Mr. Irrelevant (last person picked in the NFL draft)

The National Football League draft is held in the spring; a popular venue for the draft has been New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. The last player selected in the NFL draft is jocularly called “Mr. Irrelevant” and is celebrated during “Irrelevant Week” in Newport Beach, California. The “Mr. Irrelevant” concept was developed in 1976 by Newport Beach resident Paul Salata, who has trademarked the names of both “Mr. Irrelevant” and “Irrelevant Week,” with a first use in commerce of June 18, 1976.
   
 
Wikipedia: Mr. Irrelevant
“Mr. Irrelevant” is the title bestowed each year upon the last pick of the annual National Football League draft. Although the NFL Draft dates back to 1936, the first person to officially be given the “Mr. Irrelevant” title was Kelvin Kirk, pick number 487 of the 1976 draft.
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Irrelevant Week
“Irrelevant Week” arose in 1976, when former Southern California and NFL receiver Paul Salata founded the event in Newport Beach, California. He continues to announce the final pick of the NFL draft to this day; however, in 2014 his daughter announced the pick in his absence. During the summer after the draft, the new Mr. Irrelevant and his family are invited to spend a week in Newport Beach, California, where they enjoy a golf tournament, a regatta, a roast giving advice to the new draftee, and a ceremony awarding him the Lowsman Trophy. The trophy mimics the Heisman, but depicts a player fumbling a football.
   
TheUndefeated.org
About Irrelevant Week
Launched in 1976 by NFL alumnus Paul Salata, Irrelevant Week is the annual celebration recognized by the National Football League that honors the last player to be picked in the NFL Draft. Today, Irrelevant Week is the cornerstone of The Foundation for the Undefeated, a national nonprofit organization based in Newport Beach, California that champions stories of perseverance in sports to inspire greatness in others.
 
“We established Irrelevant Week to drive home an important message – that it’s not a negative to be picked last in the NFL Draft; rather, it’s an honor to be drafted at all,” says Salata. “The last draft pick’s demonstration of perseverance is lesson that resonates not only with NFL players and fans, but also with people everywhere.”
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The focus of international acclaim and media attention, the annual Irrelevant Week celebration kicks off at the NFL Draft with Paul Salata presiding over the official naming of “Mr. Irrelevant” as the last player drafted. Then, in early summer, Mr. Irrelevant is feted with a weeklong series of events held in Newport Beach, California. Mr. Irrelevant is the toast of an Arrival Party welcoming him to town, where NFL fans and the local community come out in force to cheer the player and shower him with gifts from businesses and patrons near and far.
     
19 June 1976, Seattle (WA) Times, “Last shall be first during Irrelevant Week” by Marshall Klein (Los Angeles Times), pg. C2, cols. 1-2:
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—Paul Salata is a man who:
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NOW SALATA has struck again with something called “Irrelevant Week,” honoring a football player named Kelvin Kirk.
 
Salata is a middle-aged sewer contractor who lives in Newport Beach. He says business has been slow lately, and he began casting about for something to do.
 
Then he read about Kirk, a wide receiver at the University of Dayton who was picked last—No. 487—in the National Football League draft.
 
“It occurred to me that we should honor the Jayvees of the world—people who were never quite good enough to make the varsity, ” Salata said. “And what better person than the last college player picked by the pros.”
 
12 July 1976, Brownsville (TX) Herald, pg. 9, cols. 7-9:
Last Pick In NFL Draft
THinks He’ll Make Pros
LATROBE, Pa. (UPI)—Wide receiver Kelvin Kirk graciously accepted the honors recently accorded him during “Irrelevant Week” in Los Angeles by virtue of his being selected last in the annual NFL college draft.
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But not too hard that Kirk couldn’t enjoy the inanity of being “Mr. Irrelevant” at “Irrelevance Week” in Orange County, California. He said it took him three days to realize that the invitation extended by fun-loving USC alumnus Paul Salata for a week’s vacation on the house at the Balbao Bay Club at Newport Beach was legitimate. But once he was there he threw himself into enjoying such sights as Disneyland, activities such as giving a bouquet to the winner of the “Miss Irrelevant” contest and presents of suits, briefcases and the like.
 
27 June 1985, Augusta (GA) Chronicle, pg. 1C, col. 1:
Mr. Irrelevant
Georgia’s Chumley honored as last NFL pick
 
Sports Illustrated
June 29, 1998
Q&A
The Mr. Irrelevant award is given out to the last player taken in the NFL draft. This year’s honoree is Cam Quayle, a 6’7”, 250-pound tight end from Weber State, who was selected by the Ravens in the 7th round with the 241st pick. Former Mr. Irrelevants include Redskins center Matt Elliott (1992) and Patriots linebacker Marty Moore (‘94). The highlight of last week’s festivities was a banquet in Quayle’s honor, attended by 300 celebrants, in Newport Beach, Calif. That’s where we caught up with him.
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Mr. Irrelevant : a novel
Author: Jerry Marshall
Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Durban House Pub., ©2000.
Edition/Format:   Book : Fiction : English : 1st ed
Database: WorldCat
Summary:
“Sportswriter Paul Tenkiller and pro football player Chesty Hake have been roommates for seven seasons. Paul’s Choctaw background of near poverty and his gambling on sports, and Hake’s dark memories of his mother being killed are the forces which will make their friendship go horribly wrong.”—Jacket.
 
Sports Illustrated
July 24, 2000
Who’s Mr. Irrelevant? Who Cares?
Safety Michael Green, drafted last by the Bears, may make the NFL—or may not
Franz Lidz
It was one of those existential moments perhaps only Jean-Paul Sartre could have savored properly. Michael Green was on the horn with his college sweetheart, Shayla Hunter, ruminating on his relevance. The Northwestern State ( Louisiana) free safety had just been picked 254th and dead last in the 2000 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. That dubious distinction entitled Green to be the guest of honor at the 25th annual celebration of Irrelevant Week, pro football’s last hurrah and tribute to the truly trivial. “Getting named Mr. Irrelevant sounds like a bad thing,” Hunter told Green. “Like you don’t matter. Like you’re a nobody.”
 
“I may be a nobody,” Green replied, “but somebody just called and offered us a free trip to Southern California.”
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark MR. IRRELEVANT
Goods and Services IC 036. US 100 101 102. G & S: Charitable fundraising services by means of organizing and conducting special events related to the professional American football league, the professional American football league draft, and players selected in the professional American football league draft. FIRST USE: 19760618. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760618
IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, organizing and conducting special events for social entertainment purposes, social entertainment events, sporting and cultural events, and parties related to the professional American football league, the professional American football league draft, and players selected in the professional American football league draft. FIRST USE: 19760618. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760618
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 77981940
Filing Date May 28, 2009
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition August 31, 2010
Registration Number 4000413
Registration Date July 26, 2011
Owner (REGISTRANT) Salata, Paul Thomas INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES 3723 Birch Street No. 11 Newport Beach CALIFORNIA 92660
Attorney of Record Sara N. Kerrane
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark IRRELEVANT WEEK
Goods and Services IC 036. US 100 101 102. G & S: Charitable fundraising services by means of organizing and conducting special events related to the professional football league, the professional football league draft, and players selected in the professional football league draft. FIRST USE: 19760618. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760618
IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Entertainment services, namely, organizing and conducting special events for social entertainment purposes, social entertainment events, sporting and cultural events, and parties related to the professional football league, the professional football league draft, and players selected in the professional football league draft. FIRST USE: 19760618. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19760618
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 77981942
Filing Date May 28, 2009
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition October 12, 2010
Registration Number 4033217
Registration Date October 4, 2011
Owner (REGISTRANT) Salata, Paul Thomas INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES 3723 Birch Street No. 11 Newport Beach CALIFORNIA 92660
Attorney of Record Sara N. Kerrane
Disclaimer NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE “WEEK” FOR INTERNATIONAL CLASSES 36 AND 41 APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE