John Beck: 7 Reasons Why He's the Most Interesting Athlete in Washington
The phenomenon occurring in Washington, D.C., is anything but logical. Many appear to be going with the flow, while some have labeled it with catchy titles and the rest of us continue to scratch our heads in confusion.
But the questions remains; why is Redskins quarterback John Beck the most interesting athlete in Washington?
Even as a 29-year-old veteran who hasn't thrown a regular season pass since 2007, Beck continues to be a large trending topic as he prepares to compete with less-than-mediocre quarterbacks to become the Redskins' starting signal-caller.
While it's highly unlikely that there is any kind of method to the madness, I have done my best (with the help of Washington Post hot shot Dan Steinberg) to understand the reasoning behind "Beckmania".
No. 1: He's a Champion...Kinda
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To me, it's a little weird. To others, maybe it's interesting. But for whatever reason, John Beck was more than happy to show off the two World Wrestling Entertainment Championship belts that he keeps in his locker. That's right, not one, but TWO wrestling belts in plain view!
"Champion belts, I brought these over with me," Beck told NBC. "I haven't got another partner yet, I was the champion with somebody else. Maybe Carriker will be my partner, but anytime somebody wants to challenge me, I'll put these belts on the line, whatever it may be. Whatever game it is, I'm already the champion."
I don't like to admit my wrestling fandom as a child, but I do know a thing or two about the game. And from what it sounds like, Beck is implying that he's a Tag-Team Champion of some sort.
Although I have not the slightest idea of how Beck could be the champion of anything at this point in his professional sporting career, at least he's got the right attitude. The attitude of a champion.
No. 2: Beck Was Born to Be a Quarterback
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According to the Miami Herald (coming from his days with the Dolphins), when Beck was just four months old, "his parents remember him grabbing his empty bottle, hurling it toward the front of their church, and clocking an older man in the head."
And by the time he was two, Beck was able to throw a perfect spiral with a Nerf football, that too coming from the Miami Herald.
First things first, no one knows what the hell they could do when they were four months old. And I don't mean to call Beck's parents liars, but how did this kid throw a bottle before he even knew how to feed himself?
Not to mention, his parents used the word 'rows,' as in plural. That's not just one row, that's at least two rows. Whether you believe mom and dad or not, that's a cannon for a baby that likely measured under 30 inches tall.
As for the spiral at age two, well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there's a lot of two-year-olds that can get lucky and learn how to throw a small foam football. Maybe not.
But, not to be too judgmental, I'll confess that my spiral didn't develop until well after my second birthday. And for that, it's safe to say that John Beck is definitely a better option at quarterback than me.
No. 3: Forget Cartoons, The Kid Watches Football
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I can't speak for everyone, but I know that when I was eight-years-old, I probably wanted to be a few other things for Halloween before I chose to be a football player (especially a specific player).
Well, not for little John Beck.
According to the Desert Morning News, Beck dressed as Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon for Halloween when he was just eight-years-old. Beck completed the costume by wearing a sweatband, jersey, turf shoes and carrying a football.
Batman? G.I. Joe? A ninja? Nope! Beck would rather be the poppy Jim McMahon as he walks around and terrorizes the other kids until they surrender their candy.
Let's assume that John Beck has been bleedin' NFL football since he was at least eight. That's good enough. Hopefully he leaves the McMahon "swagger" at home.
No. 4: Loyal and Proud
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As most of you know, Beck is a Brigham Young University alum, hence the nickname "Stormin' Mormon". And after Beck's graduation, his Cougar pride didn't run. In fact, it seems to have increased.
Because of his admiration for former BYU quarterback Steve Young, Beck tried to force himself to be a lefty, and “even now, he can throw 20-yard spirals left-handed while playing with two young nephews," says The Sun Sentinel.
And while Steve Young was a great guy to emulate, it may have been Beck's latter move that really showed his pride.
When Beck and his wife had their first of three sons, they named him Ty...as in BYU great Ty Detmer. And when Beck was playing youth football, he wore No. 14 in honor of Detmer.
Cool? Hardly. But it's nice to see his loyalty to a program. Given the opportunity, I wonder how Beck would lead a football team when they're under as much scrutiny as the Washington Redskins.
No. 5: An Avid Hunter And...Director?
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One could realize Beck's love for hunting simply by checking out Dan Steinberg's clever post here.
Click that link and feast your eyes on numerous photos including Beck and random dead animal species. Deer, elk, fish, you name it. If it's able to be hunted, Beck has likely bagged it.
And to make it even better (I think) is the fact that Beck writes, directs, produces and stars in his own homemade hunting videos.
According to the Desert Morning News, Beck was originally "inspired by a video by family friend Marty McCoy of an African safari as well as cable TV outdoor features he’d seen, Beck has since produced digital 'hunting shows' starring his teammates.
"They are complete with how-to-do-it interviews, breaking down the bunny hunts, hunter profiles, hunter portrait shots, action scenes, fade-ins and overlay graphics."
What's more impressive, Beck's gun-toting ability or his cut-editing technique? How about being multi-faceted and skilled in two completely different subjects?
Quarterbacks have to be able to skilled in more than one thing too, right?
No. 6: High Hopes with Big Goals
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After Beck graduated high school, he told the Arizona Republic that his collegiate goal was "a perfect season: that’s 60 percent completions, no interceptions, a lot of touchdowns to help the team, and taking the team as far as it can go. In college, that would be a national championship."
Sounds a bit ridiculous, yes. But that's coming from a young and hungry 18-year-old that has his mind set on taking on the world! He had big goals, fell a little short and I'd assume that he's living his dream at this point.
With the chance of starting for the Washington Redskins this upcoming season, let's just hope that Beck has kept his same big-goal mindset and that he continues to work his way there.
Perhaps a realistic goal for Beck in his potential first year as the Redskins starter: avoid turnovers, stay out of Shanahan's doghouse and understand the fans' current (and long-running) state of depression.
No. 7: He's Got That "Intangible" Stuff
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Remember a few months ago when all the NFL draft geeks talked about Jake Locker's intangibles? Forget whether you know what it is, just know that John Beck has the intangibles, too.
According to Steinberg, Beck's favorite movie is "Rudy." Is there any other film more fitting? Maybe "Any Given Sunday" would have fit the bill, but Beck probably avoids brief nudity and strong language at all times.
The Salt Lake Tribune described Beck as "Dudley Do-Right". I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not, as the real Dudley Do-Right is described as a dim-witted Canadian Mountie who was always trying to catch his nemesis, but the point is that Beck is an all-around good guy.
In other words, I don't think Redskins fans would have to worry about Beck going to a club and shooting himself in the leg or feeling up a waitress at a rooftop bar.
Beck was also described by the Desert Morning News as "a gym rat on steroids, chasing cheddar." And for those wondering -- I'm dead serious. I believe that anything on steroids would go crazy over some nice cheese, but a rat loves the stuff without the quaaludes! That's a serious threat.
This is it, ladies and gentlemen. Prepare yourself for Beckmania and hop on board the Stormin' Mormon train!
Shae Cronin is a Redskins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and founder of the D.C.-based sports website BetBigDC.com
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