be in the mix.
All these people are taking points away from Lowen and she
just had the miracle year of years for herself and I think
she is routinely been about where Travis Mayer is like 11th,
10th place, right? That's where her years have been
except this 2023 year. And all I'm saying is I think
she's going to return to the mean.
That's all I'm saying. But that would be a fall because
of how great 2023 was. It's not a slighted Ariel. 2023
was just the greatest year of all time.
I think if you asked who had the best year in 2023, she is
unanimously the best answer. It's not Laura Horvath.
People expected to her to win. Nobody expected Ariel to be
third place and that's why she's here.
I just think she returns to the me.
Olivia Kurstetter, I saw you at Water Palooza.
I wasn't impressed. I'm sorry.
I think you're going to have trouble making the games.
And if you don't make the games, this is a fault.
Truth. Yep.
Bailey Rail same thing. I think you're going to I Bailey
Rail had to do a miracle last event to make the games last
year and I think I just think the field's getting bitter and I
just. I just think you're going to
have trouble making it and and it like Bailey Rail.
If she makes the games, then it's like F you John, you're
wrong all the way. All the way.
I'm in the wrong. Bailey did it.
She's awesome, but I don't think she will.
So that's why she's on the Cliff.
Danny Spiegel. Danny Spiegel.
How are you on the Canyon? And you're on the Cliff.
What it How does that work? Right.
That's because if Danny Spiegel. If Danny Spiegel doesn't make
the games, I don't think she comes back.
I think she's done with CrossFit.
So not only is she on the the Canyon and the Cliff, for
everybody else, the Cliff just might be a small drop.
For Ariel alone, it seems like maybe a a slight step down for.
Danny. She happens to be standing over
a a sinkhole. Yeah, so like Danny, Like, if
Danny doesn't make the games, she's falling in the river and
she's not coming back. She might as well go to Iowa
with now because she's not coming back.
All right. I just think if Danny doesn't
make the games, I just think her, she'll be like, I'm just
going to pursue different things.
I'm tired of all this crap that I get from the media.
I'm in that boat. I'm the one giving her crap, and
I just think she goes off and does something else now.
But I think there's just as likely of a chance that she
makes it right. That's why she's on both things.
Nick, Matthew. Nick, you're looking chunky,
man. I'm just going to say it now.
Listen. Like you're like, listen, Nick,
listen, listen, listen, Nick. He has posted up some crazy
strength stuff. He has like it's it's crazy.
It's it's pretty insane. It's pretty admirable.
It's pretty awesome to watch. Guess what, Nick?
You were already that good at that stuff.
You know, like, I you him posting him getting stronger.
It's almost how I feel with like D, right?
Him getting chunkier or thicker and getting stronger is the same
way I feel about, Gee, it just means you're not getting fitter.
You were already great at that stuff.
So when that's what you post 515 for three or something like, I
think, I just think, I think you're gonna have a hard time
making the games. I still think Nick makes the
games, but I don't think he has a good showing when he gets
there, is all I'm saying. Like shredded.
I'm pretty sure it was during the swim event and he looked
shredded. I mean, like, So what?
You might gain five 7 lbs In the offseason?
Like you can lose that no problem right before.
You're right, you're right. And if he's Fraser esque and can
just turn it on like that and then he ends up being the Nick
Matthew that got what, 19th place or 7th plate?
Whatever he got, was it 7th that year that he did great?
That was key. What was the year that he had
like a fantastic year. I think 19th was his best year.
Do you all know that off hand? Who?
Nick, Matthew. I don't know it.
Was 22, right? Also wasn't.
It. 14th I don't see Nick Matthew getting that anymore.
I just. I think he's going to have a
rough time in the 20th to 30th place at the games.
And then if he makes it, that's where he's going to be.
I don't see him improving. That's all I'm saying.
That's that's fantastic, Alvin. Thank you, Sir.
Oh, man, that's so true. That's crazy.
I'm so sorry that you're that wrong, Tyler.
I it it it hurts. I still don't care.
Wasn't he like a bodybuilder or something in the past he was.
He's been a fitness dude for forever.
Like losing like 5 to 10 lbs in in body fat for him no problem.
I'm not worried about this at all.
I think you're. Open.
We will see and and sure and sure I might be at least he's
not in the Canyon, He's on the Cliff.
Guess what? Arguably, the Canyon is or the
Cliff is much worse. Listen, listen.
Just walk away from the Cliff. That's all you got to do.
It's not. Hard.
Like drain tracks. And then Alex Vigno.
I have high hopes for him at Water Palooza.
This is nothing against Alex. I just think his best days are
past him. I just think he's on the
downhill and that's it. I I think Alex Vigno, I I'm
predicting that he's. I think it's going to be hard
for him to make the games and if he doesn't make the games it's
probably over. And like he doesn't make the
games. He's in the same boat as Bailey
Rail, Bailey Rail, Danny Spiegel, Alex Vigno and Olivia
Kurstetter. All they got to do is make the
games and then I am incredibly wrong and I'm sorry that I said
anything bad about y'all, y'all are all awesome If y'all make
the games, I've been incredibly right and that's it.
Cliff is like the Cliff in Midsummer.
Have you ever seen that? Somebody's going to get that.
No, no, dude, I know. I know what?
I know what that is. That's oh, man, That's a scene
right there, Midsummer. Jeez, OK.
But then that, and that's the Cliff.
That was the mean part of the segment.
Listen. And I didn't want to do the
Cliff. Bryant's Finn was like, listen.
Listen. You need it.
You need to make this Cliff, OK? If we need to talk bad about
people, you're being too nice, OK?
Yes, it's all about the controversy about.
Fan service What about Taylor Self?
Where is he? He's still in time out.
Oh, where's that hosted? Is that at Near?
Base Hill that's that's rookie Hill he's at.
He's at the school. He's at the school in time out.
Oh, he's at climbing school. Got it.
Yeah. Good stuff, John.
Thank you, Thank you. I appreciate it.
I put a lot of work. We're going to get in trouble
for this. And listen, listen, I do want to
say to to the athletes it is all in love.
If you prove me wrong, that's awesome.
If you don't, I'm sorry that I'm not, But it is on love.
I admire all of you. You are all monsters.
These are just my these are just these are just my predictions.
OK, they mean nothing. My opinion means nothing, but
these are my predictions. And that is your Canyon.
I think when we go to either semi finals, whatever you can
make it to next John, we just do one day a station.
All the athletes who got beef with you, they they get one free
slap to get it all out and then we get all that through our
system in. There.
No, let's put some boxing gloves on and I'll give every athlete a
minute and we will spar for a minute.
You can't fight back. You can't fight back.
Come on, man. They don't get to fight back on
the show. These these are some of the
fittest people in the world that can't take one minute or
sparring. I'm going to be tired by the
time I get to the 8th person, you know what I mean?
Don't backpedal now. And for the girls, the girls
that have beef with me, I just get one arm.
I don't think that's. Fair.
All right, there we go. Come back, Canyon.
We'll see if John is right in a few months.
Now it's time for some blind rankings.
Here we go, getting all jazzed up for this.
We don't know what it is. I'm stoked, I love.
These here it is CrossFit fads. So throughout the years, when I
give you a CrossFit fad, you rank the best to the worst
CrossFit. John, I bet there are some in
this list that you weren't even around for.
We'll see. I'm a pretty good historian.
I know. I'm like, you're absolutely
right. Like you guys were gotten in the
CrossFit before me, but I nerded out.
I nerded out in the history pretty darn hard.
So I think you all know what I'm talking about when you see him.
Whether or not you actually partook in the CrossFit Fed,
that's another story. But.
If taking your shirt off is is on the list, I feel like that
has to be #1. Does that count as a fashion?
This is the very OG thing of you to do.
Spin This is proof you've been around for forever, because I
feel like I know what's coming up or some of the.
You're just waiting, and you're just waiting for it.
Yes. Here we go.
Board. Shorts.
Board shorts. Giant board shorts.
I feel like, listen, are we going to rank this on popularity
or I'm like staying power, You know what I'm saying?
Because some big deal. Was the fad like popularity of
the fad itself? What's the bigger popularity?
I think this is a three or a four only because of the time
period in which it existed. That it was and people weren't
bike. Oh, you see him in the shorts?
Yeah, you. Know what I mean?
But people wore them in. Board shorts and shit like that.
It was it was a great time, but it was because we hadn't figured
out shorts yet. I think this is like a three.
I think 3. I think we go four, bro.
If it's, if it's fat, I know, I know.
But if it's fat, it's going to be stuff that you heard about,
right? It's going to be stuff that we
make fun of, right? You know, booty shorts, booty
shorts is going to be up there. That's number one, like.
No tall socks is going to be in the list.
I feel, I feel like we go four. There are better ones.
All right. Four.
I'll go four. Fine.
All right, board shorts I had. I had my fair share of board
shorts. Did you?
No. See Hill What are Board shorts?
What are Board Shorts? Go back and watch CrossFit Games
2011. 2012, yeah. 2012 Fronting in as they're giant.
Think of like, surfer shorts. Just big baggy shorts down to
your knees. 2 long slits on the sides.
Slits on the sides so you can actually squat in them.
Yeah, I had some. I don't.
I don't have them. I don't have any.
That that just shows when you got into CrossFit all right.
The second one is compression tights, Austin Malleolo style.
Yeah. I think of like Kenny leverage,
Kenny leverage. Yeah, these these span these,
these died and came back like they were like, no, but like
they they were around like 2007, eight Austin Maliello's days.
And then they like kind of came back around 2015.
Sixteen guys started wearing them again in training.
This is something if Brent Bukowski was in 2010, he would
wear these. You think?
Yes, I think that. He was.
Back then, I I just remember it. Was.
I'm with you. I'm with you, Tyler.
The Reebok Regional up in Massachusetts, and it was like
blazing hot outside and Austin's out there and like white
compression. Yeah, he looks like the white.
Power board board shorts and white compression shirt and
pants, yes. Yeah, I think this is a 5
because not a whole lot of people were ballsy enough to do
it. I agree.
There it is, tights are far superior for training.
How does that make sense? #5 I was convinced.
Yeah, five. I was convinced for years when I
played football that tighter football pants were made me play
better. I was convinced.
So I wore like a a smaller, an extra small if I could get them
on. And there was.
I'm like a large There's no way. All right.
Next. Next CrossFit fad Kinesia tape.
It's still not even dead. I mean it's.
This is, but this is like when you see the like.
The athletes had like, their entire back everywhere.
Yeah, I think of me. I think of Annie.
Like, I feel like Annie in 2009 had like this the whole time.
Like like her ring muscle up. She's got Camiso tape on like I
this is a three for me. I know we're playing with fire
leaving the last two. But like, it just doesn't have
any. Like.
This is a three. You know what I mean?
Like it doesn't mean. When it started to hit, it was
like, everybody's like, Oh yeah, I need to be kinesio taped up.
It was like everyone had Kinesio tape on and it was like, I'm
fairly certain. That was.
Doing nothing. Should have put Kinesio tape on
that heel 3 Here We are playing with fire right now.
You. Getting nervous, John?
Oh man, now I'm getting bamboozled.
It has to be two. I know number one's going to be
so bad. I remember going into gyms and
seeing dudes wear those, and I was just like, there's no way
this is, is. I don't know I I don't know what
this is. Can you explain it to me?
It's the shoe for five years. Fucking gloves for your feet.
It's got your toe. It's got places for your toes.
John, have you never seen these? I don't think so.
This is 2. This is a 2.
John, how do? You maybe.
Maybe. I saw them and I just thought
they were a shoe. Are you pulling it up?
I I can look it up. They look like water shoes.
But if water shoes had toes and people would come in and it was
like, the thing was, it was like we were all about like like
Paleo was a big word back then. And people were like getting
back to being like kind of gritty and I don't know,
prehistoric or something. And they were like, yeah, this
is definitely better for your feet.
And then they would go run a 5. K I I yeah, no, I no, this is.
I mean this should be 5. I see.
I think. I think you say it's not.
It's definitely not a 5 because there were so many people
wearing them look. At those toes fit right in
there. Name Name Name 3.
I don't know if anybody competitively ever wore them,
but it was like the regular gym goer who's going to wear flat
shoes with no like raised heel. Super functional back then.
I have no problem with you wearing them, but it was
training in them that just I was like this I I have.
A problem with you wearing them, They're like they're they're
just stop it. You deserve, you deserve to be
made fun of if you're wearing those.
Nate Johnson, the guy at his gym, has worn them for every
workout for five years. I just I there's.
No way They're good for your feet.
If I saw somebody wear those every single day for five years,
I would just buy him a pair of shoes for his birthday.
So it's a 2. Back #2.
Alright, last one. Can we decide what would be the
worst thing that could come up? I don't even know I I have no
idea what can come up next. Like I wouldn't have thought of
any of these, but they all make sense.
Yeah. They were all major fads.
Let's just bring it. I hope it's booty shorts.
Please be tall, socks Tulsa. Every single girl.
When we were when we were in, when we were in Miami, it was
like water. Palooza was over.
We were all at the house and for some reason we were watching the
2016 Regionals. We were watching the team
events. It was like 1:00 in the morning
and we were all watching that eating pizza and every girl had
knee high socks on. Is that every 20 boxes of pizza
you bought? Yes.
Who Who's the Who's the big proponent of talk?
Like who's the first? Was it Annie?
I don't know why they were a thing.
I just I. It was to protect your shins
from your. Deadlines with Annie in them.
But was she the first person? Or was it somebody like Tonya
Wagner? It was somebody at the ranch.
I know Annie did wear them at the ranch.
Who's the Toyota Camry of CrossFit?
What's her name? The girl She got like third of
the games? The teacher.
PC Oh Valve. Vol.
Valve. Valve.
Vol. She wore them, dude.
Everybody wore them. I I can't think of like a iconic
girl, 'cause it was just everyone.
I mean, I think Andy's the most iconic, but.
Vindicate KT should be #2. KT was 10 times more than five
fingers. I would agree with that.
Yeah, no. In hindsight we would agree with
you. We can't see it.
Henceforth blind rankings. I think 5 fingers drops to four.
Kenisio tape definitely goes to. Two, I would put five fingers to
five and then just, you know, everything up to up.
You didn't even know what they were.
Exactly. I know what compression tights
are exactly, yeah. Tall sucks.
Played off the compression tights trend, yeah.
Yep, I had AI had a bunch from Reebok.
I had the old outlaw way. Ones had outlaw on the backside.
Compression. Pants.
No, that's the the tall socks. Yeah, Yep.
You're a runner though. What isn't?
Am I? Am I Innovates?
Aren't tall socks. Bigger thing in running.
Well, all the old guys wear them because they think it helps with
their calf stamina or something. I don't know.
I don't think all socks are a thing in side plane like they
would make stocks. I don't know why they.
Probably didn't. Yeah, blood flow.
All right, there you go, I. Remember people putting KT tape
on their shins? You put it everywhere.
Like, yeah, Like I I saw when I was looking through it, I saw
somebody with like, I don't know, eight pieces of tape on
their back at one of the CrossFit, like Games or
something like that. Yeah, people, people, KT tanned
up or KT taping up for like deadlift events.
I remember that being a thing. I'm like there's no way that's
providing. That much support?
No, no. But it makes you feel good, so
might as well do it. Yeah, made you look cool.
I guess made you look tough last one, Roman Empire.
So again, this is a social media trend.
My Roman Empire. It's something that you think?
About what the trend is. Do you know the the Roman Empire
trend? No, I don't.
I I. Don't.
Yeah, so. So there's a trend going on on
TikTok that like all guys at least once a day think about the
Roman Empire. Like we continually just think
about the fall of the Roman Empire.
I don't think about that. I get what I get, what it's
trying to mean. There are things I think, that
guys continually think about. We don't even talk about it.
We just do think about these things.
For instance, I think a lot of guys think about zombie
apocalypses constantly. Like what would I do in this in
in the emergency of a zombie apocalypse?
Yeah, I've had those thoughts, but I don't think about that and
we, I don't think about that you.
Said it like. Obviously I don't think about
that every day, but you know, World War Z is on.
I, you know, I play up the whole dilemma of what would I do for
sure. OK, so like, am I supposed to
think about this every day? Because I don't think I think
about CrossFit stuff every single day.
These are the, these are the things that you think about on a
consistent basis of like how's this going to happen.
So a viral TikTok trend drew attention about the legacy of
Rome. And so yeah, it was basically
clips on TikTok of people talking about are.
You on TikTok are Are we on TikTok?
OK. Are we on TikTok?
We're missing the whole market. Yes, OK.
I'm going to let. OK, you guys go, you guys, we're
going 1 by 1. So John, these are things that
you think about quite often about the sport.
OK. Change or or different things
that you just consider often about the sport or it's CrossFit
in general. We'll go one by one and then and
then I will. I will be the last one to go.
All right. Now you don't have to hold this,
but we'll go one like Tyler. You want to start it, Kick it
off, Tyler. Yeah, did you do you have the
list or or do you have something?
Pop up, you got to bring it up. You you you get to present it.
Where is my phone? All right.
I will start since you're. Yeah, you do.
You start. One thing I've been thinking
about is what happens if the open Registration this year does
not see year over year growth? What does that mean?
You think so? You you think about that every
day? No, it's something that I that I
think often. What do you think about?
Yes, like it's it's one of those things like what is going to
happen to the sport if we don't see growth, right.
Everybody keeps talking about Crossfit's dying.
Crossfit's dead. OK.
The question is what happens if open registrations come in and
it falls short of what it was last year, or even worse, the
year before that? Do you think, Do you have an
answer or do you want us to? No, I don't.
No. Party on it.
For a second. Oh, are we supposed to answer
the here? Yeah, OK.
What do you think does? It does it matter or is it just?
I think, I think it's one of them things that we will, you
know, see it when it happens. Like, it's kind of hard to say,
oh, this will happen where I feel like we just don't know
until it happens and then and then we'll play it by year.
You just find out no predictions.
Like, do you Don't you think that if we're not seeing growth
in just the community, that's a bad sign for where we're going
just? Not even the game I just.
It's not the affiliate side. Yeah, but what do you, what do
you, what do you, what do you think will happen after that?
Nothing. It'll just keep being the same
and then we'll continue to decline or we'll find a way out
of it. It'll be the fadeaway.
Hiller made a video about this. It's like what you What are you
all going to do if this is going to fail?
And he was like, it's never going to fail because you guys
who are invested are just going to keep showing up.
Maybe the, you know, the the spigot isn't on.
People aren't coming in, but for the most part, the people who
are going to be here are staying here and they want it to
continue. So they keep feeding it money.
Yeah, I think about that a lot if.
It But is it? But is it sustainable?
Right, like. It's probably got a 10 year time
period on it if if we don't, yeah, it's like if we don't show
growth in the open in the next two years, we got 10 years left
before. I don't think.
I don't think it would ever go away.
I really don't. I I I feel like it would have
went away by now if it did. I feel like we've tried our
hardest to make it go away. I like if you've seen like where
like the head of CrossFit headquarters, like what that's
went through like and now we're on board and we got sold five
different times. Half the time we don't know who
our CEO is. Half the time we don't know if
Dave's a part of CrossFit or not.
We don't know who does the games programming.
They say Boz does, but we all think Dave does.
We are in the dark on so many things, which I actually think
headquarters has been way better this year about being
transparent. But I'm just saying I think it
would have gone away by now if it was going to go away.
Yeah, I think you can get smaller, but I don't think it
will ever go away. World's Strongest Man is very
tiny and it's been going on since 1970 and it's just state,
but it's like we want. To be a little bit better than.
That no, I get you. But you you're saying you're
saying it's just going to go away.
There's not going to be any more CrossFit.
I don't think it will ever go away.
I think it's too There's too many people who love the
methodology this. You know, if there was like 15
blockbusters that were still around, not the one that's in
Alaska, I'd say there were 15 that just stayed.
And everybody three of these 15 blockbusters are forever going
to be here because Strongman has been so tiny for 40 years and
it's still going to be happening every single year.
They're still going to be the Rogue Arnold Strongest Man
Arnold and Rogue Invitational for Strongman, and they're still
World's Strongest Man. The smallest the games will ever
get is that. And I know we don't want to be
that. I know we want to grow and we
want to get bigger and bigger, but it's.
I don't think it's ever going to go away, is what I'm saying, you
know, but. Don't you think if it gets to be
that size it's a failure? Like I don't like if it was sure
if it goes back. To the ranch, it's not going to
go back to. The ranch and there's a handful
of people that show up and it's barely watched, like, I would
not consider that a successful. Listen, listen, I plan on
staying in it and if I'm the 2040 fittest man in the world
because it got that small and in my opinion, it's not a failure.
It's it's it's like high school, you know, It's like everybody in
high school kind of hangs around town and does their whole thing,
you know, and then like you graduate and then you see like
this mass exodus of people, right?
And we might have sort of seen some of that, but there's these
dudes that kind of just hang around for like 5 or 10 years.
They're like 30 and they're still talking of high schoolers
that are 18 or younger. And it's like, at what point
does everybody just vacate? Because it's like what I'm.
Saying what I'm saying is there's always going to be those
dudes. There's always going to be that
40 year old. Weirdo.
There's always the new kids that are graduating.
Yes, that's what I'm saying. And and like I'm not saying
that's a good thing. That's not.
I don't, I know we don't want to be there.
But you're saying what happens if it fails failure is we still
do what we love. And I don't think that's a bad
like like I think there's there's peace in that.
Do you get paid for this, Brian? Yeah, a little bit.
I I cover my expenses. How about that?
You cover your expenses, Tyler. Do you get paid?
Not from heat One. Go post moved, do.
Y'all see what I'm saying with this?
I I do, I think. There's to be a point where
people like us don't do this anymore.
It's a different story of like, let's say I was.
Making didn't you're paying 50. $1000 doing this and then I'm
down to barely breaking even. Like at some point you're like,
eh, well it was a good run. I'm going to go find something
else to do, right? And I think that's where
Strongman and CrossFit differs. Strongman never really got to
that. Like they've always been this
kind of underground niche sport. They never saw huge popularity
and success, and then they're back to where they were.
Well, I just think fitness will always be more popular than
strong, man. I think.
I think forever, like just being fit, will be more popular.
I think what the what y'all's biggest fear is?
What will happen with the Hyroxus of the world.
I know that's not a popular answer, but I've seen it happen
again and again and again with endurance things, endurance,
things that have gotten big because.
Great. Thanks, Greg.
Greg, you need to pick a bit a better avatar, if that's really
you. I love that the idea that that
Greg's just watching and something triggered him to just
go, damn it. We're doing something right.
All right. But yeah, we can go to the next
thing. We can talk in circles forever
about that. Are we slash, will we continue
or will we continually move towards niche events, More niche
events? I think this year we started to
see more specialization of programming and we did a little
bit the year prior. Is that something we're going to
continue to see? I think about it a lot because I
want to see that happen. So am I looking?
AM. I confirming my own bias.
Go ahead, what? What type of event?
Running, running only the the gymnastics event that was this
year, we've already seen it with weightlifting.
We've been seeing that for years, but it seemed like there
was more events that were sort of niche like you're you're kind
of, yeah, specialist event, niche events.
That's the same thing to me. More events like that.
My theory is if they want to make this sport more fun and
enjoyable to watch, that will be the case.
But people are stuck in their own ways and they have a formula
and they they like that formula whether it works or not.
So yeah, I think maybe I am confirming my own bias because
that's what I want to see happen, but I do look for other
signs. Could we see, could we see a 20,
was it 2017 regionals where it was like no dumbbell or or no
barbell, barbell straight it was going One Direction and then
it's like. Hey.
We're we're confusing you. And we're not going to do that
anymore. Dave did a hard shift.
Yeah, I mean, could you see something like that?
I I I could like I don't think we're just setting our ways that
we won't right size and steer the boat in the right direction
again right if you think it's going in too far down one path.
We seem to be getting away from the like the brute sort of
volume endurance sort of thing that we used to just do just.
A million rips. That's Adrian versus Dave.
I I agree with that. I think it's, I think it's less
like you said, just just endurance, volume, you know,
less 50 handstand push ups, 50 toes to bar, 50 pull ups, 50
wall balls, 50 box jump overs and then that should have been.
Adrian's not going to program at Atlanta.
No, I think after at Atlanta, Dave's not going to program it
either. Yeah.
But are we going to see more events that that like, are we
going to continue to push that envelope where it's even less
sort of volume endurance, Crossfitty style events and more
and less and more of the the niche events?
I want to see that. I think it would be good for the
sport, but will we see it? I think the games moving inside
moves away from that. Back It probably goes back to
the Crossfitting. Crossfitting stuff.
Yeah, I I agree. But I think, I think whenever
they say 90% of the games is going to be indoors, I think
you're taking that way too literal.
I think they're going to do stuff that you didn't think was
possible. Like, I think there will be just
as much running. Like when they say the events
will be indoors, that doesn't mean you're going to start the
running door and end the running door.
But the most of it's outside, like, I think that just means
we're just staying on here in this place.
You could still run. It's just not going to be I I
just think, I think you're taking it too literal.
When they say 90% of the events are going to be indoors, they're
going to still do outside stuff. It's just going to be in a way
we haven't thought about. Sure, I I'll disagree.
I know you don't believe me. I know.
I know you disagree hard. I know you disagree hard.
But the games has never like it's always been outside of the
box with things. It's never just CrossFit.
I mean, the floor has the ability to do more outside of
the box, things inside. I just don't think we're going
to see the same level of. Endurance.
At least, yeah. Yeah.
Like there might be one, right? Yeah, I'm not.
One morning they go out and they do some type of run or whatever.
But I don't see it as what it's been in the past where they have
multiple ones where there's they're biking and then they're
running and they're, you know, doing another event with a run
outside. Like I don't see that happening.
I think you're right. If they move to an indoor event
and they push, you know the the progression, like you want to
see a progression on the floor. So you know who the leader is
and you can tell the story that way.
I mean they've talked about that definitely doing it overseas if
you want to, basically could cookie cutter the sport a little
more. Not making it cookie cutter, but
having more defined things like that.
Yeah, I can see what you're saying.
You have to go back to cross Fiddy type events.
T Bird, did we hear Brent's take on talking league fitness of
Dave's 90%? I think that came out today.
I have not watched it, so I don't know.
T Bird, fill us in if you want us to respond on that.
John, do you have one? Yeah, man, I I would say, I
would say quarter finals programming, I think of a lot,
just I feel like it has to be different because it's 25%
instead of 10% and I I just don't know what they're going to
do. I I, I, I hope it is similar to
the quarter finals in two years past.
I think. I think quarter finals been
wonderfully programmed the last couple years.
I'm not I wasn't a fan of the single crossovers just because I
wasn't good at them and I never had them and there was, but like
that's fine. That's fine though.
Like like the programming overall I think was awesome and
it's fine to put in a skill that people don't have and see who
can adapt, right. And if you can't adapt, you
better learn how I. Like that event for that reason?
No, no. And it and it was a fine event.
I just wasn't good at it right. I'm not mad at the event I just
I just wasn't good at it. But like I hope the programming
is similar and I and I'm going to and I'll be, but I don't know
how you do that with 25% and just because the top 25% that
line there are so unfit to if you're in, if you're the 76th
percentile and you make it, you are not close to top 10%.
Right. It's not that you have.
No idea. It's just you're not, you're not
in the same ballpark of fitness we saw.
The top we saw the 10th percentile that the people that
just made it in, and not even them.
Like even in the middle of the pack, the top 5% and some
regions struggled with some of the programming on
quarterfinals. Yeah, right.
And for instance. Like like the 275 clean and jerk
workout. Like literally all the top 25%.
Like top 20% of that can't do it.
And I think there needs to be workouts like that.
I don't. And like, you know what's funny
is the top 25% that makes it lean towards one Rep Maxis that
makes it lean towards things like that.
And I don't think it should be like that.
I've been testing strength the way they did in the
quarterfinals and quarter workout 3 with the five burby
box jumps over the 30 inch, believe it or not, that little
extra cardio aspect. I know it doesn't sound like a
lot, but I was really, really out of breath.
It it's a big separator and like I think strength should be
tested like that in quarter finals and it makes it lean
towards just straight up Max outs like me, like me.
Personally it's better for me that it's like that, but I don't
think it should be. I think.
I think you just get more specialist like that.
And I think you have to do that when it's that little, that much
people. So I'll just be interested to
see how that programming comes about.
I hope it's done right. Well, I don't know what that
looks like, but I'm not boss, so you know, good luck to him.
And if it's bad, I'm going to tell hundreds of people that
it's bad. So, you know, hopefully it's not
bad and I'll tell hundreds of people that it's good.
Yeah, Mason Mitchell, I'll disagree with you on this, but
he says you have to bait the 25% in with one workout they can
actually do. It's different than the open,
right? Like all the workouts are
released at once, right? And if you go look through those
and you're like I can do one out of five, do I spend, what is it,
$4050 to to jump in on that if you can't even do it And so?
And you're sending the fittest people in the world to semi
finals. Yeah, this was my second one,
Jon, was it? It's a little bit of A twist,
but it was will the program be changed so much that the top
that the wrong people don't make it to semi finals?
And that's what I don't want. Right.
Like, I don't think it's gonna be some mass, like half the
field is there. But do we, do we miss a Gila
Hoste? Do we miss?
And if it's a Max out instead of that workout 3 Yellow hosted
doesn't make it 'cause he's not strong.
Right. And yeah, and if it's, if it is
a Max out and you do have those people that are 20th percentile,
they're like, yeah, I'm going to throw it in and maybe I can win
it. And they get in there, they they
finish, you know, in between the top people.
It does create Yella going way down the list.
And so that was my concern like you can't all do 5 gated
workouts, you can't do 5 ladders right?
Like it can't all be just open workouts again because it what's
the point of that. So you have to increase the
complexity and the difficulty. I just don't know how you do it
in a way that doesn't alienate 11 through 1511 through 25 that
are now added into it. I don't know how you do it
either. What's the date that you have to
like? You can start quarterfinals and
then pay for it, right? Yeah, it's the same.
Same thing as. You can pay for it all the way
until it's over. That's my thing.
Like the alienation is only if you've already paid for it.
But if you if you have the ability to, like, make a
judgement call on whether you're going to pay for it enough, I
say alienate the hell out of people because you're really
just casting the net down to the 15%.
That extra 15% has a money crab. It it doesn't doesn't remind me
what Boz has said when he was on our show, which it didn't sound
like that, right? He wanted to be accessible, too.
And that's what I did. .5%. Like I went yeah, but like I
think of that GHDV up workout and I know the standards were
like you know we were all went off on the standards but like I
think that's a great core endurance workout that workout
it hurts. I'm not this one's like two
years ago he's talking about the pistol rope climb GHG workout.
I'm not. I'm talking about the one last
year. But like, it ripped you up.
But and now it's irresponsible to put that workout out until
80th percentile. Hey, do this.
You're going to get people wrapped up because they they're
not ready for it. They can't do that without
hurting themselves. And I know, and I'm listening.
I'm not the safe guy. I could care less what PFAA
does, but I want those workouts there.
They need to be there to separate the field.
They need to you. Need to have between the Open.
They need to be between the Open and the semifinals.
They can't. Be you have.
To work open workouts right? Like.
There has to be painful workouts and and The thing is like you
have to be a certain level of fitness to make it through that
like those workouts and and I just think they're going to dumb
it down and not not mentally but physically and it's just going
to be an extension of the Open. I don't want it to be an
extension of the Open. Yeah, extra sloppy.
Everyone gets caught up in whether the right people make it
to the next stage, but CrossFit doesn't care about that.
They only care about finding the single fittest man and woman.
And that they will. And I've always, I mean.
That's true. That's true.
Have to. Eliminate that thought.
If you want to like. If you.
If you're someone who's like, oh, we need to professionalize
the sport. If the word professionalization
comes out of your mouth as a goal that cannot be your that
can also. Be your view 100%.
But what I'm saying, like what he's saying is like the fittest
man and woman will make it through no matter what.
They will. You're right, the top ten
probably will. But I think it should be
Crossfit's goal to get the 40 fittest men and women to the
games, period. And I get you have to have
Africa, you have to have Asia, I get you have to have your token
foreign people that shouldn't be there.
I know that sounds bad, but y'all know what I'm saying with
that. But other than that, that rule
that you have to abide by it, you should do everything you can
to think these are the 36 fittest people like period in
the whole competition, not just one, because that's how you have
the best games, that's how you have the best turn out.
That's how you have the most competitive games.
And the semi finals are more exciting.
Like I don't want to see a fan favorite not make it because the
programming was open based and somebody got in that doesn't
deserve and and it moves into it helping 135 LB thruster would
have qualified some men like that's crazy.
And then you get then you go say that you have to go do a 275 LB
clean and jerk. Yeah.
It's a safety concern at that point.
Well, what my point is, if they make it where it's not a safety
concern. Because it's gated.
Well, no, the quarterfinals, No, I'm saying like they like, just
make it less like it's not as hard.
And then and then what do we do it here?
Like what? Like?
Well, it it changes who makes, it changes who make semifinals.
The semifinals, then, is different.
Like it's completely. You want to see the sport die
too? Cut out a bunch of athletes who
should have made it. Yeah.
And then your your sport dies in two years.
Right. Look how much complaints there
were in 2019 when people got cut and didn't make to the top 10.
They're done by Friday. So that was my second one as
well. So, Tyler.
My second one is the shrinking athlete pool basically.
And I've, I mean I've gone long winded about this in a bunch of
different places. I think mostly in a text thread
with us is that if you look in 2014, there were athletes
everywhere because there were teams of six, there was 17
regions, there were forty teams allowed.
Yeah, I think it was 40 teams were allowed to go to regionals.
There were 60 elite athletes allowed to go to each regional.
I mean, you had athletes just coming out of the woodworks
everywhere versus today it's four, four person teams, 20
teams only go to the games, only 30 go to semi finals and now how
many athletes go? It'll be 30, It'll be 30 teams
at the game. 30 teams? Oh, thirty teams at the Games.
But compared that to 10 years ago.
I mean, it's just a microscopic amount of athletes.
And now you're looking at North America is going to get less
spots to the games. Essentially we just got cut semi
final athletes again after last year.
That's not the way you grow the sport.
Every what is the one? More people making it.
By less people making it. Yeah.
So like the one reason everybody says people show up to CrossFit
gyms is word of mouth. Somebody they knew go to goes to
a CrossFit gym. That's amplified when it's an
athlete who's on a team that's going to regionals.
I know someone who competes at this like worldwide event.
It's it's huge, blah, blah, blah blah, blah.
And so you ask your and then you get people who come in and train
in the gyms because they're not that far fitness level from you.
And then they see the the games team or the the semi finals team
training. And so to me, I'm just like, I
watch the athlete pool shrink and I'm like, that's how you
kill the sport. Because we had a working model
in 2017, yeah, or 14. It was expensive, but people
were showing up. That's what I think about a lot
disagree. I think it's.
I think it speaks to the sport separating from the methodology
and OK, how that is impacting it, I don't, I don't know if I'm
on the same page fully with you of we need to have bigger teams
and more back to 17 regions. I think that I.
I I'm not by the way, just I think I think so.
This is where I would put my flag in.
I don't make a lot of hard like hard stances.
You're you all are wrong. Like I'm going to do a John
Young on this. You're wrong.
I don't like try to explain to me what why you're thinking,
what you're thinking, but I don't.
I I just can't understand how you could think this.
There's there's new Bros coming in every year, though.
Yeah, and the fucking bucket's leaking out the bottom.
Why? Why don't you agree, John?
I I agree with what? Give me like a A1 sentence.
Why don't you agree with this? Because you you said a bunch of
stuff. I think the death is a sport is
because we're cutting the the elite athletes out, the the pool
of athletes who are considered elite.
Oh, I was talking about your team thing.
Not not. No, no, no, no, no.
I mean, the team thing is part of it, but we keep cutting the
athlete pool down and I think that that's killing the sport.
Not even. Not even.
Just cutting it down. It was 40 people.
What do you mean we've cut? It down every fucking year.
What are you saying? How it was like fucking 5000
athletes in 2014 and now it's like less than 500?
It's less. Than 300 in regionals, yes.
I don't think it was 5000 athletes.
It was a shit ton. There were 17 regions and every
region had thirty teams with six athletes on.
It oh, see, you're counting these teams.
I'm talking about individuals. It doesn't matter anybody who's
at a regional event competing as an athlete.
OK. I don't think it was sustainable
and I'm not sure you could consider those full on athletes.
Like I get what you're saying, like there was something special
about regionals where you sent your affiliate team there and
everybody from your affiliate then went and cheered for you.
I don't think it progressed the sport.
How we are worse off now than we were in 2014.
So, so and where in your equation are we?
Are we better off because we made that that judgement call?
Our How are we worse in 2014? I think there's more open
registrations last year than there was in 2014.
OK. And we're making so much more
money now than we did in 2000. 14 It didn't make any in 2014.
Yeah, we're not making any now. Unless people, how is it any
worse? This is what I'm saying.
Like less. People do the sport, man, and
less people watch the sport than they did in 2014.
I I think it did help the viewership of the sport.
I will give you that because you had more people that were vested
in your affiliate going there, even if you were 28th place and
had. No shot, actually.
Qualified. Yeah, but there was more onus on
like the Affiliate Cup, too. It was like affiliate pride.
And like that was a thing, and it's not a thing anymore.
Now how can I can can you make that a thing?
Is that what you're saying? Like you want to make that a
thing again? Because I just think people
cheated too much. I don't care about.
I don't care about super teams. I've never cared about that.
But what people care about is they don't want to travel to
Miami to go watch this event. For the most part.
They want to go to a state, one state over that they can drive
to and kind of watch whoever they know compete.
That's why they care about this sport.
They don't care about it for Pat Bellner, but they start to.
Care, they start. To care about Pat Bellner.
Because they went and watched you, John.
Your mom and dad started watching you, and now they know
who Pat Villainer is. Oh, they knew Pat Villainer way
before I was anything CrossFit. OK, you specifically, but most
people my dad did not know who any of these athletes are now
does. I see what you're saying.
I see what you're saying because you're in, you're into.
It and that's amplified because of people who are considered
athletes. So you want to walk.
Your thing is, in regional days there were more people that
would consider them athletes, but basically because we made it
easier to get there. Yes.
And you it it was. And how are you saying that's?
Why do you think Grid went from basically CPR dead, Bring the
paddles out dead to now having the following that they have.
And now that people have been talking about Grid in the
comments they were dead. It's because they let little
people who aren't really all that athletic compete on their
teams. There's 20 people on their
teams. They were nothing.
Dude, we can move on. I, I, I OK, OK, OK, I I see your
point of view and I see why you have it.
And I'm not even saying you're wrong.
OK, good. Just not.
Can we preface it with that I think the passion that you have
for this is either one cannot work like it used to, or two.
And then like, my point of view is I don't care about the means
of the world. I don't care.
I get people from my gym. We're going to do regionals, and
I know they were trash and they only got in because they're
trash, but they were the only ones who wanted to do it.
I I'm going to be like, OK, try not to get laughs.
By. Lying and and I'm going to no,
no, no, I'm going to support them.
I'm going to support them, but I don't care.
You're going. To like somebody in your
somebody in your gym who doesn't know anything about the the
games would go watch you and your team go to regionals if you
had to just go to Dallas. Yeah, yeah.
No, I do. That's the point.
And then and then would they then watch the sport more
closely because they then got to see Ariel Lowen in person to win
her regional? I, I I see.
I see your point. Yep.
Now how do you make that happen? You.
Well, that's my point. That's my point.
I think making it happen is it's like a happy thought, like what
you're saying I agree with. How do we make it?
Happen. There's no.
Answer There is an answer, it's just long winded.
More long winded than we want to put into this than we already
have. John, you got another one?
Man, is this what John feels like all the time.
I don't ever talk that much. I know it kind of.
I don't know. I was so thrown for a loop I was
trying to have to come and use this but I would say I I I think
I this is just something I think about every day right?
Yeah, the Old Testament. Yeah, I I frequently think
numbers and the measurements of the Ark of the Covenant, it's
like 30,000 cubits and I make that conversion and we're all
good to go. I would say I think about the
top. The top like Ricky, Roman and
Jeff a lot. Any I try to consume any content
that has that I think can make me see an edge on any of those
three, if that makes sense. I think those three are the
running for the games champion. I think T is going to win and
it's not even close. I think Laura is going to be
second unless there's handstand push ups, an actual handstand
push up event and then Emma Lawson will be second, Laura
will be third. I think it's a done deal, but
like those three, I think anything can happen.
I think the programming really, really, really matters a lot.
But, and so, like I watch. I watch anything that has those
three in it. 3000 cubits, 3000 Cubits.
I'm just making stuff up, Bernie.
I don't know if you figured that out yet, but a lot of times.
I didn't give a shit about the ARC.
I'm just. I'm just talking.
Yeah, I'm not. I'm not seeing the arc.
I have read the Old Testament, Tyler.
I'm making fun of the Old Testament.
Listen, y'all want to go on like a Bible quiz show because I will
call y'all up, OK? Like we can test our knowledge.
And like I promise you, Old Testament only and we'll see.
We'll see who's who knows. What?
Oh, you'll lose so fast. Who am I going to lose to?
I'll bet money. I'll bet I'll bet anything.
You'll lose so. Fast.
Anyway, so I think, I I think of those three, I think it's
between those 3. I know it's not a popular
answer, but like as far as things that I talk, I think
about the most and that that probably comes to my mind.
We'll do real quick last one. I wonder what's going to happen
with the age groups and Adaptives this coming year.
I think it's a bad decision to do it after the games.
We know Adaptives is in September.
It's the same time as Tierrawatapaloosa, Socal, same
weekend. I get a feeling that that's when
teams and masters. It could be also at sometime
after the games where everybody has lost interest or takes time
away from the cross following CrossFit.
And if you don't have the coverage, you don't have the
following like do the big name masters athletes go to go
compete with? No.
You know, live stream, they're not there for their sponsors.
They're they're just kind of doing it for their own pride.
I don't think so. Right.
Like you'll still get Jason Grubbs, you'll still get those
who love competing. But I don't think you're going
to see like a or a Chris Bueller come back like you did.
Was it 2019? He came back.
I still don't think you do that when you're segregated by
yourself, right? And So what does the future look
like for those guys? And does it?
Is it kind of just off on its own?
Not a lot of fanfare? Again, it shrinks and it's still
cool for those who compete, but it's just not what it was this
year or even the year before that.
Right. I don't think I disagree with
you. I hate it 'cause I think most of
our takes are negative. I mean, I'd, I'd love to say
surprise, but I don't know, Tyler, do you have another one?
I don't. I don't think I do.
I'm spent. I spent all my energy.
There you go. All right, well, that's it.
In your comments, let's hear what your Roman Empire is so we
can read those off and react to them next week.
Also, go ahead and like and subscribe.
Get those subscribe numbers up. We continually have more people
watching than are subscribing, so we know you're out there.
That makes sense. I know, I know.
New viewers every week. Think you'll ever get the other
way around? I.
Don't know. I mean, I I think I, I
appreciate having more viewers than subscribers.
Yeah, that's at least we don't have a dead audience like some
people do. So I.
Just don't know. Like it's so easy.
Like when you get the alert on your phone, it's like, hey, this
person's shows coming up. Like I don't know how people
remember to watch this. I mean, I know it's at the same
time every. Night, same time we remember, I
think, who was it? A HA8008 said We were the the
best CrossFit show on Wednesday nights at 6:30 Central.
So pretty impressive right there.
All right guys, until next week. Thanks.
If I, if anybody, if anybody's going to be at the.