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The Ramero Effect
Rickey Ramero's Astonishing Past[/div]
March 1st 2018
Tonight, in the waning hours of the evening light, youngster and upstart linebacker prospect Rickey Ramero made a shocking announcement when he declared his intention to enter the season eight NSFL draft pool following the season seven trade deadline. This news put the football community world wide into a state of shock, forcing them to desperately demand answers from the NSFL as to their ruling on the Ramero situation. Rickey Ramero heralds from Medellin, Colombia and is the son of Gambi Ramero, an established cartel kingpin currently serving a lifetime sentence in maximum security prison deep in the heart of Colombia for trafficking and multiple counts of murder and planned assassination. The Ramero family has deep roots dating back to the early twentieth century with the rise of the Puertas Del Inferno Cartel in central Colombia. With the recent arrest of his father and mob boss, the keys to the kingdom have fallen to Ramero's uncle and godfather, Guillermo Ramero. Ramero held an essential part in cartel proceedings leading up to Gambi's arrest in late October and has been integral to the continued success of the massive cocaine distribution operation being run by the cartel.
This connection and the continued rise of violence in central Colombia has placed the United States government on high alert for the Ramero family, and much of the scrutiny has fallen on twenty one year old and heir to the throne Rickey Ramero. Ramero was born into the high class lifestyle, reaping the benefits of his family's success whilst living in la Serenidad the private estate constructed by his grandfather, Miguel Ramero. At the age of eighteen, despite massive call to action by the people of the United States and citizens of the state of California, Ramero was enrolled at the University of California in order to complete his Bachelor of Science degree on a full ride scholarship offered by the universities football program. After spending three years at the U of C, Ramero has seen mediocre success on the team's front seven, playing start minutes each of his three years and never missing a game in his entire tenure at the U of C.
Fans across the nation are being swept into action as the integrity of the NSFL as a whole is threatened by the ideology of welcoming the family member and presumed future kingpin of the most powerful cartel in Colombia into the league. Many fans have spoken about the recent news in disgust, claiming it to be 'a travesty against the NSFL and it's fans' and 'giving young football players the wrong idea about what type of work gets your places'. Other fans have congratulated the young football player for being dedicated to the sport enough so to take his skills to the next level with the NSFL. Ramero has made no public statement yet about his intentions to play in the NSFL, apart from announcing earlier tonight his retrieval of the official league draft papers via his official twitter (@`rocketrickey`).
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In a surprising and unprecedented move, our station has decided to delve deep into the past of the young player and find out if the child like merits he has shown while living in the United States truly live up to the lifestyle he led back home, or if his cool and calm demeanor coupled with a perfect track record is simply a facade created to cover up a darker and more horrible truth. What you are about to read is shocking, troubling, and terrifying. My name is Ashton Lewins with Fox News, and over the next week leading up to Rickey Ramero's official entrance into the DSFL as a draftee free agent and available player, we will be showing you the inside scoop on the life and times of Colombia's finest cartel prince including private interviews with not only Rickey and his godfather Guillermo, but also the felon Gambi Ramero himself in what just may be the most important story in the history of sports. Until tomorrow night, I've been Ashton Lewins, and this is The Ramero Effect.
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March 2nd 2018
Following Rickey Ramero's announcement last night, I made it my mission to get an exclusive interview with the young player surrounding football, his upbringing, and the history of his family and how that has impacted his life. To my surprise, when I reached out to the young Ramero I found myself instead landing myself a direct phone call with the aptly nicknamed "Ojos El Diablo" (devil eyes) Guillermo Ramero, godfather of the linebacker prospect. Guillermo stated to the media that Rickey was not currently willing to speak about the national outrage, but that if our station had any questions following family proceedings we could speak to Guillermo for the time being as he represented his nephew as his agent. After attempting and failing to get even a single word out of Rickey, I decided to start with the roots of the family and conduct an interview with the current linchpin of the Puertas Del Inferno Cartel. All translations are loose.
In the past twenty four hours, your family and the NSFL has received a large amount of hate and negative reaction to your nephew's announcement to declare for the S8 NSFL draft, how has the Ramero family taken this?
The Ramero family is deeply saddened and humiliated by the reaction of the public to the future head of our table entering the world of professional football. It is a stab to the heart by the good people of the United States of America but will give us the influence to be hearty and strong as we follow him through his career.
Do you truly believe that your godson has the potential to play at an elite level in the NSFL? His career at the collegiate level was nothing of grandeur, and with multiple allegations of doping charges against him, the microscope will be turned that much more intense in his entrance to the pro circuit.
Rique (Rickey) has absolutely never used steroids in his athletic career. Despite the proceedings of his father and the family's connection to Del Inferno, Rique is a clean cut student and athlete who is simply trying to find his way in the world of football. Once again, I am disgusted by the statements of the American public, accusations such as these with no merit come with consequences.
You have to admit though, his career stats and performances don't stack up strongly against the likes of NSFL greats, do they?
I have full confidence in Rique's ability. I have watched him play at the University of California and he plays with the speed and agility of a viper, not to mention his dominant ability to drag down quarterbacks. Any NSFL scout who passes up on him is in for a surprise as he only grows into his roll as a generational linebacker.
You mentioned earlier your families association with Puertas Del Inferno in Colombia, and obviously Rickey's father Gambi is in maximum security prison. Does Rickey have any connections within the cartel?
Rique has never been directly exposed to cartel proceedings. His father was a man of many trades, and one of those was the distribution of cocaine through the United States and Mexico. Many of his cousins and brothers have entered into the cartel lifestyle, but in an attempt for a different life Rique made the move to America years ago.
What connections do you have inside Del Inferno?
I have associated with the cartel, my family is heavily invested but I have kept my hands clean. I am too pure of a man to mix my mind with that of criminal masterminds.
You recently joined the NSFLPA as the Chair of the Board, how can you explain this quick rise to power inside the association?
Smart men recognize authority when they see it, and after the previous chair of the board stepped down a month ago a position was open for me to take. With Rique having told me in private his intentions to enter the league I found myself in a good position to take over the role as the board chair.
You still live in Medellin, Colombia which is the home of not only the Del Inferno cartel but also the past home of La Medellin cartel and another cartel that has recently risen to power, La Agrupacion (translate: the Syndicate). How has the rise of a cartel rivaling one your family has a heavy hand in affected your day to day proceedings?
Los pecadores (translate: the Sinners) are nothing in terms of power or influence compared to del Inferno of La Medellin. Small cartels such as La Agrupacion come and go as they please but never amount to anything. It is my belief that the threat of La Agrupacion will be eliminated within the month.
What was your nephew like growing up in the home estate of La Serenidad? Was he a troubled child in his youth?
[i]Rique was nothing near a trouble maker in his childhood, in fact he was considered more of a quiet and reserved youngster. He never got into trouble at his schools and was a top of the roll student in all subjects. He really is an exemplary athlete, scholar and son.
Do you have any closing statements for the public?
For all of you who have made comments on the integrity of my godson, you just wait and watch as he becomes one of the greatest players to ever play in the NSFL. I guarantee you will see his name in the record books and atop the lists for years to come.
Immediately following this conversation I received a call from the President of the NSFLPA asking me to refrain from interrogating their board members in the future. Through this ordeal so far I have come to the conclusion that not only are Rickey and Guillermo Ramero hiding something from the people of the United States, but that corruption has run amiss in the ranks of the National Simulation Football League Player's Association and in the NSFL Head Office. As we continue to investigate these proceedings, more of the truth will be forced until the spotlight. Until tomorrow night, I'm Ashton Lewins and this has been... The Ramero Effect.
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March 3rd 2018
The past two days have started to reveal high profile and private information connecting the Del Inferno cartel based out of Colombia to young star linebacker Rickey Ramero, a player who has had a massive amount of media coverage heading into the trade deadline where he will find his way onto a DSFL team for the remainder of season six. With recent developments from our network, a serious allegation has been put forward by our crew against the board members of the National Simulation Football League Player's Association and the DSFL, one that will rock the world. Today, we will investigating just how much truth and merit lies in our theory as we create a profile against the most powerful association in the world of professional simulation football i America.
Yesterday in an interview with Guillermo Ramero of the infamous Colombian Ramero family and godfather of Rickey Ramero, some information was mentioned surrounding the recent removal of the previous Chair of the NSFLPA Board. Many members of the Board spoke out publicly about the previous chair stepping down, but while the media heavily covered this topic neither the board nor the chair himself, Calvin Favreau, exclusively were able to explain the turn of events. After recent scandals of the past including a large connection of illegally declared players entering the NSFL, many media outlets attributed the sudden dissent of ex-chairman Favreau to a simple attempt to avoid the public outrage that had quickly become prominent among NSFL fans and critiques. We decided to look deeper into the suspicious and unwarranted removal of a chairman who has done nothing but serve the board for almost five years, and to the surprise of none here at our office, we found exactly what we were looking for.
As the NSFLPA is an association representing a body of people similar to union, all finances are kept as public record, and the organization must file official federal tax reports each year that, upon request, are attainable to the public. When searching through the NSFLPA's financial summary, a list of income and outcome is easily sortable by date, amount, and source. A quick scanning for the name Calvin Favreau reveals his monthly salary of $18,000 USD payed on the nose each month for five years, summing just over a million dollars in total financial gain. On top of his base salary of $18,000 the records show an added bonus clause of $3,000 per month for outstanding service to the board. This bonus clause was received each month for three years and five months, dating back to September 2014 and ending two days before his removal from the board on February 17th 2018. This means that in total bonuses Favreau collected $123,000 over his tenure as the NSFLPA chair.
This information alone seems to lead us to no conclusion as outstanding workers are given bonuses all the time, and especially top earning producers such as Favreau or other members of the board. As we looked through financial files, we even saw that other board members were receiving bonuses usually falling between $900 and $1400 per month. It seemed like our research for an inside driven cause had run into a dead end. That was until we noticed one other recurring financial statement. A small organization from the city of El Paso, Texas called Techxworks El Paso was making donations to the NSFL board every sixth months on the nose, with their donations also beginning in September 2014 and with their last donation being processed on February 12th 2018 and valuing consistently at $44,000 per cheque. These donations are common for organizations such as the NSFLPA, and once again we found ourselves staring at a blank wall.
As any good media network will do, we decided to look into all donations being made to the NSFL and do an extensive background check on the NSFLPA's donation history. The NSFLPA has four major investors; Techxworks El Paso, Coors Light, Google, and Nike. Techxworks is the only company of the four listed as a private organization while Coors, Google, and Nike all have their financial information and personnel open to the public. This odd need for privacy of information caused us to look deeper into the company based out of El Paso, so we found ourselves knocking on the doorsteps of their head office in the Central El Paso. We were greeted by a receptionist who openly welcomed us in and immediately set us up to speak with the company's owner, Luiz Comreneda. Techxworks openly agreed to hand us over their personnel information provided a certain number of names listed were kept from the public eye. One of those names not listed was a private funder from Medellin, Colombia by the name of Medellin Seguridad Grupo (MSG) or "The Medellin Security Group".
You may already see where this is headed. With very little work and simple question asking, we were able to trace MSG back to the one man on whom's shoulder's it would appear the NSFLPA had stood for years. Guillermo Ramero had been privately funding the NSFLPA for years through a number of clean companies in order to keep his hands disassociated with the financial statements, but did not hid his tracks careful enough for a dedicated team of wary researchers to uncover. We fully realize that in releasing this information, we have placed a target on our back and that this statement will cause public outrage, and that while we have no complete and irrefutable proof Ramero's payments to the NSFLPA, we believe it is evident that for the reason of an attempt to gain power inside the Board, Ramero was paying off board members in order to gain support and eventual control of the board itself.
Now you may be asking yourself, what could possibly cause a strong and wealthy man with alleged connections to a criminal organization as powerful as Del Inferno want to do with a player's association for a sport he has had no part in through his entire lifetime. Our answer is simple. Rickey Ramero has no intention of playing football in America, and that his true intention is to be a direct link between Del Inferno Cartel in Colombia, and the street running circuit of cocaine through the southern United States and Mexico. The cards all fall perfectly, and while we have no solid evidence as of now, we will be working tirelessly to uncover the ugly truth of the Ramero family and their secrets in next week's segment of... The Ramero Effect
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March 4th 2018
After the shocking discovery made by our organization last night, we decided to take another shot and get into contact with Rickey Ramero to learn more about his life growing up, his history with football, and just what the information we have uncovered means for his career and for the legal standing of his godfather Guillermo Ramero. Once again our call was received by the godfather himself, and before the phone was given to the younger Ramero family member we had our ear talked off by Guillermo regarding our media outlet bringing shame to his family's name and how we would find ourselves in court fighting "false allegation" and slander charges. Following his long rant about the corruption of our outlet and the media in general, he grudgingly handed the phone to his nephew. Here is the conversation, uncut.
So Rickey, by now we all know that you are incredibly invested in making a run at a long NSFL career. Did you see yourself making it to this stage when you entered the NCAA circuit with the U of C?
If I'm being fully honest with you Ashton, it was a surprise for me how quickly I developed in the football community once I moved to America. I spent most of my youth playing minor football back in Colombia, but back home there isn't nearly as tough of competition so while I was an outstanding player back in Medellin, I struggled initially after moving to California. I think that the past few months have been very good for my progression though, and now I'm more confident than ever that I have a good shot at going pro.
When you played back home in Medellin you were well known as one of the best power running backs on the come up in the game, but you made the move to linebacker in your second year of college ball. Why the change?
Yeah, it was a stunner for a lot of people I think. Any time an athlete makes a significant change to their game style or position or whatever it is a huge deal, and I think the move from running back to linebacker in my college days was something that took a lot of people by surprise. I felt that as I was growing bigger and filling out more that I would be better suited for a defensive position, and linebacker seemed like the obvious option. While it's fun being on the offensive side of the ball, defense is somewhere that I found myself being a lot more useful.
Now that you're officially a DSFL free agent eligible player, where do you want to/see yourself playing when the time comes for you to sign your temporary contract?
There has been a lot of talk in the DSFL as to where I will end up playing and I know that, it's a big question that has been circulating for a while now and I've put a lot of thought into the decision. I've only been in talks with two general managers during the time my intention to play in the DSFL has been known, and that is the representatives for the Portland Pythons and the San Antonio Marshals. While I thank the Portland Pythons management for their interest, at this time I would be more interested in playing with either the Marshals, or the Tijuana Luchadores. While Tijuana management has not reached out to me, the city is located in Mexico and will be a close reminder to home. I mean no ill will to any of the other DSFL franchises, and would be willing to play anywhere but these are my top two choices.
I'm sure you've already heard the news, but an investigation is currently ongoing surrounding your uncle Guillermo Ramero and his connections through various means via donation to the NSFLPA. What are your thoughts surrounding the events and the investigation?
Anything that my uncle does or does not do is nothing of my business. While we've been close through our lives, we keep our personal affairs separate from each other so I know nothing of his work. What I do know is that my uncle is an honest man, and that when he makes a decision he will stand by it and not be afraid to support it. Even if he did make donations to the NSFLPA, there is a various number of reasons he may have wanted to stay anonymous that have nothing to do with a corruption of the board.
Were you aware of his donations to the NSFLPA before we brought them out in front of the public last night?
He had told me years back that he had begun donating to the NSFLPA to hopefully one day support the association that would be representing me as an athlete. He told me he wanted to make sure that the people in charge were doing the right things and that they were being given an incentive that made them want to work hard every day to keep the job. He did not hide his intentions from me.
Your uncle has been heavily associated with the Del Inferno Cartel of Medellin but has claimed that he has no connection. Have you ever been a part of cartel proceedings?
I have never had direct or indirect contact with any members of the Cartel. The family business was not one for me, and that's why I made my escape to America to begin something new and work in a trade that could grow me respect and earn me ludicrous cash on the way.
Many times when asking questions about you, we have heard the nickname 'Anticristo' used referring to yourself. Where did this nickname originate?
I think the first time I started hearing myself referred to as this was in my first season at the U of C as a running back. I used to absolutely maul defenders on my way down the field with a speed and aggression unfounded for a young player such as myself. Being straight out of college, the other latino players on the team started calling me by it and the name just stuck. I didn't realize it had spread outside the team, but maybe from soundbites the public got their hold on it.
Rickey Ramero seems to want to keep up the good boy, clean hands attitude that we have seen associated with him through his entire career up until now. But even he is suspect to inspection, and with his uncle in deep water the microscope will only strengthen over the young athlete. He will need to be extra careful as to what he says and who he speaks to, because every smart media outlet in the world should be on his ass searching for their next big scoop. The Ramero family is a force to be reckoned with, and their proceedings are legendary for being precise and downright ruthless in their hometown of Medellin. It is my belief that this family will stop at nothing to cover their tracks and escape without scrutiny, so until this case has been fully closed in a court of law it will be my only goal to bring out the truth. The story continues tomorrow night on... The Ramero Effect
DO NOT GRADE UNTIL 09/03/2018, ONGOING ARTICLE
Current Word Count - 4124 Words
The Ramero Effect
Rickey Ramero's Astonishing Past[/div]
March 1st 2018
Tonight, in the waning hours of the evening light, youngster and upstart linebacker prospect Rickey Ramero made a shocking announcement when he declared his intention to enter the season eight NSFL draft pool following the season seven trade deadline. This news put the football community world wide into a state of shock, forcing them to desperately demand answers from the NSFL as to their ruling on the Ramero situation. Rickey Ramero heralds from Medellin, Colombia and is the son of Gambi Ramero, an established cartel kingpin currently serving a lifetime sentence in maximum security prison deep in the heart of Colombia for trafficking and multiple counts of murder and planned assassination. The Ramero family has deep roots dating back to the early twentieth century with the rise of the Puertas Del Inferno Cartel in central Colombia. With the recent arrest of his father and mob boss, the keys to the kingdom have fallen to Ramero's uncle and godfather, Guillermo Ramero. Ramero held an essential part in cartel proceedings leading up to Gambi's arrest in late October and has been integral to the continued success of the massive cocaine distribution operation being run by the cartel.
This connection and the continued rise of violence in central Colombia has placed the United States government on high alert for the Ramero family, and much of the scrutiny has fallen on twenty one year old and heir to the throne Rickey Ramero. Ramero was born into the high class lifestyle, reaping the benefits of his family's success whilst living in la Serenidad the private estate constructed by his grandfather, Miguel Ramero. At the age of eighteen, despite massive call to action by the people of the United States and citizens of the state of California, Ramero was enrolled at the University of California in order to complete his Bachelor of Science degree on a full ride scholarship offered by the universities football program. After spending three years at the U of C, Ramero has seen mediocre success on the team's front seven, playing start minutes each of his three years and never missing a game in his entire tenure at the U of C.
Fans across the nation are being swept into action as the integrity of the NSFL as a whole is threatened by the ideology of welcoming the family member and presumed future kingpin of the most powerful cartel in Colombia into the league. Many fans have spoken about the recent news in disgust, claiming it to be 'a travesty against the NSFL and it's fans' and 'giving young football players the wrong idea about what type of work gets your places'. Other fans have congratulated the young football player for being dedicated to the sport enough so to take his skills to the next level with the NSFL. Ramero has made no public statement yet about his intentions to play in the NSFL, apart from announcing earlier tonight his retrieval of the official league draft papers via his official twitter (@`rocketrickey`).
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In a surprising and unprecedented move, our station has decided to delve deep into the past of the young player and find out if the child like merits he has shown while living in the United States truly live up to the lifestyle he led back home, or if his cool and calm demeanor coupled with a perfect track record is simply a facade created to cover up a darker and more horrible truth. What you are about to read is shocking, troubling, and terrifying. My name is Ashton Lewins with Fox News, and over the next week leading up to Rickey Ramero's official entrance into the DSFL as a draftee free agent and available player, we will be showing you the inside scoop on the life and times of Colombia's finest cartel prince including private interviews with not only Rickey and his godfather Guillermo, but also the felon Gambi Ramero himself in what just may be the most important story in the history of sports. Until tomorrow night, I've been Ashton Lewins, and this is The Ramero Effect.
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March 2nd 2018
Following Rickey Ramero's announcement last night, I made it my mission to get an exclusive interview with the young player surrounding football, his upbringing, and the history of his family and how that has impacted his life. To my surprise, when I reached out to the young Ramero I found myself instead landing myself a direct phone call with the aptly nicknamed "Ojos El Diablo" (devil eyes) Guillermo Ramero, godfather of the linebacker prospect. Guillermo stated to the media that Rickey was not currently willing to speak about the national outrage, but that if our station had any questions following family proceedings we could speak to Guillermo for the time being as he represented his nephew as his agent. After attempting and failing to get even a single word out of Rickey, I decided to start with the roots of the family and conduct an interview with the current linchpin of the Puertas Del Inferno Cartel. All translations are loose.
In the past twenty four hours, your family and the NSFL has received a large amount of hate and negative reaction to your nephew's announcement to declare for the S8 NSFL draft, how has the Ramero family taken this?
The Ramero family is deeply saddened and humiliated by the reaction of the public to the future head of our table entering the world of professional football. It is a stab to the heart by the good people of the United States of America but will give us the influence to be hearty and strong as we follow him through his career.
Do you truly believe that your godson has the potential to play at an elite level in the NSFL? His career at the collegiate level was nothing of grandeur, and with multiple allegations of doping charges against him, the microscope will be turned that much more intense in his entrance to the pro circuit.
Rique (Rickey) has absolutely never used steroids in his athletic career. Despite the proceedings of his father and the family's connection to Del Inferno, Rique is a clean cut student and athlete who is simply trying to find his way in the world of football. Once again, I am disgusted by the statements of the American public, accusations such as these with no merit come with consequences.
You have to admit though, his career stats and performances don't stack up strongly against the likes of NSFL greats, do they?
I have full confidence in Rique's ability. I have watched him play at the University of California and he plays with the speed and agility of a viper, not to mention his dominant ability to drag down quarterbacks. Any NSFL scout who passes up on him is in for a surprise as he only grows into his roll as a generational linebacker.
You mentioned earlier your families association with Puertas Del Inferno in Colombia, and obviously Rickey's father Gambi is in maximum security prison. Does Rickey have any connections within the cartel?
Rique has never been directly exposed to cartel proceedings. His father was a man of many trades, and one of those was the distribution of cocaine through the United States and Mexico. Many of his cousins and brothers have entered into the cartel lifestyle, but in an attempt for a different life Rique made the move to America years ago.
What connections do you have inside Del Inferno?
I have associated with the cartel, my family is heavily invested but I have kept my hands clean. I am too pure of a man to mix my mind with that of criminal masterminds.
You recently joined the NSFLPA as the Chair of the Board, how can you explain this quick rise to power inside the association?
Smart men recognize authority when they see it, and after the previous chair of the board stepped down a month ago a position was open for me to take. With Rique having told me in private his intentions to enter the league I found myself in a good position to take over the role as the board chair.
You still live in Medellin, Colombia which is the home of not only the Del Inferno cartel but also the past home of La Medellin cartel and another cartel that has recently risen to power, La Agrupacion (translate: the Syndicate). How has the rise of a cartel rivaling one your family has a heavy hand in affected your day to day proceedings?
Los pecadores (translate: the Sinners) are nothing in terms of power or influence compared to del Inferno of La Medellin. Small cartels such as La Agrupacion come and go as they please but never amount to anything. It is my belief that the threat of La Agrupacion will be eliminated within the month.
What was your nephew like growing up in the home estate of La Serenidad? Was he a troubled child in his youth?
[i]Rique was nothing near a trouble maker in his childhood, in fact he was considered more of a quiet and reserved youngster. He never got into trouble at his schools and was a top of the roll student in all subjects. He really is an exemplary athlete, scholar and son.
Do you have any closing statements for the public?
For all of you who have made comments on the integrity of my godson, you just wait and watch as he becomes one of the greatest players to ever play in the NSFL. I guarantee you will see his name in the record books and atop the lists for years to come.
Immediately following this conversation I received a call from the President of the NSFLPA asking me to refrain from interrogating their board members in the future. Through this ordeal so far I have come to the conclusion that not only are Rickey and Guillermo Ramero hiding something from the people of the United States, but that corruption has run amiss in the ranks of the National Simulation Football League Player's Association and in the NSFL Head Office. As we continue to investigate these proceedings, more of the truth will be forced until the spotlight. Until tomorrow night, I'm Ashton Lewins and this has been... The Ramero Effect.
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March 3rd 2018
The past two days have started to reveal high profile and private information connecting the Del Inferno cartel based out of Colombia to young star linebacker Rickey Ramero, a player who has had a massive amount of media coverage heading into the trade deadline where he will find his way onto a DSFL team for the remainder of season six. With recent developments from our network, a serious allegation has been put forward by our crew against the board members of the National Simulation Football League Player's Association and the DSFL, one that will rock the world. Today, we will investigating just how much truth and merit lies in our theory as we create a profile against the most powerful association in the world of professional simulation football i America.
Yesterday in an interview with Guillermo Ramero of the infamous Colombian Ramero family and godfather of Rickey Ramero, some information was mentioned surrounding the recent removal of the previous Chair of the NSFLPA Board. Many members of the Board spoke out publicly about the previous chair stepping down, but while the media heavily covered this topic neither the board nor the chair himself, Calvin Favreau, exclusively were able to explain the turn of events. After recent scandals of the past including a large connection of illegally declared players entering the NSFL, many media outlets attributed the sudden dissent of ex-chairman Favreau to a simple attempt to avoid the public outrage that had quickly become prominent among NSFL fans and critiques. We decided to look deeper into the suspicious and unwarranted removal of a chairman who has done nothing but serve the board for almost five years, and to the surprise of none here at our office, we found exactly what we were looking for.
As the NSFLPA is an association representing a body of people similar to union, all finances are kept as public record, and the organization must file official federal tax reports each year that, upon request, are attainable to the public. When searching through the NSFLPA's financial summary, a list of income and outcome is easily sortable by date, amount, and source. A quick scanning for the name Calvin Favreau reveals his monthly salary of $18,000 USD payed on the nose each month for five years, summing just over a million dollars in total financial gain. On top of his base salary of $18,000 the records show an added bonus clause of $3,000 per month for outstanding service to the board. This bonus clause was received each month for three years and five months, dating back to September 2014 and ending two days before his removal from the board on February 17th 2018. This means that in total bonuses Favreau collected $123,000 over his tenure as the NSFLPA chair.
This information alone seems to lead us to no conclusion as outstanding workers are given bonuses all the time, and especially top earning producers such as Favreau or other members of the board. As we looked through financial files, we even saw that other board members were receiving bonuses usually falling between $900 and $1400 per month. It seemed like our research for an inside driven cause had run into a dead end. That was until we noticed one other recurring financial statement. A small organization from the city of El Paso, Texas called Techxworks El Paso was making donations to the NSFL board every sixth months on the nose, with their donations also beginning in September 2014 and with their last donation being processed on February 12th 2018 and valuing consistently at $44,000 per cheque. These donations are common for organizations such as the NSFLPA, and once again we found ourselves staring at a blank wall.
As any good media network will do, we decided to look into all donations being made to the NSFL and do an extensive background check on the NSFLPA's donation history. The NSFLPA has four major investors; Techxworks El Paso, Coors Light, Google, and Nike. Techxworks is the only company of the four listed as a private organization while Coors, Google, and Nike all have their financial information and personnel open to the public. This odd need for privacy of information caused us to look deeper into the company based out of El Paso, so we found ourselves knocking on the doorsteps of their head office in the Central El Paso. We were greeted by a receptionist who openly welcomed us in and immediately set us up to speak with the company's owner, Luiz Comreneda. Techxworks openly agreed to hand us over their personnel information provided a certain number of names listed were kept from the public eye. One of those names not listed was a private funder from Medellin, Colombia by the name of Medellin Seguridad Grupo (MSG) or "The Medellin Security Group".
You may already see where this is headed. With very little work and simple question asking, we were able to trace MSG back to the one man on whom's shoulder's it would appear the NSFLPA had stood for years. Guillermo Ramero had been privately funding the NSFLPA for years through a number of clean companies in order to keep his hands disassociated with the financial statements, but did not hid his tracks careful enough for a dedicated team of wary researchers to uncover. We fully realize that in releasing this information, we have placed a target on our back and that this statement will cause public outrage, and that while we have no complete and irrefutable proof Ramero's payments to the NSFLPA, we believe it is evident that for the reason of an attempt to gain power inside the Board, Ramero was paying off board members in order to gain support and eventual control of the board itself.
Now you may be asking yourself, what could possibly cause a strong and wealthy man with alleged connections to a criminal organization as powerful as Del Inferno want to do with a player's association for a sport he has had no part in through his entire lifetime. Our answer is simple. Rickey Ramero has no intention of playing football in America, and that his true intention is to be a direct link between Del Inferno Cartel in Colombia, and the street running circuit of cocaine through the southern United States and Mexico. The cards all fall perfectly, and while we have no solid evidence as of now, we will be working tirelessly to uncover the ugly truth of the Ramero family and their secrets in next week's segment of... The Ramero Effect
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March 4th 2018
After the shocking discovery made by our organization last night, we decided to take another shot and get into contact with Rickey Ramero to learn more about his life growing up, his history with football, and just what the information we have uncovered means for his career and for the legal standing of his godfather Guillermo Ramero. Once again our call was received by the godfather himself, and before the phone was given to the younger Ramero family member we had our ear talked off by Guillermo regarding our media outlet bringing shame to his family's name and how we would find ourselves in court fighting "false allegation" and slander charges. Following his long rant about the corruption of our outlet and the media in general, he grudgingly handed the phone to his nephew. Here is the conversation, uncut.
So Rickey, by now we all know that you are incredibly invested in making a run at a long NSFL career. Did you see yourself making it to this stage when you entered the NCAA circuit with the U of C?
If I'm being fully honest with you Ashton, it was a surprise for me how quickly I developed in the football community once I moved to America. I spent most of my youth playing minor football back in Colombia, but back home there isn't nearly as tough of competition so while I was an outstanding player back in Medellin, I struggled initially after moving to California. I think that the past few months have been very good for my progression though, and now I'm more confident than ever that I have a good shot at going pro.
When you played back home in Medellin you were well known as one of the best power running backs on the come up in the game, but you made the move to linebacker in your second year of college ball. Why the change?
Yeah, it was a stunner for a lot of people I think. Any time an athlete makes a significant change to their game style or position or whatever it is a huge deal, and I think the move from running back to linebacker in my college days was something that took a lot of people by surprise. I felt that as I was growing bigger and filling out more that I would be better suited for a defensive position, and linebacker seemed like the obvious option. While it's fun being on the offensive side of the ball, defense is somewhere that I found myself being a lot more useful.
Now that you're officially a DSFL free agent eligible player, where do you want to/see yourself playing when the time comes for you to sign your temporary contract?
There has been a lot of talk in the DSFL as to where I will end up playing and I know that, it's a big question that has been circulating for a while now and I've put a lot of thought into the decision. I've only been in talks with two general managers during the time my intention to play in the DSFL has been known, and that is the representatives for the Portland Pythons and the San Antonio Marshals. While I thank the Portland Pythons management for their interest, at this time I would be more interested in playing with either the Marshals, or the Tijuana Luchadores. While Tijuana management has not reached out to me, the city is located in Mexico and will be a close reminder to home. I mean no ill will to any of the other DSFL franchises, and would be willing to play anywhere but these are my top two choices.
I'm sure you've already heard the news, but an investigation is currently ongoing surrounding your uncle Guillermo Ramero and his connections through various means via donation to the NSFLPA. What are your thoughts surrounding the events and the investigation?
Anything that my uncle does or does not do is nothing of my business. While we've been close through our lives, we keep our personal affairs separate from each other so I know nothing of his work. What I do know is that my uncle is an honest man, and that when he makes a decision he will stand by it and not be afraid to support it. Even if he did make donations to the NSFLPA, there is a various number of reasons he may have wanted to stay anonymous that have nothing to do with a corruption of the board.
Were you aware of his donations to the NSFLPA before we brought them out in front of the public last night?
He had told me years back that he had begun donating to the NSFLPA to hopefully one day support the association that would be representing me as an athlete. He told me he wanted to make sure that the people in charge were doing the right things and that they were being given an incentive that made them want to work hard every day to keep the job. He did not hide his intentions from me.
Your uncle has been heavily associated with the Del Inferno Cartel of Medellin but has claimed that he has no connection. Have you ever been a part of cartel proceedings?
I have never had direct or indirect contact with any members of the Cartel. The family business was not one for me, and that's why I made my escape to America to begin something new and work in a trade that could grow me respect and earn me ludicrous cash on the way.
Many times when asking questions about you, we have heard the nickname 'Anticristo' used referring to yourself. Where did this nickname originate?
I think the first time I started hearing myself referred to as this was in my first season at the U of C as a running back. I used to absolutely maul defenders on my way down the field with a speed and aggression unfounded for a young player such as myself. Being straight out of college, the other latino players on the team started calling me by it and the name just stuck. I didn't realize it had spread outside the team, but maybe from soundbites the public got their hold on it.
Rickey Ramero seems to want to keep up the good boy, clean hands attitude that we have seen associated with him through his entire career up until now. But even he is suspect to inspection, and with his uncle in deep water the microscope will only strengthen over the young athlete. He will need to be extra careful as to what he says and who he speaks to, because every smart media outlet in the world should be on his ass searching for their next big scoop. The Ramero family is a force to be reckoned with, and their proceedings are legendary for being precise and downright ruthless in their hometown of Medellin. It is my belief that this family will stop at nothing to cover their tracks and escape without scrutiny, so until this case has been fully closed in a court of law it will be my only goal to bring out the truth. The story continues tomorrow night on... The Ramero Effect
DO NOT GRADE UNTIL 09/03/2018, ONGOING ARTICLE
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