On the TunneySide of Sports May 3, 2021 #846 Up next… You Could’ve Waited!
After further review… Trevor Lawrence was the #1 National Football League’s draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in last week’s 2021 draft held in Cleveland, Ohio. He was recently quoted in Sports Illustrated Volume #132 Number 4 as saying: “Like, the sun was setting in Laguna Beach, California and I wanted to enjoy it.”
Trev, instead of being drafted by the Jags at No. 1 on the first day of the draft, you could have waited until Saturday and be selected at #260 or thereabouts as the last draft choice known as Mr. Irrelevant and enjoy a whole week in Newport Beach (adjacent to Laguna Beach). You could’ve spent many days in that sun.
Mr. Irrelevant? Who is that and how did that happen? Funny you should ask! It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and I was enjoying the setting sun in Newport Beach, when a knock at my door was a 30-year friend, Paul Salata. “Slats,” as we called him, also lived in Newport Beach and always had another idea. He said, “I want to do something for somebody for no good reason.” I said, “Sounds interesting, carry-on.” “I want to honor the last NFL draft choice every year. We’ll call him Mr. Irrelevant. I mean, what could be more irrelevant than the last NFL draft choice?” he said. Fewer than 100 of those drafted each year make it in the NFL.
So, now we celebrate the 46th ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ as announced yesterday by Melanie Salata Finch, who has stepped up from her dad to honor the selectee as this year’s Mr. Irrelevant (this article had to be written before the selection).
What’s in store for him? Well, they fly him to LAX, then helicopter him to John Wayne Airport in Irvine. A parade through the beach towns, a day in his honor at Disneyland, a banquet with celebrates roasting him and finally presenting him with the “Lowsman Trophy”.
At one time there was a horse race in his honor at Hollywood Park, but that’s now SoFi Stadium where the Rams and Chargers call their home.
It is a wonderful week to honor a player who, if he stays in southern California, can have many days watching that beautiful sunset!
Will you watch your favorite NFL player in the upcoming 102nd year of the NFL?
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