Steve Kim: The attempt to convict Cal McNair of a hate crime offends me far more than his alleged crime

On Tuesday, it was reported that the chairman of the Houston Texans, Cal McNair, had apologized for making anti-Asian remarks at a team function back in May.

What was his offense?

According to Bally Sports, the PC/woke crime police charged McNair with a felonious case of insensitivity. When he addressed a crowd at the River Oaks Country Club for the Houston Texans Foundation Charity Golf Classic, McNair uttered these words: "I'm sorry we couldn't get together last year, because of the China virus."

I'm shocked there wasn't an immediate riot. But maybe that's because McNair immediately started apologizing.

"I immediately apologized to people who approached me then and I apologize again now. I know how important it is to choose my words carefully. I would never want to offend anyone," McNair said in a statement to Bally Sports.

A few years ago, McNair's late father, Bob, ruffled a few feathers when he said that the league "can't have the inmates running the prison" during a meeting with fellow NFL owners as they discussed the issues of players demonstrations during the national anthem.

McNair, who passed away in 2018, actually botched the phrase. It's really "inmates running the asylum," a reference to the 1989 film "Dr. Caligari." What it really means is that you simply can't have the least capable individuals in charge of running an organization.

But back to his son's comments, for years various viruses were given names based on where they originated. From the Spanish flu (which is self-explanatory) and Zika virus (which originated from the Zika Valley in central Africa) to MERS (which stood for Middle East respiratory syndrome), many illnesses had monikers that were geographically based.

It's interesting, though, that before this pandemic officially became COVID, it was known as the Wuhan coronavirus. Don't believe me? All you had to do was turn on some of the same major media outlets that are so outraged by certain labels used by select individuals.

Right now, the Texans are having a miserable year. Currently they are dead last in the AFC South with a record of 1-6, and their relationship with Deshaun Watson is not destined for a … happy ending. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

The story on McNair is selective outrage, at best. An overreaching agenda at worst. This should be a non-story.

Several months ago the term "China virus" — or anything close to it — was blamed for the spike in so-called Asian hate. Asians were allegedly less safe in their communities. But the truth is crime spiked throughout the country on all races, colors, and creeds.

McNair's words might be ill-timed, but they certainly aren't as damaging as the narratives that are crafted from them.

I'm not Chinese, but I am Asian last I checked. I'm Korean. Am I offended by McNair's words? No.