Irrelevant Week XXV Countdown

You’d think a Super Bowl championship, Super Bowl Most Valuable

Player Award and NFL Most Valuable Player honor would be enough for the

St. Louis Rams’ underdog quarterback, Kurt Warner.

But not so.

Warner was bestowed yet another accolade -- and perhaps his highest

achievement following his Cinderella season -- when he was named Grand

Marshall of Irrelevant Week, the annual celebration of the last man

picked in the NFL draft.

Warner was an undrafted free agent when he began his career with the

Green Bay Packers in 1994 and, thus, was never eligible to become Mr.

Irrelevant. The zany, weeklong madcap festival wouldn’t be called

Irrelevant Week if little facts like that were actually relevant.

“What the heck, let’s give him the hardware,” IW founder Paul Salata said

upon presenting Warner, formerly of the Arena Football League, with his

own Lowsman Trophy and naming him an honorary Mr. Irrelevant.

In addition to being named Grand Marshall, Warner has been invited to

take place in the Irrelevant Week events June 19-23 in Newport Beach. As

a contingency plan in case Warner can’t make the trip out west, he has

sent a videotaped message to the newest member of the Irrelevant club,

Northwestern State (La.) free safety Michael Green, who was picked 254th

and absolutely dead last by the Chicago Bears.

During Irrelevant Week’s famous All-Star Sports Banquet and Lowsman

Trophy presentation June 21 at the Newport Beach Marriott, Green will

receive sage advice from Warner, the king of the underdogs, while being

roasted, boasted and toasted by a slew of celebrity-studded well-wishers.

The silver anniversary Irrelevant Week kicks off Monday with the Arrival

Party at the Newport Dunes (5:30 p.m.). Details: (949) 263-0727.

-- by Richard Dunn