How the NFL Draft's “Mr. Irrelevant” nickname came to be
Plus: Andre Agassi out of retirement…
Good morning. Some results from The Athletic’s annual anonymous NBA player poll, released this week:
- Most overrated player: Tyrese Haliburton
- Most underrated player: Cade Cunningham
- Who will be the face of the league in five years? Victor Wembanyama
- Player you’d least like to fight: James Johnson
- Favorite to win this year’s title: Boston Celtics
- Most likely to hold a press conference with no attendees allowed: Nico Harrison
We may have made up the last one.
On the clock: This newsletter takes ~4.32 minutes to read (1,150 words).
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🏈 NFL DRAFT
How the “Mr. Irrelevant” nickname came to be
Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off in Green Bay tonight. Which means a new Mr. Irrelevant—potentially the most-beloved underdog in all of sports—will soon be crowned.
Since its introduction, the moniker, given to the last player taken in the draft each year, has ironically grown to become very relevant. The fanfare surrounding the pick has sparked an official rule to prevent teams choosing second-to-last from passing on their pick, and even spawned a beer named after it.
It all started…with Paul Salata, a former USC and NFL wide receiver, who in 1976 secured approval from then-commissioner Pete Rozelle for the concept.
Salata, a 10th-round pick in the 1949 NFL Draft, liked the idea of celebrating the underdog—the idea wasn’t designed as a cutting Kill Tony-style roast, but meant to be endearing. "It's irrelevant that you're drafted last," Salata would say, according to ESPN’s Ryan Hockensmith. "I want to show that the last guy is special, too."
- Following the draft each year, Mr. Irrelevant and guests are invited to Newport Beach, California, for Irrelevant Week.
- Staple activities include a trip to Disneyland, a day-long restaurant/bar crawl, a contest against the world's fastest beer chugger, and a banquet where the Lowsman Trophy, a spoof of the Heisman Trophy that portrays a player fumbling the ball, is awarded.
One anecdote: Kelvin Kirk, the OG Mr. Irrelevant, missed his flight from Ohio to California for Irrelevant Week. Salata, who had pitched a group of local reporters and cameramen on covering the event’s first-ever festivities and didn’t like the idea of leaving them hanging, instructed his daughter to find a Kelvin Kirk-lookalike and pass him off as Mr. Irrelevant until the real Kirk arrived. It worked.
Irrelevant relevance has never been higher
On average, the last pick in the NFL draft plays 11 regular-season games in his career, or less than a full regular season. And between 1994-2008, Mr. Irrelevants consistently churned out lower Weighted Career Approximate Values when compared to other seventh-round picks, per ESPN.
But…The past four Mr. Irrelevants, which include 49ers QB Brock Purdy, have so far posted a total Approximate Value (AV) of 44. The 15 Mr. Irrelevants from 1994-2008 had a total AV of 48.
Zoom out: In preparation for Round 1, check out an NFL insider’s mock draft, see the latest player rankings/team needs, or put on your Kevin Costner Draft Day-GM hat and use this free simulator to make picks yourself.
🔥🏀 In partnership with Extra Points
Beyond box scores: The real forces shaping college sports
Forget hot takes and highlight reels. Extra Points delivers the substantive insights that shape collegiate athletics—the stories nobody else is covering.
Recent deep dives from Matt Brown's investigative reporting include:
- 👨⚕️ Medicare standards and strategies for college athletes
- 🏀 Where basketball players who hit the transfer portal actually go
- 💰 Throwing millions into NIL to win statewide elections
Every issue connects dots between athletics, finance, and policy that mainstream outlets miss entirely. This isn't sports coverage—it's intelligence for people who understand college sports are about more than games.
⏱️ Catch Up Quick
Headlines de la semaine
👀 All eyez are on the NBA Playoffs. The league’s opening playoff weekend averaged 4.4M viewers/game across all platforms, the highest mark in 25 years, with ESPN recording its most-watched opening weekend in network history. Analysts say the ratings boost—which follows a 2% annual decline in regular-season ratings—is largely driven by a Round 1 “laden with stars,” especially the Nuggets-Clippers, Warriors-Rockets, and Lakers-T’Wolves matchups. As of this morning, the first two games of Round 1 are in the books—see the full bracket here.
🙈…while the Stanley Cup Playoffs are struggling to attract viewers. Through Monday, NHL postseason games were averaging 718k viewers across ESPN and TNT Sports. It marks a 27% decrease compared to last year—despite taking place over the Easter weekend, which typically boosts sports viewership. The decline is widely attributed to more Canadian teams in the playoffs than usual (five), combined with a lack of “glamor” teams from New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh. On the ice, Round 1 playoff action is in full swing.
💪 The NL is dominating the AL in early MLB action. Teams have played between 22-26 games heading into today—and thus far, the National League has established a noticeable edge over the American League. The overall head-to-head matchup is 67-54 in the NL’s favor, while the Senior Circuit also outpaces the AL in teams with positive run differentials (nine vs. five) and teams with 15+ wins (five vs. two). And it’s not just the teams—NL players make up nine of the top 11 MLB batters and eight of the top 13 MLB pitchers by fWAR (wins above replacement per Fangraphs).
🏓 The Racket To Paddle Pipeline
Tennis legend Andre Agassi is taking up pro pickleball
Tennis Hall-of-Famer Andre Agassi, a former #1-ranked player who retired in 2006, is set to compete in the mixed pro division at the US Open Pickleball Championships alongside Anna Leigh Waters, the top-ranked pickleball player in the world. It’ll be his first pro pickleball appearance.
The event, which draws crowds of ~50,000 each year, kicks off Saturday.
Not his dad’s racket sport
The 54-year-old Agassi may hate tennis—but he’s been quite active in the pickleball community. He’s participated in made-for-TV pickleball exhibitions with other former tennis players like John McEnroe, and recently released his own pickleball paddle with JOOLA.
He’s not the only pro to make the switch. Former Wimbledon finalist Genie Bouchard—one of many pro tennis players to swap out their rackets for paddles—is entering her second year of pro pickleball.
- Top players, like Waters (who’s been a mainstay in the sport since she was 12 years old; now 18), can take home millions from salary and endorsement deals.
- In fact, pickleball players now make more money than WNBA and NWSL players.
Zoom out: Pickleball was the fastest-growing sport in America in 2024 for the fourth consecutive year, according to USA Pickleball—much to the chagrin of hardcore tennis enthusiasts and HOA board members everywhere, for whom the loud “thwacks” serve as a constant reminder of what’s been lost (court space and peace & quiet).
🔥🥳 In partnership with PrizePicks
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- 📱 Easily set Lineups on the app by choosing more or less on 2-6 players across a wide variety of sports
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- 🔥 The playoffs are heating up–lock in your picks daily and watch the excitement unfold
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💬 Word on the Street
Overheard
“Buy once, cheer forever.”
The Texas Rangers’ marketing team has set the stage for the ultimate win-win-win scenario.
Their latest ticket promotion, called the “Golden Chicket,” gives fans free tickets for every Rangers home game—so long as the team remains victorious.
How it works: The deal covers every fan who purchases a mezzanine ticket for the Rangers’ game vs. the Athletics this coming Monday.
- If the Rangers win, fans will receive a free ticket to the team’s next home game in the same mezzanine level, courtesy of fast-food sponsor Golden Chick.
- It doesn’t end there. As long as the Rangers keep winning at home, fans with a Golden Chicket can keep attending games for no additional cost.
FinanceTok talk: As of last night, the cheapest Golden Chicket was available for $99 (plus tax).
📰 News
What else is happening
- 🥊 WrestleMania 41, held last weekend, was the most viewed and highest-grossing event in WWE history.
- 🏃 Faith Kipyegon, a three-time Olympic gold medal winner and current women's mile record holder (4:07.64), announced she’s working with Nike to try and break the four-minute milestone.
- ⏩ The PGA Tour launched a test run of new pace-of-play rules on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour; under the guidelines, players are allowed to use rangefinders.
- 🏈 Safety Kerby Joseph agreed to a four-year, $86M extension with the Detroit Lions; the deal makes him the highest-paid safety in NFL history.
- 🧑⚖️ A federal judge delayed approval of the House v. NCAA settlement until a proposed policy for limiting roster sizes is changed.
🌐 Web Gems
Cool things to click
⭐ Drip, drip: From Deion Sanders to Ezekiel Elliott, explore NFL draft fashion throughout the years.
⛳ Watch: Bryson DeChambeau play six holes using four junior golf clubs from Walmart. Then feel bad about your performance with a $500 driver and $1,500 set of irons.
🏆 Officially awarded: The biggest bat flip of all time.
🤔 Trivia
The relevant, and irrelevant
Can you name the players picked with the first and last picks of the past three NFL drafts? Hint: The last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft is named somewhere in this newsletter.
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🤔 Answers
2022:
- #1 overall: DE Travon Walker out of Georgia; selected by the Titans
- Last: QB Brock Purdy out of Iowa State; selected by the 49ers
2023:
- #1 overall: QB Bryce Young out of Alabama; selected by the Panthers
- Last: DE Desjuan Johnson out of Toledo; selected by the Rams
2024:
- #1 overall: QB Caleb Williams out of USC; selected by the Bears
- Last: S Jaylen Key out of Alabama; selected by the Jets
