Blog

Eagles vs. Cowboys Sweepstakes and Fundraiser

The All Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey is pleased to partner with Tix4good to present an opportunity to win tickets to the Eagles vs. Cowboys game on 12/29/24. If you use our dedicated link, a very generous portion of each entry goes directly to the museum and enables us to continue our mission to celebrate and commemorate our rich sports landscape.

Additionally, we are offering chances to win tickets to the Q102 Jingle Ball, and even The Big Game! Please use the links below to enter-

Eagles vs. Cowboys Sweepstakes and Fundraiser2024-11-27T09:09:38-05:00

M. Andre Buck, II, Esq.

M. Andre Buck, II, Esq.
Contributor

M. Andre Buck, II, Esq. graduated Cumberland Regional in 1989 where he was an outstanding student-athlete, earning varsity letters in basketball, soccer and track.

Andre continued his education at the University of Delaware, majoring in Finance and playing guard for the Blue Hens’ varsity basketball team which handily won the 1991-1992 North Atlantic Conference with a 27-4 overall record, a 14-0 NAC conference championship record and with the NAC Tournament Championship, winning an automatic bid to the 1992 NCAA Tournament, the first in school history. The eventual Final Four Cincinnati Beatcats foiled the Hens’ bid to advance beyond the opening round.

Andre earned his Juris Doctor Law Degree from Widener University, and subsequently practiced law as a Certified Sports Agent with three corporate firms before starting his own firm, ASA, LLC. Andre has also given his time and experience to the legal community as an adjunct law professor at Wilmington University and as a guest speaker at several universities including Villanova Law School, Penn’s Wharton Graduate School of Business, Ohio State University Law School, commencements and sports banquets.

Andre’s desire to represent a select group of NBA players, devoting his personal attention to each client, has earned him the respect of the industry and recognition as a top 100 NBA agent.

The All Sports Museum and Hall of Fame of Southern New Jersey  proudly inducts M. Andre Buck, II, Esq. on this date, September 21, 2024.

M. Andre Buck, II, Esq.2024-09-27T17:37:22-04:00

Michael Cudemo

Michael Cudemo
Media Contributor

Michael Cudemo graduated Shawnee High School in Medford, NJ in 1974, earning varsity letters in football and track.

His interest and desire for a career in sports journalism led him to Glassboro State College, graduating in 1978 with a degree in Journalism/Communications.

Michael’s career in print media included Sports Reporter positions with the Bridgeton Evening News and the Vineland Daily Journal and Sports Editor, Copy Editor and Columnist for the Daily Journal. At the Journal, he was responsible for planning, design, content and coverage of local, regional and national sports events. His Sports Section was twice voted “Best In The State” by the New Jersey Press Association.

In 1993, Michael ventured into the non-profit corporate service industry, utilizing his knowledge of multimedia relations as the Vice President of Planning for Gateway Community Action Partnership. For the next 30 years, he developed and implemented nationally recognized programs, wrote federal and state funded grants and managed the Agency’s communications functions, contributing to the Agency’s tremendous growth.

Also a community volunteer, Michael served as an officer and director for numerous professional and civic organizations, particularly and proudly as an eight-term President of the Bridgeton Lions Club, and as current Board Chairman and 10-year member of the Cumberland County 4-H Advisory Board.

Now retired, Michael and his wife, Ellen, reside in Hopewell Township.

The All Sports Museum and Hall of Fame of Southern New Jersey proudly inducts Michael Cudemo on this date, September 24, 2024.

Michael Cudemo2024-09-27T12:01:50-04:00

Announcing the induction of Michael Cudemo and Andre Buck

Michael Cudemo and Andre Buck will be inducted into the All Sports Museum and Hall of Fame of Southern New Jersey on Saturday, 11am., September 21, 2024. The ceremony will be held at the Museum located at 8 Richie Kates, Sr. Way and Babe Ruth Drive, Bridgeton, NJ.

The induction ceremony is open to the public.

Announcing the induction of Michael Cudemo and Andre Buck2024-09-05T19:52:23-04:00

Al Morganti

Contributor

Michael “Al” Morganti was born and raised in Boston, MA.

Al graduated from Boston University’s College of Communications in 1978. He moved south and took two short-lived journalism jobs; first covering the NFL’s Miami Dolphins for the Ft. Lauderdale News and then as the “beat’ writer for the NHL’s Atlanta Flames for the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Moving on to the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1979, Al served as beat writer for the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. For ten years, each morning during hockey season, Flyers fans routinely and faithfully read Al’s columns for his astute analysis of the previous night’s game. Al also wrote for The Hockey News, considered the preeminent source of hockey news for fans across North America.

Al expanded his sports journalism career in 1990 as a co-host on cable tv’s Prism sports talk show, “The Great Sports Debate”. Together with ex-Inquirer sports writers Glen Macnow, Jayson Stark, Mike Missanelli and Angelo Cataldi (and Al’s dog, Fenway), the show featured current sports talk plus plenty of antics and escapades in the studio and at “remotes” at locations throughout the
Delaware Valley.

In 1993 Al joined ESPN’S team of NHL Hockey analysts, Barry Melrose and Jim Schoenfeld and studio host John Saunders. For thirteen years, Al brought his onpoint analysis, expertise and experiences into the homes, pubs and bars for millions of hockey fans worldwide. Al currently serves as the pre-and-postgame analyst for Philadelphia Flyers games televised on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Al’s career took an unexpected turn in 1993 when he, Angelo Cataldi and Rhea Hughes teamed-up to form the most dynamic trio of sports talk radio hosts in the country. Al was instrumental in creating “The Morning Team”, the top-rated, award-winning, drive-time sports talk radio show in the local market. When Cataldi retired in early 2023, Al stayed on with WIP, signing a five year contract. He continues his adept and unique analysis of sports, co-hosting a show every
Sunday.

From his days covering high school and college hockey while an undergrad in Boston, to the NHL and multiple Winter Olympics, Al’s sports journalism
career in print media, tv and radio has been a whirlwind ride thanks to the game of hockey.

Al was deservedly inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2022, receiving the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for hockey journalism excellence for over six decades.

Al resides in Medford, NJ with his wife and daughter.

Al Morganti
Al Morganti

Al Morganti2024-08-12T08:41:49-04:00

Riverview Sports News: A hidden gem

Riverview Sports News

A hidden gem

Growing Bridgeton museum overflows with memorabilia linked to South Jersey’s rich sporting past; Morganti to enter HOF Saturday

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

BRIDGETON — If you’re not quite sure where you’re going you just might miss it, just like Todd Frazier did – twice – with humorous results when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, but once you get there you’ll be amazed at what’s inside.

VALELLA

From the outside, Building 7 that houses the All Sports Museum (and Hall of Fame) of Southern New Jersey appears to be just another unassuming building in the city’s athletic complex, but within its walls contains a veritable treasure trove of memorabilia commemorating the region’s rich sporting past.

The quaint five-room, 1,500-square foot white bungalow that serves a variety of purposes for the city houses more than 15,000 artifacts, photos and films from across the sporting spectrum with some connection to the state’s eight southern-most counties – only about half of which is currently on display.

“A hidden gem, you said the exact words,” museum and Hall chairman Dom Valella said during a recent tour for a first-time visitor. “When we have an athlete down here who’s not familiar with this area and they see it, they say this is a hidden gem you have here.

“We’re very proud of that. We’re all volunteers; we’re all guys who just love the sport, love doing this. We just enjoy having the athletes come down (and) meeting them on a personal level.”

It certainly gave pause to Frazier, the former Shore-area baseball great who gained early fame as the hero of Toms River East’s 1998 Little League World Series title team and went on to become a two-time major-league All-Star and Home Run Derby champion over 11 big-league seasons. Once he found the museum, he was, of course, blown away by its offerings.

The story goes that Frazier was driving around town looking for the building and twice was stopped by local police as a suspicious vehicle. Once it was determined who they had detained and what his purpose was for being in the area, they gave him a full police escort to the facility.

It is easy to see how one could get waylaid. The official address is 8 Richie Kates Way, a street just off the main drag renamed named in honor of the local boxer and Hall of Fame inductee who twice fought for the light-heavyweight championship and had WBA champ Victor Galindez beat in their 15-rounder in South Africa. (There’s a life-sized cutout of a ring-ready Kates right outside the case displaying his memorabilia as well as homages to Joe Frazier (who trained for a time in Vineland and sparred with Kates in Philadelphia) and Jersey Joe Wolcott).

But to have the GPS get you there you have to punch in 8 Burt Street.

It’s two turns off Hwy. 49 as you get into town, just past the high school football stadium and right across the street from Alden Field, home of the annual Bridgeton Invitational semi-pro baseball tournament that introduced MLB to the concept of pitch clocks and designated hitters long before those innovations became fashionable. They still talk about the night two of tournament teams brought in a couple ringers named Dickie Noles and Tug McGraw to pitch against each other.

The museum has items from every sport imaginable. There’s an early vaulting pole, a French foil from the 70s, the original four-pound green sneakers of the Phillie Phanatic (a popular item with the kids), local trophies that date back to 1904, photos that go back to 1896, several game-used equipment and jerseys and more than 200 autographed baseballs. There’s a game-used bat from Jackie Robinson and even the partial uniform of baseball’s first professional female umpire, Bernice Gera, following a swap for their complete uniform with Cooperstown.

“People are surprised at how big it is,” said Ed Forman, in his 19th year as the fourth-ever curator of the museum that was founded by Ed Alden as a Bridgeton-centric repository. “Looking at it from the outside it looks like we just have one room or something like that, so when they come in and find out we have this room and this room and this room … (they’re amazed).

“I love the fact they’re amazed. Mostly everything here was donated. The only things that weren’t donated were the two (Little League World Series) trophies in the first room. It is impressive. I’m impressed with some of the things.”

Dom Valella, chairman of the All-Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey, points to the plaque of Flayers great Rick MacLeish, one of the nearly 150 inductees into the museum’s Hall of Fame. The next Hall induction ceremony is Saturday.

There’s a heavy presence of Phillies, Eagles and Flyers – many of whom lived in the South Jersey suburbs – but there is just as much emphasis on the accomplishments of athletes with natural roots in the area.

Coming through the door you’re welcomed by a display cases honoring locally high school and Little League championship teams. There are rooms dedicated to baseball, football, basketball and hockey. There are dedicated displays for Baseball Hall of Famer Goose Goslin; football’s George Jamison, Lydell Mitchell and Dave Robinson; track’s John Borican and auto racing pioneer Bunky Higbee. The exhibit for Millville native son Mike Trout takes up an entire wall.

There’s even a “writers wing,” a section dedicated to prominent local media, whose ranks will increase by one with Saturday’s Hall of Fame induction of Al Morganti, a Massachusetts kid who earned his chops as a Philadelphia hockey writer and network analyst. His induction brings to 135 the coaches, athletes, contributors, pioneers and teams enshrined in the Hall with many more luminaries holding a place in the museum.

There’s a distinction between the Hall of Fame and the museum – not all museum benefactors are inducted into the Hall, but inductees are asked if they’d like to donate an item to the Hall – but If there’s a connection to South Jersey, no matter how small, it’s in there.

‘Our mission statement is to preserve, protect and display all sports memorabilia connected from Philly on down, South Jersey and Philly,” Valella said. “It is surprising (the number of accomplished sportsmen hail from the area). We should be proud of it.”

Everyone who comes through the museum, which is open with free admission from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday or by appointment, has a favorite piece, but the star of the show is the 1960 National League Gold Glove of Willie Mays, whose connection to South Jersey runs from his days as a minor leaguer in Trenton to his somewhat controversial (at the time) connection to promoting the casinos in Atlantic City.

Mays, who passed away earlier this summer, came to Bridgeton as a guest of the Invitational. Between games tournament officials were known to give away baskets of local peaches and plums as door prizes. A son of the south, Mays wasn’t interested in peaches, but did want to know what it’d take to get some of those plums.

Tournament organizers said if he made a donation to the museum they’d provide him as many plums as he could stand. Mays told them to come see him at Resorts and he’d have something for them. When they arrived, he presented them the Gold Glove (he won 12 of them) with the caveat not to sell it, trade it or give it away. The award is displayed on the first shelf of a case in the middle of the back wall in the main room.

“That’s the No. 1 item that’s here,” Valella said. “I think the Gold Glove is one of the nicest things we’ve got here – and the story.”

There’s no telling how much all the memorabilia housed in the museum is worth, but rest assured it’s all insured. Former Phillies reliever, current studio host and future Hall inductee Ricky Bottalico toured the museum during broadcast partner Michael Barkann’s induction and asked what they thought the Mays Gold Glove was worth. Museum officials estimated conservatively $150,000. Bottalico said they should double it, in a tone that that suggested even his assessment was low.

After all, you can’t put a price on memories.

Curator Ed Forman (L) and chairman Dom Valella flank the most prized possession of the All-Sports Museum of Southern New Jersey — Willie Mays’ 1960 National League Gold Glove.

Riverview Sports News: A hidden gem2024-08-10T14:46:35-04:00

Announcing the Induction of National Hockey League Hall of Famer, Al Morganti

Al Morganti
Al Morganti

The All Sports Museum and Hall of Fame of Southern New Jersey proudly announces the induction of National Hockey League Hall of Famer, Al Morganti, on Saturday, 11am, August 10, 2024.

The Induction ceremony will be held at the Museum located at 7 Richie Kates, Sr. Drive (formerly Burt St.), Bridgeton, NJ. The public is invited.

Morganti’s national and international sports journalism career has spanned 6 decades as a newspaper and magazine columnist, a game-day and daily TV analyst and a sports radio co- host.

Announcing the Induction of National Hockey League Hall of Famer, Al Morganti2024-08-12T08:41:27-04:00

Recent HOF Inductee: Jersey Joe Walcott

Arnold Raymond Cream was born to Barbadian immigrant parents, in Pennsauken Twp., Camden County, New Jersey on January 31, 1914.

Young Arnold left high school at 14 to work, helping his parents care for his 11 siblings. His father passed a year later. At 16, he began his profes-sional boxing career, taking the name of his boxing idol, Joe Walcott, a welterweight from Barbados and added “Jersey” to distinguish himself and his birthplace.

Recent HOF Inductee: Jersey Joe Walcott2024-05-31T15:03:04-04:00
Go to Top