The Night Agent
If you’re a regular reader of my work (thank you), you know what I do for a living. As the foundation director with the St. Louis Sports Commission, I visit schools to talk to kids about sportsmanship, administer our sportsmanship scholarship, conduct sport clinics and legacy programs for our events, and produce our annual Olympic Day Celebration.
They say you should never judge a book by its cover. Generally, I would agree. The pages of my book are far more interesting and impactful, but one night a year, I get to be the cover. For those who are unaware, I don’t call myself Big Sol in irony. I really am a big guy. In a suit, I look like someone’s personal security, and at each Musial Awards show, I basically am.
I usually get assigned to the Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for Sportsmanship recipient. I also take care of the Extraordinary Character award winner and other celebrities/VIPs as needed. This year’s charge was Bob Costas and his presenter, Billy Crystal. Yes, that Billy Crystal. I’ve been a fan of his since the TV show Soap. I still routinely watch the buddy cop movie Running Scared, starring Crystal and the late, great Gregory Hines.
I kept it professional, though. I didn’t go all fanboy even though I wanted to. I resisted the urge to ask for a picture and tell him, “You…look…marvelous.” He was really nice to me and the evening was great. You won’t see me in any pictures from the night as it’s customary for me to be off to the side, behind the curtain, or in the cut.
Everyone gets where they need to go and they get there safely. Whether it’s Billy Crystal, Bob Costas, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Arnold Palmer, Jim Thome, Warrick Dunn, Cal Ripken, Jr., or Al Roker, for one night each year I am not Solomon Alexander - The Sportsmanship Guy, I become my alter ego, Solomon Alexander - The Night Agent.
About Everything Is Sportsmanship
Everything is Sportsmanship is free to read and share for everyone. However, if you feel so inspired, please donate to the St. Louis Sports Commission’s Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship fund, which awards college scholarships to St. Louis area high school seniors who have shown outstanding sportsmanship on the field of play. Since 2009, the Sports Commission has awarded $220,000 to 66 young people. Please click on the highlighted text to donate. Your donation is tax deductible.