In the English language, there are some phrases that mean the opposite of what you would think they mean on their face value. One such example is by saying, “No offense, but” and then going from there. You can generally assume that what follows will be offensive in some way, intentionally or not.
Another one of these phrases is “Not to throw anyone under the bus, but” and then proceeding to say something that, well, throws somebody under the bus. This is precisely why it was so interesting when John Sherman said a variation of that theme in a conversation with the Kansas City Star—specifically to columnists Sam McDowell and Vahe Gregorian, who did an excellent job in asking respectful yet pointed questions of the Royals’ owner.