Photo by mosley.brian

Phew! It’s been quite the year, huh? In this periodic end-of-the-year series, we look at the people and places that made 2011 what it was. So far, we’ve hit Mother Earth and the District’s unethical government. In this installment, it’s Dan Snyder.

When the professional sports team you own is consistently performing poorly on and off the field, the least your fans could expect is something of a charm offensive to dull the sting of being close to the bottom of the rankings. Dan Snyder offered no such thing in 2011.

Instead, Snyder sued the City Paper over a cover story that rightfully mocked him, demanded that media outlets stop using the team name in blogs and segment titles (we opted for Washington R******s) and tried to test the constitutionality of a useful D.C. law protecting activists and journalists from frivolous and costly lawsuits. (Snyder is one for irony, it seems.)

Snyder did try to woo Hispanic fans with a Spanish-language version of “Hail to the Redskins” and environmentalists with solar panels at FedEx Field, but also seemed to embrace his place in the one percent by spending some $70 million on a share of a 224-foot-long yacht—one of the world’s largest. And while he did end up dropping the City Paper lawsuit in September, it likely didn’t help counter the impression held by many that he’s something of a jerk. And did anyone believe him when he told The New York Times Magazine he never read the “Cranky Redskins Fan’s Guide”?

When compared to Ted Leonsis (Wizards and Caps), the Lerner family (Nats) and the entire D.C. United management, Snyder just makes it so easy to dislike him. (And plenty of people seem to.) That’s why it’s so baffling that Mayor Vince Gray and various members of the D.C. Council still speak of bringing the team back to the District, even if only a training facility located near RFK Stadium. Is there any real expectation that the city wouldn’t end up on the losing end of that deal?

Here’s to hoping for a better 2012, Dan. Or maybe just no more lawsuits.