Salata: Good News

Roger Carlson

NEWPORT BEACH - Paul Salata, the honorary mayor of Newport Beach

and the king of Irrelevant Week, was recovering from colon cancer surgery

Friday afternoon at Hoag Hospital with every apparent sign on the

positive side, according to family spokespersons.

Salata, scheduled for surgery at 7:30 a.m., was out of the surgery

room at 2:30 p.m. and Dr. Daniel Ng of Newport Beach, according to

Salata’s secretary, Pat Taylor, said “His heart is strong and I believe

we’ve got everything. It looks good.”

A recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Football

League Alumni Association, Salata has been responsible for Irrelevant

Week festivities over the past 25 years, a week-long celebration of the

last player picked in the annual NFL college draft.

He has also been a constant source of commitment to Newport Beach,

Corona del Mar and Costa Mesa athletes on the high school level over the

years.

Also notable, among many awards, was a Lifetime Achievement Award from

the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame.

His playing days were with the University of Southern California

Trojans, the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers

and Calgary Stampeders.

Irrelevant Week, celebrating the last player picked in the draft, was

an idea of Salata’s to honor someone for no reason.”

Over the years it has brought Newport Beach significant recognition

from within the sports world.

A resident of Linda Isle with wife Beverly, the basic attitude around

the Salata household is that Irrelevant Week XXVI, scheduled for about

June 17-23, is fully anticipated.

For more on Salata, See A1.