It's Horseplay!!

In "A Scuffle, A Stonewall, and a Season", Scissorgate is discussed and disected. In this case study, we see a great example of how sometimes, rarely, an organization can successfully simply ignore a problem and hope it goes away. This is essentially what it seems is the message organizations give when they issue "no comment" statements to the media. This practice may be viewed as the typical "good ole boy" response, and particularly in the instance of the Cowboys, that seems accurate. However, it seems understanding the media is essential in effective public relations. Media is, by its very nature, a curious and invasive beast. Saying no comment is akin to saying "please interview every person within the vicinity of this event to figure out what really happened since we are being evasive, and dishonest". As is so rightly asked in the article "if it was accidental by-product of horseplay, why not tell details? If not, why not identify guilty parties as a part of the punishment?"
This lack of honesty on the part of an organization can lead to even further complications, and can set the organization to be subject to speculative and inaccurate muckraking. We see this happen all the time, not only with organizations, but individuals. For example, a few weeks ago, comedic actor Owen Wilson reportedly attempted to take his own life. Eventually his publicist released a statement, but in the day or two interim, no less than 1,540 articles (based on a google search) were published speculating why, with reasons ranging from heroin to a woman. Meanwhile, it's potentially ruining this guys career. Nine times out of ten, the media doesn't show sensitivity or compassion. "No comment" can signal the sound of the death knell, not only for the individual, but for the group.