I’m not going to recount the stupid free agent signings, mistreatment of a good head coach and then of a very good defensive coordinator, selling of general admission tickets to other teams’ fans while the hometown waiting list for those seats grew and grew, or other faux pas that comprise his body of work.  I don’t have to – we all know what we loyal Redskins fans have endured.  Besides, I think Mike Shanahan is turning all of that, except for ticketgate, around.  Then again, I’ll judge that in 2012 when the Redskins should be very competitive.

Can you imagine not wanting your team to win the Super Bowl, especially after being starved for back-to-back winning records?  I couldn’t until this week.  But now?  Well, I can’t fathom watching Dan Snyder gauk in front of the cameras as the team he’s run into the ground wins in spite of his best efforts.  For me to say this, something gut-wrenching has to have taken place.  I’ve been a ‘Skins fan all my life.  My family has season tickets.  I fly into town to go to games at great expense.  I’ve never once thought about switching teams – not once.  I still haven’t, but I am incredibly embarrassed and angry.

Read the Washington Post’s latest article on Dan Snyder’s fued with The City Paper.  Then, read the comments posted by readers.  You’ll see that, despite the obvious fact everyone has a right to protect his or her reputation, Mr. Snyder’s bullying tactics toward Creative Loafing (The City Paper’s parent) and the ridiculously inflamatory letter supporting him from the Simon Weisenthal Center have hardened negative public perceptions of the Redskins’ owner on a scale that can’t be denied or rolled back.

Dan Snyder is a marketing genius.  He needs to hire another marketing genius to dig out from the public relations grave he’s dug for himself.  Better yet, if he truly loves the team in which he has invested so much, he should sell it.