Just my $0.02 if it's worth anything...
I was a gymnast. Yes I have had back issues since those days.
CrossFit caught my eye a while back and I thought it looked cool because of the INTENSITY. Then I began watching vids of the workouts and I was apalled because of a prevalence of crappy form and scary repetitive overhead lifts done by fatigued people. I think the appeal to most is the "in your face" and "i'm tougher than you" mentality. I like the "grassroots" approach, as I detest "big box" gyms. I respect the hard work involved and I like the group factor. I just can't seem to get past a few things. And how in the hell are repeated super-high box jumps with crappy form (and HARD landings) considered a good thing for most people? And where's the mobility training?
I realized I ventured off the mark a bit, but...