This week a rumor showed up at the Cincinnati Riverhawks forum at usldiscussions.com and it appears to be true as former Cincinnati Riverhawk player, Simon Lowey, took legal action against his former employer Nick Ranieri. The situation appears to be legit as word has spread that more players are likely to look into legal action.
So what does this mean? First it probably means that some players obviously weren't getting what they expected from the contracts they had signed with Mr. Ranieri. Second it means more controversy for an owner that's been among the most controversial in the league in recent years. Third, this is likely to be the molehill that turns into a mountain very quickly if further revelations come to light.
Obviously if we're talking about a situation where the player-management relationship has been taken advantage of and agreements had not been adhered to then there's still much to discuss and much that is wrong. If Lowey's contract went without being fulfilled then it's likely that several others haven't been paid as well. It also sheds a light on exactly why the team essentially broke down at the end of last season after doing so well early on.
Now we're heading into a situation where training for the Riverhawks may start in the next week or so with players who may or may not see their first paycheck. Nick Ranieri's been dogged by negative attention thanks to various things foremost among those being rumors that he is one of the major reasons why fans don't support the Riverhawks. Then there's this new possibility that he's not been holding to the obligations of his contracts.
As folks dig deeper into the issue it may become apparent that only one thing will remedy the situation. Sadly, it returns to a point that I made two years ago. That simple point is that someone needs to step in and pry this team away from Nick. Mr. Ranieri can be a charming person and may indeed have his heart in the right place but hanging players out to dry on salaries needed to pay the basic bills such as rent and health insurance is not the proper way to do business, not in the business world, and not in the A-League.
In my opinion the situation is a mess and would be greatly helped if the first thing Nick did was come clean on the issues facing him. If not to the public then at least to the players and do everything in his power to repair the damage that may have been done. It is my opinion that it reflects badly on the team, the league, the players, and the fans when news like this has to be printed because an owner doesn't pay his players yet somehow decides to continue to try to come up with the cash to play another season.
One of the worries that first comes to mind is how he intends to pay new players under contract, or any of the old ones for that matter, if he is still running in the red on the wage bill from last season. It can't be good and it appears that he is making some last ditch efforts to come up with sponsorship money and cash from other avenues to pay those players off when looking at the press items that were released on March 10th. While those two bits of news seem good on the surface it seems to me that it has to be countered with the harsh reality that he is indeed being taken to court by at least one of his former players.
The current situation hardly epitomizes the kind of stability that the league so desires. It hardly shows the kind of openness that model franchises around the league have exhibited with their fans. The current situation shows that things, if not extremely difficult before, have become increasingly untenable. If someone wants to say that stating these opinions are bad for the A-League or for soccer in Cincinnati then so be it. Something tells me I'm not by myself on this one nor will this be the end of the story. After all, the noises we've heard from folks like Tim Braddock have indicated for quite awhile now that they would like the opportunity to take over for Nick and help make A-League soccer in Cincinnati work and succeed.
Nick Ranieri has done a service by keeping A-League soccer in Cincinnati for so many years but has apparently made mistakes with his treatment of certain individuals. Apparently foremost among those individuals are his players. Now, however, it has become clear that it is time for him to move on. With Simon Lowey's standing up to his former boss we may see a lot more of the same in the near future with other players speaking out about what has gone on.
I think the torch needs to be passed so that the guys who may play for Nick this season will at least know that if they've signed a contract that it will be honored. Right now, there are too many questions regarding just that to let this issue go. I wish him all the best in his attempt to settle this issue but I think the next steps should be clear. It's time to hand the reins over to others before any more players have to go through what Simon and possibly others are being put through at this time.
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