Shep Messing
Encyclopedia
Shep Messing is a former American soccer goalkeeper
and current broadcaster. He played seven seasons in the North American Soccer League
and six in the Major Indoor Soccer League
. He was also a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1972 Summer Olympics
.
, attended high school at The Wheatley School
in Old Westbury, New York
. Shep is uncle to Wooster School standout player Jamie
Messing. He began his collegiate soccer career at New York University. He graduated from Harvard University
in 1973 after playing on the school's men's soccer team. He was a two-time second team All-American.
that played in the 1971 Pan American Games
in Cali, Colombia
. He went on to play with the U.S. team
at 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich
. The U.S. went 0-2-1 in group play and failed to qualify for the second round. Messing manned the net in the U.S.'s third game of the games, a 7-0 loss to West Germany. After the Olympics, Messing received offers from teams in Mexico and Germany, but was invited to play for the New York Cosmos
of the North American Soccer League
(NASL), where his teammates would eventually include Pelé
, Franz Beckenbauer
and Giorgio Chinaglia
.
. He would remain a backup for most of his career with the Cosmos. In 1973 and 1974, Jerry Sularz
held the starting job.
Messing attracted attention by posing in the nude for a photo spread in the December 1974 issue of Viva magazine, for which he was paid $5,000. He joked that these photos gave the New York Cosmos more "exposure" than they'd ever received from the media up to that time. The Cosmos management was not pleased, and cut Messing from the team on the grounds that he had violated a morals clause in his contract.
He moved to the Boston Minutemen
for a season and a half. Halfway through the 1976 season, Boston owner John Sterge began selling his players when he began to fear he would go bankrupt. The Minutemen sold Messing to the Cosmos who needed him after starter Bob Rigby
was injured. Messing then played the 1977 season with the Cosmos before moving to the Oakland Stompers
. When he signed with the Stompers for $100,000 per year, he became the highest paid American in the NASL. The Stompers lasted only a single season, following which Messing moved to the Rochester Lancers
.
began its first season in 1978-1979, the New York Arrows
were essentially the Rochester Lancers in different uniforms. As such, Messing became the starting Arrows goalkeeper through the team's six years of existence. Messing became the league's dominant keeper, being named to the MISL All Star team in 1979, 1980 and 1981. He was the championship MVP in 1979.
When the Arrows fired coach Don Popovic
in February 1983, the team named Messing, who was sidelined with an injury, as the interim coach. After his retirement, Messing was briefly part-owner of the ill fated New York Express
which played the first half of the 1986-1987 MISL season before folding.
games on ESPN
. He broadcast the 1986 FIFA World Cup
from Mexico, the 2002 FIFA World Cup
from Japan/South Korea, and the 2006 FIFA World Cup
in Germany for ESPN. He has also been the lead analyst for the MetroStars
and the re-branded New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
for several years.
Despite his role as a broadcaster/analyst for MLS and other soccer matches, he is the player agent for U.S. under-20 and former D.C. United
midfielder Danny Szetela
.http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2007-08-07-2682108311_x.htm This has led to some, including Washington Post soccer reporter Steven Goff
, to question his objectivity in his work as an analyst.http://blog.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2007/07/conflict_of_interest.html
He is a member of the New York Sports Hall of Fame and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the author of a book on soccer, while appearing in several films on the sport.
In 2006, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame
.
Messing served as an analyst for NBC Sports
coverage of Soccer at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
He was also one of three commentators with Greg Lalas and Jason Saghini on MLS ExtraTime
around 2008.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0014_0_13747.html.
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
and current broadcaster. He played seven seasons in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
and six in the Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
. He was also a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
.
High school and college
Messing, along with his brother RoyRoy Messing
Roy Messing is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played in both the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He is currently an executive with Global Sports Group, LLC....
, attended high school at The Wheatley School
The Wheatley School
The Wheatley School is a public high school serving grades 8 through 12 located in Old Westbury, Long Island, New York and part of the East Williston Union Free School District...
in Old Westbury, New York
Old Westbury, New York
Old Westbury is a village in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 4,671....
. Shep is uncle to Wooster School standout player Jamie
Messing. He began his collegiate soccer career at New York University. He graduated from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1973 after playing on the school's men's soccer team. He was a two-time second team All-American.
National and Olympic teams
He joined the U.S. national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
that played in the 1971 Pan American Games
1971 Pan American Games
The 6th Pan American Games were held in Cali, Colombia, from July 30 to August 13, 1971. The then called "Salsa World Capital", located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, hosted a total of 2,935 athletes from 32 countries, who participated in seventeen sports...
in Cali, Colombia
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
. He went on to play with the U.S. team
United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. 400 competitors, 316 men and 84 women, took part in 185 events in 21 sports.-Medalists:...
at 1972 Summer Olympics
Football at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Final results for the Football competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg, Passau, and Regensburg.-Medalists:-Group A: ---- -----------------Group B: ---- ----------------...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. The U.S. went 0-2-1 in group play and failed to qualify for the second round. Messing manned the net in the U.S.'s third game of the games, a 7-0 loss to West Germany. After the Olympics, Messing received offers from teams in Mexico and Germany, but was invited to play for the New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL), where his teammates would eventually include Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
, Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
and Giorgio Chinaglia
Giorgio Chinaglia
Giorgio Chinaglia is a former football striker from Italy. He grew up and played his early football in Cardiff, Wales and began his career with Swansea Town in 1964. A year later at age 19, Chinaglia returned to Italy to play for Massese, and then Internapoli, before joining S.S. Lazio in 1969...
.
NASL
He made his debut with the Cosmos in a May 20, 1974 exhibition game with Irish club Finn HarpsFinn Harps F.C.
Finn Harps Football Club are a professional Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. They hail from Ballybofey, County Donegal and play their home matches at Finn Park. The club's colours are blue...
. He would remain a backup for most of his career with the Cosmos. In 1973 and 1974, Jerry Sularz
Jerry Sularz
Bronisław “Jerry” Sularz was a Polish football goalkeeper who spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League, at least two in the American Soccer League and six in Poland....
held the starting job.
Messing attracted attention by posing in the nude for a photo spread in the December 1974 issue of Viva magazine, for which he was paid $5,000. He joked that these photos gave the New York Cosmos more "exposure" than they'd ever received from the media up to that time. The Cosmos management was not pleased, and cut Messing from the team on the grounds that he had violated a morals clause in his contract.
He moved to the Boston Minutemen
Boston Minutemen
The Boston Minutemen were a soccer team based out of Boston that played in the NASL. They played from 1974 to 1976. Their home fields included Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Schaefer Stadium in Foxborough, Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy and Sargent Field in New Bedford.Portuguese legend...
for a season and a half. Halfway through the 1976 season, Boston owner John Sterge began selling his players when he began to fear he would go bankrupt. The Minutemen sold Messing to the Cosmos who needed him after starter Bob Rigby
Bob Rigby
Bob Rigby is a retired U.S. soccer goalkeeper. Among the most talented soccer goalkeepers born in the United States, Rigby played twelve seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in the Western Soccer Alliance and earned six caps with the United...
was injured. Messing then played the 1977 season with the Cosmos before moving to the Oakland Stompers
Oakland Stompers
The Oakland Stompers were a soccer team in the North American Soccer League which played the 1978 season in the NASL. The Stompers played in the Western Division of the American Conference and finished the year with a 12-18 record...
. When he signed with the Stompers for $100,000 per year, he became the highest paid American in the NASL. The Stompers lasted only a single season, following which Messing moved to the Rochester Lancers
Rochester Lancers
The Rochester Lancers were a soccer team based in Rochester, New York that played in the American Soccer League from 1967 until 1969 and the North American Soccer League from 1970 to 1980 at Aquinas Stadium...
.
MISL
When the Major Indoor Soccer LeagueMajor Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
began its first season in 1978-1979, the New York Arrows
New York Arrows
The New York Arrows was an indoor soccer team that played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League from 1978 to 1984. They won the first four MISL championships.-Preparing for the first season:...
were essentially the Rochester Lancers in different uniforms. As such, Messing became the starting Arrows goalkeeper through the team's six years of existence. Messing became the league's dominant keeper, being named to the MISL All Star team in 1979, 1980 and 1981. He was the championship MVP in 1979.
When the Arrows fired coach Don Popovic
Don Popovic
Dragan "Don" Popovic is a retired professional soccer midfielder and current coach in the United States. He played professionally in Yugoslavia, Canada and the North American Soccer League...
in February 1983, the team named Messing, who was sidelined with an injury, as the interim coach. After his retirement, Messing was briefly part-owner of the ill fated New York Express
New York Express
This article is about the former indoor soccer team.The New York Express were a soccer team based out of Uniondale, New York that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. They played only one season, the 1986-1987 season. Their home arena was Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum...
which played the first half of the 1986-1987 MISL season before folding.
Legal problems
In 1991, Mr. Messing pled guilty to a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, commonly referred to as Federal wire fraudWire fraudMail and wire fraud is a federal crime in the United States. Together, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1346 reach any fraudulent scheme or artifice to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services with a nexus to mail or wire communication....
. This violation came about during Mr. Messing's tenure as a corporate officer in a securities firm, although he never acted, nor was licensed as a broker or dealer. Mr. Messing was sentenced to five years probation. Mr. Messing filed a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy petition with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York on November 17, 1995. The Bankruptcy Court confirmed the plan of
reorganization on February 11, 1998.http://www.secinfo.com/dsvrb.35m.htm#l77
Broadcaster
Messing has been a soccer broadcaster for sixteen years. He began as an analyst for the Major Indoor Soccer LeagueMajor Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
games on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. He broadcast the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
from Mexico, the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
from Japan/South Korea, and the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany for ESPN. He has also been the lead analyst for the MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
and the re-branded New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
for several years.
Despite his role as a broadcaster/analyst for MLS and other soccer matches, he is the player agent for U.S. under-20 and former D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
midfielder Danny Szetela
Danny Szetela
Daniel "Danny" Szetela is a former American soccer player.-Club:In 2002, Szetela entered USSF's Bradenton Academy, graduating in May 2004. He then signed with Major League Soccer. His desire to play for his hometown club, the MetroStars, went unfulfilled...
.http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2007-08-07-2682108311_x.htm This has led to some, including Washington Post soccer reporter Steven Goff
Steven Goff
Steven "Steve" Goff is a sports writer for The Washington Post, for whom he has worked since 1985 and covered soccer regularly since 1992. He has followed the United States men's national soccer team at five World Cups, has been the beat reporter on D.C. United since MLS's launch in 1996, and has...
, to question his objectivity in his work as an analyst.http://blog.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2007/07/conflict_of_interest.html
He is a member of the New York Sports Hall of Fame and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the author of a book on soccer, while appearing in several films on the sport.
In 2006, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame
Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame
The Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame honors elite athletes who have roots in Nassau County, New York. The Hall of Fame presentation takes places at the Nassau County Sports Commission "Salute to Champions" Awards Dinner annually every April.-Inductees:...
.
Messing served as an analyst for NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
coverage of Soccer at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
He was also one of three commentators with Greg Lalas and Jason Saghini on MLS ExtraTime
MLS Extratime
MLS ExtraTime was a Major League Soccer highlight show that aired on ESPN2 in 2000 and 2001. Rob Stone co-hosted first with Roy Wegerle, then with Alexi Lalas, in 2000 and with Dave Dir in 2001...
around 2008.
Autobiography
Messing wrote an autiobiography entitled The Education of an American Soccer Player which was published in hardcover in 1978 by Dodd, Mead, and in paperback in 1979 by Bantam Books.Other Media Appearances
Messing appeared as a centerfold in a 1974 issue of PlaygirlPlaygirl
Playgirl is a print quarterly adult magazine published in the United States that is marketed mainly to heterosexual women, but has also gained a considerable gay following...
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0014_0_13747.html.
See also
- List of select Jewish football (association; soccer) players