Top Washington D.C. Sports Stories 2011, No. 2: Rex Grossman, John Beck And Redskins' QB Controversy

It's a tradition as old as the Washington Redskins' franchise itself. It's a quarterback controversy. The only difference in 2011 is that, when given the choice between Rex Grossman and John Beck, most Redskins fans would have chosen neither. Still, someone had to emerge, and in the end, it was Grossman, but not after one of the more forgetful "battles" of all time.

The wheels were put in place in April, when Mike Shanahan, despite the spectacular Donovan McNabb failure, elected to pass on taking a quarterback at the 2012 NFL Draft. From there, a lockout helped provide momentum for Beck, even though his only previous experience was being benched on a 1-15 team. As Grossman figured out his own free agency situation, Beck was installed as the de facto starter, and once Grossman returned, the battle was on. Along the way, Shanahan made perhaps his clumsiest public statement yet, saying he staked his reputation on both being able to play.

Eventually, despite reports that the "fix" was in for Beck, Grossman won the job. But after a disasterous four-interception performance against the Eagles, Grossman was out and Beck was in. Here was Shanahan's chance to prove the naysayers wrong. Instead, the Redskins never led in losing all three games Beck started in blowout fashion. Grossman ended up finishing the season strong, and Beck's opportunity faded by the wayside.

The hope is that we'll all look back at 2011 as the year two bad quarterbacks kept the seat warm for whichever phenom the team takes in the 2012 NFL Draft. Either way, the Rex-Beck battle was entertaining in a sadistic sort of way.

• John Beck To Be Given Chance To Be Washington Redskins' Starting Quarterback, According To Report (StoryStream)
• John Beck May Be Washington Redskins' Starting QB, But He's Not Taking Them To Playoffs, by Chad Dukes
• NFL Free Agency: Why Going With John Beck Is Best Alternative For Redskins, by Danny Fersh
  
• Chain Reactions: John Beck, Rex Grossman Engage In Quarterback Battle For Ages, by Scott Jackson
• Chain Reactions: John Beck Ready to Become Kurt Warner 2.0 For Washington Redskins?, by Scott Jackson
• Did NFL Preseason Really Teach Us Anything About John Beck?, by Mike Prada
  
• Rex Grossman Reacts To Being Named Redskins' Starting Quarterback (StoryStream)
• Eagles Vs. Redskins: Rex Grossman Benched As Washington Falls To Philadelphia (StoryStream)
  
• Washington Redskins Back At Square One At Quarterback After Rex Grossman Benching, by Daniel Shiferaw
• John Beck Named Washington Redskins' Starting Quarterback, Rex Grossman Benched (StoryStream)
  
• Rex Grossman Or John Beck? Washington Redskins Will Solve QB Position In 2012 NFL Draft Instead, by Martin Shatzer
• John Beck Vs. Rex Grossman: The Rare Boring NFL Quarterback Controversy, by Mike Prada
• The John Beck Experiment Failed, So It's Time For Rex Grossman's Return, by JP Finlay
• Redskins Vs. Dolphins: Rex Grossman To Start At QB Over John Beck, Report Says
  
• Chain Reactions: Let's Talk About Rex Grossman, by Scott Jackson
• Would Washington Redskins Be A Playoff Team If Rex Grossman Wasn't Benched?, by Mike Prada
  

For the complete D.C. Top 10 of 2011 countdown, visit this StoryStream. For more coverage of Washington D.C. sports, visit our D.C. blogs:

• Hogs Haven (Redskins)
• Japers' Rink (Capitals)
• Bullets Forever (Wizards)
• Federal Baseball (Nationals)
• Black and Red United (D.C. United)
• Testudo Times (Maryland)
• Casual Hoya (Georgetown)