Which statement was more sincere?

The NY Post just ran an article about the wife of Washington Redskins GM, Jessica McCloughan. The relevant excerpt:

In a tweet sent out earlier this week, Jessica McCloughan, the wife of Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan, asked ESPN reporter Dianna Russini if she used oral sex to obtain a scoop about the team's front office souring on quarterback Robert Griffin III. 

Here was Jessica's original tweet: 

"Please tell us how many blow jobs you had to give to get this story. And did they laugh at you before or after?"

After the Tweet started making the rounds early Wednesday, Redskins management went into full damage control mode. By Wednesday evening Jessica had released the following statement through them: 

“I deeply apologize for the disparaging remarks about an ESPN reporter on my personal Twitter account. The comment was unfounded and inappropriate, and I have the utmost respect for both the reporter and ESPN. I regret that my actions have brought undeserved negative attention to the Redskins organization and its leadership. My comments in no way reflect the opinions or attitudes of the organization, and I regret that my behavior has in any way negatively impacted the team and its loyal fan base.”

(Translation: Please don't sue me.)

Do you think Jessica wrote a single word of her own statement? Do you think this is the tone she is taking in private with her friends now?

Will the real Jessica please stand up? (Oh, your hubby told you to remain sitting for now? Okay.)

Wednesday evening's release has that standard, bland-but-stilted, written-by-the-Public-Relations-Department-and-vetted-by-lawyers sound which is recognizable from a mile away. It's almost a different language. We seem to hear it more and more often these days, and it usually follows a public figure having unwisely blurted out an ugly truth.

PR-speak is often unintentionally funny, as it invariably attempts to cover up that honesty with some very obvious dishonesty. Jessica has "the utmost respect" for Dianna? Sure didn't sound like it to me.

PR might as well stand for Pusillanimous Revisionism.

If people actually thought and spoke the way those press releases read, it would make for a very boring world indeed.

After the Redskins' statement, ESPN released the following statement:

“Dianna is an excellent reporter who should never have to be subjected to such vulgar comments. We are obviously disappointed by today’s developments.”

(Translation: While we are aware of Dianna's offscreen reputation, we're certainly not going to acknowledge it publicly.)

Here's Jessica with husband Scot, the GM:

And here's Dianna Russini:

I know, you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but neither Jessica nor her husband Scot look like the type who is overly troubled by inhibition. Or, maybe a few drinks had been imbibed before that picture was taken. (And, maybe, a few before that fateful tweet as well.)

Then again, Dianna doesn't exactly look shy and reticent either.

Anyway, there's nothing like a lack of inhibition to start a good catfight.

We'll probably never know the entire truth of that story.

We'll certainly never hear it from a PR Department.