Seven Questions with Alison Mastrangelo
Alison Mastrangelo doing a standup in front of the Atlanta Braves dugout at Sun Trust Park.
She grew up in Stone Harbor with her twin brother BJ and parents Fran and Barry Mastrangelo. Her family owned and operated Barrie Shoes, a familiar retail anchor on 96th Street for many years. She excelled in basketball at Middle Township High School and competed on the surf team before enrolling at Rowan University, where she graduated in 2013 with a double major in journalism and health and physical education – degrees that she has put to good use while working as on-air talent for television stations in Colorado Springs and Denver. Her work was good enough to have her nominated for an Emmy along with honors from the Colorado Broadcasters Association as the best sports anchor in a non-metro market. All of which put her on the fast track in the industry and helped her land her current position as sports reporter and weekend sports anchor in the land of peaches and pecan pies at WSB-TV, the ABC affiliate in Atlanta. A big step for any television personality, but especially for one who has only been out of college for a handful of years. WSB is the equivalent of Philadelphia’s 6ABC in its market, the 10th-largest television market in the country, with more than 2.4 million viewers. And after reading her seven questions, you’ll know even more about Stone Harbor’s Alison Mastrangelo.
Best recreation field – 80th Street or Bill Henfey Park in North Wildwood (where Atlanta Falcons QB and Philadelphia native Matt Ryan works out in the early summer)?
80th Street all day! I grew up playing there, surfing across the street and watching fireworks there.
Professional athletes love to visit Atlanta so they can patronize what they call “the world’s biggest shoe store,” Friedman’s. Who had the better selection, Barrie Shoes or Friedman’s?
I might be a little biased, but I’m going to say Barrie Shoes since I grew up working and shopping there. However, since they are retired now at Barrie Shoes, I’ll be checking out Friedman’s.
The word boardwalk … does that mean Wildwood or Ocean City to you?
That means Wildwood … Morey’s Pier, watch the tram car, and Curley’s Fries.
What’s the most memorable experience thus far in your career?
I would say the most memorable moment of my career was covering Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50. It was a crazy busy 10 days of work, but I met countless athletes and celebrities and I enjoyed every second of it. I could have never imagined that my first season covering an NFL team I’d follow them all the way to the Super Bowl!
Being objective in your reporting aside, what happens to your heart as a sports fan on Sept. 15, when the Eagles travel to Atlanta?
I’m always objective in my reporting, but when my home team and work team face each other I honestly see it as a win-win situation. Either I get to report on the Falcons winning, which makes my job a little easier that night, or my childhood home team gets the win. It also means that I get to watch both teams at the same time instead of watching on TV and updating the Eagles score on my phone or computer.
When you get the opportunity to go home, what’s the first thing that you usually do?
I go straight for the beach to check the surf. I have to see and hear the ocean. Whenever I go home, I always hope there is a fun wave to surf during my trip.
Matt Ryan still is among the all-time single-game scoring leaders in the North Wildwood Rec basketball league (49 points). Do you think he could have ever come close to that on 96th Street?
I don’t know of anyone ever scoring that high on 96th Street. All I know is my small claim to fame when I was basketball player, I was the player of the week one summer and I had my picture hanging on the wall on 96th Street.