The Sports Info Business

Tim Toone probably does not yet know what is in store for him.  How could he?

Later this week, the record-setting wide receiver from Weber State, will be honored as the last draft choice during the 35th annual Irrelevant Week.

Started by Newport Beach resident Paul Salata, Irrelevant Week is about doing something good for no reason. It is a week-long festival of fun, frolic and fundraising in the heart of Newport Beach.

One component of the festivities is the All-Star, All-Sports Lowsman Banquet which includes a roast of Toone. The banquet is schduled for Wednesday, June 30 at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa.

Proceeds from this year’s Irrelevant Week will benefit Goodwill of Orange County Fitness Center.

I shot and edited these two videos which helps explain Irrelevant Week.

Here is the second video.

The Lowsman Trophy and banquet “Celebrating Successful Underdogs” will feature emcees Salata and ESPN radio’s John Ireland.

The banquet is also scheduled to feature the following luminaries:

** John Robinson, former football coach at USC and Los Angeles Rams

** Hall-of-Famer Ron Yary, USC football and Minnesota Vikings

** Norm Chow, UCLA and USC college football offensive coordinator

** Jim Tunney, NFL referee for 31 years

** Sam Cunningham, Former USC Trojan and New England Patriot and member of College Football Hall of Fame

** Anthony Davis, played at USC and for the LA Rams

** Olympians including Janet Evans (two time Olympian and winner of four gold medals), John Nabor (1976 Olympian and five-time medal winner) and Sammy Lee (two-time Olympian and two-time gold medal winner).

Prior to the banquet, the official arrival party gets underway starting at 5:00 p.m.  This free portion of the event features fun and gifts for Mr. Irelevant.  Some past gifts have included:

• Get out of Jail free card
• A Clock to keep track how long Mr. Irrelevant sits on the bench
• Toilet seat covers
• Kayak
• Make him a millionaire for a day.  He gets interest on $1 million for one day
• Streets named after him
• Different “uniforms” in case he does not make his selected team, the Detroit Lions (UPS uniform, In and Out Uniform, grocery bagger uniform)
• First aid kits

Individual tickets for the banquet are available for $150 and you can reserve a ticket or a table by calling (949-263-0727).

If you consider yourself a hard core NFL football fan, you may have watched the entire football draft of college players.   I doubt it but you may have.   If you are Paul Salata, the last pick is just as good as the first.

Salata, a former football player at USC and briefly in the NFL, led his annual crusade to the NFL draft party and helped announce the final pick.  For Salata and friends, why is this just as important as the Lions number one pick?

The last pick of the draft is honored annually by Salata and friends in Newport Beach at an annual event called Irrelevent Week.  The 256th pick is made a hero, (and the butt of a few jokes) which includes a few days of good fun and all in the name of charity.

You know the Heisman trophy?  Draft Number 256 is awarded the “Lowsman” trophy which includes a statue of a football player dropping the pigskin.

This year, the Orange County Goodwill Fitness Center is the benefit of all of the fun and antics, which includes a banquet dinner and a few excuses for a party and drinks.

According to Salata and the organization’s web site, It all began in 1976 when a totally unknown and obscure wide receiver from the almost totally unknown University of Dayton, Kelvin Kirk, became the last player selected in the NFL draft that year – Old # 487 – and he was quite shockingly invited to Newport Beach for a week of upside-down celebrating and cheering.Irrelevant Week was born.
It all transpired that historic first week just as Irrelevant Week founder Paul Salata hoped and dreamed. Hardly anyone outside of Newport Beach swooned or blinked. Few noticed. Fewer cared. Perfect. It was so irrelevant that birds didn’t even sing (IW history section, not my line).

And so what was originally planned to be a mere one-shot-only, once-in-a-lifetime brief flight into happy lunacy lingered and survived and grew into something much more.

Once Irrelevant Week hit age 20, it became rather obvious that it will never go away. It’s here to stay.

This year’s chosen one, South Carolina place kicker Ryan Succop will be thanking the Kansas City Chiefs for years to come.   Now you might think that the last pick will never make an NFL team so he might as well enjoy all of the attention during the week in which he is honored, right?  Let’s take a quick look at previous “honorees.”

Just last year, Mr. Irrelevant David Vobora (Idaho) not only made the St. Louis Rams but appeared in eight games and started one.  Here is a complete list of past Mr. Irrelevant’s, the pick in the draft and the team that draft them.  If you see their names in blue, they stuck around and played in the NFL.

2007 (255) Detroit Lions
Ramzee Robinson, CB Alabama

2006 (255) Oakland Raiders
Kevin McMahan, WR Maine

2005 (255) New England Patriots
Andy Stokes, TE William & Penn

2004 (255) Oakland Raiders
Andre Sommersell, OLB Colorado State

2003 (262) Oakland Raiders
Ryan Hoag, WR Gustavus Adolphus

2002 (261) Houston Texans
Ahmad Miller, DT UNLV

2001 (246) Arizona Cardinals
Tevita Ofahengaue, TE Brigham Young

2000 (254) Chicago Bears
Michael Green, DB NW Louisiana

1999 (253) Chicago Bears
James Finn, RB Pennsylvania

1998 (241) Baltimore Ravens
Cam Quayle, TE Weber State

1997 (240) Green Bay Packers
Ronnie McAda, QB Army

1996 (254) San Francisco 49ers
Sam Manuel, LB New Mexico State

1995 (249) Carolina Panthers
Michael Reed, DB Boston College

1994 (222) New England Patriots
Marty Moore, LB Kentucky

1993 (224) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Daron Alcorn, K Akron

1992 (336) Washington Redskins
Matt Elliott, C Michigan

1991 (334) New York Giants
Larry Wanke, QB John Carroll

1990 (331) Los Angeles Raiders
Demetrius Davis, TE Nevada

1989 (335) Minnesota Vikings
Everett Ross, WR Ohio State

1988 (333) Los Angeles Rams
Jeff Bethard, WR Southern Oregon State

1987 (335) Green Bay Packers
Norman Jefferson, DB Louisiana State

1986 (333) San Diego Chargers
Mike Travis, DB Georgia Tech

1985 (336) San Francisco 49ers
Donald Chumley, DT Georgia

1984 (336) Los Angeles Raiders
Randy Essington, QB Colorado

1983 (335) New York Giants
John Tuggle, RB California

1982 (334) San Francisco 49ers
Tim Washington, DB Fresno State

1981 (332) Oakland Raiders
Phil Nelson, TE Delaware

1980 (333) Pittsburgh Steelers
Tyrone McGriff, G Florida A&M

1979 (330) Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Almond, WR NW Louisiana

1978 (333) Miami Dolphins
Bill Kenney, QB Northern Colorado

1977 (335) Oakland Raiders
Rolf Benirshke, K California-Davis

1976 (487) Pittsburgh Steelers
Kelvin Kirk, WR Dayton

As for Salata, by the time he saddled up to the NFL microphone to announce the final secrion, most of the people were already gone.  No matter.  It’s all irrelevent.

Here is the scedule for this year

Monday June 22

“Kick-Off” Arrival Beach Party

$20 per person

Welcome Mr. Irrelevant to Our Community (Newport Beach)

Tuesday, June 23

Guest of Disneyland & Angels Game

Wednesday June 24

All Star Lowsman Banquet

Newport Beach Marriott

Celebrities and NFL players team up to roast and toast Mr. Irrelevant

Thursday, June 25

Guest of Balboa Yach Club Sailing and BBQ

Friday June 26

Closing Ceremonies

For updated information about this year’s event, you can go to http://www.irrelevantweek.com/