All-Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey inducts Philadelphia media personality Al Morganti into its Hall of Fame
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
BRIDGETON — Al Morganti received a prestigious hockey writer’s award two years ago that got his name in the NHL Hall of Fame, but it wasn’t until Saturday that he became a full-fledged Hall of Famer for the first time.
The Philadelphia media personality most readily associated with his coverage of the Flyers both in print and broadcasting, traversed the backroads of South Jersey to be enshrined in the All-Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey’s Hall of Fame.
Morganti, 71, grew up playing hockey in his native New England and ultimately found his niche in sports journalism by seizing the opportunity to cover an often disregarded sport (relative to the Big Three) of which he had intimate knowledge in a market (Atlanta) that basically was learning the game on the fly (a nice lesson for aspiring journalists).
The Philadelphia Inquirer got wind of this tough newsman in the south at a time it was looking for a little tougher coverage of the Flyers and brought Morganti to the Delaware Valley in 1979. He later branched out into TV and radio, joining ESPN’s lineup of NHL analysts for 13 years, co-hosting a popular WIP morning drive-time radio show that became a Sunday show when co-host Angelo Cataldi retired, and, of course, he remains the pre- and post-game studio analyst on the local Flyers telecasts.
“I loved that sport,” he said. “If you really like what you do, it’s so much better. I don’t think I’ve learned to work. My work? I go to practice and talk to players … I think it’s been a great life. I’ve had no issues with it at all.”
Museum officials took their newest inductee on a first-time tour before the induction ceremony, guiding him past the displays of local and regional greats. Like everyone who visits for the first time, Morganti was amazed by the offerings.
The museum houses more than 15,000 artifacts reflecting all aspects of South Jersey’s rich sporting past. All of the items have been donated, many from but not exclusive to the 135 Hall of Fame inductees. Morganti gifted the museum several WIP-themed items and a trinket from the NHL Hall of Fame.
Morganti is famous among his co-workers for giving everyone and everything he comes across a Chris Berman-style nickname as his way to remember them. “The Little Gem” is how he’ll remember this museum.
“This is a real gem, man,” he said. “This is amazing. I would get big security here if I were you. There’s so much stuff. Are you kidding me? It’s incredible what they’ve got here. You could spend a day, the stories that go into it. I guess that’s what connects generations. Wow.”
One of the exhibits that was particularly poignant was the Flyers’ display in the main room. Virtually every player in the display had a direct line to Morganti.
“I know those guys; it’s great,” he said. “The Flyers might have connected with South Jersey more than any team because they lived here. Clarkie (Bobby Clarke) had the big pool with the Flyers logo. They all go down the shore. They played softball here all the time. They all know how to get over the Walt Whitman Bridge, I’ll say that for them.”
During his induction address he said he was particularly impressed with the growth of his game in the area since he first arrived. Hockey was once a predominantly Canadian game, but the NHL has become increasingly more international and more American, and a lot of that talent is grown right here.
“I’m from New England and played hockey all my life,” Morganti said. “When I see the talent coming out of South Jersey, it’s unbelievable. There’s like five kids in the NHL right now; there’s more kids in the NHL from South Jersey than the NBA, so I’ve watched the kids develop here and the players that come out of here. It’s insane the level of competition I’ve been able to see from everywhere in South Jersey.”
At least one of those South Jersey NHLers is already in the local Hall – Salem’s Johnny Gaudreau.
Away from the ice, one thing people might not know is Morganti was a creative force behind the WIP “Wing Bowl.” It started out as a two-man competitive eating gimmick the Friday before the Super Bowl to give Eagles fans another excuse to party when their team wasn’t in the game and morphed into an international sensation off the chain and actually pre-empted his decision to accept consideration for the NHL award he eventually received two years ago. The Wing Bowl was retired after the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018.
“It was fun, but times change,” he said. “It just got unruly, but it was fun.
“I think that’s what makes Philly special, too: It was the people who got involved in that fun. To me, you couldn’t have a Wing Bowl in but two cities, maybe three – New Orleans, Philly, maybe Sam Francisco (and) I’m not even sure about that. Wouldn’t have flown. You get people up at 5 in the morning to go watch people eat wings. It was crazy. It turned into a carnival. It was fun.”
The Hall of Fame holds induction ceremonies at various times throughout the year depending on the availability of its honorees. The next installation is Sept. 21 when longtime South Jersey sports journalist Mike Cudemo and Bridgeton-born sports agent Andre Buck will be enshrined.
The museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.
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