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- [00:01]
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Morgan and Morgan Representative
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Andy Beshear
Welcome to Episode six of the Andy Beshear Podcast. You can download the podcast on all major platforms or visit our YouTube channel at Andy Beshear Podcast Today's episode is going to be amazing. John Calipari, hall of Fame men's basketball coach, NCAA Champion, is going to start off our conversation. We're going to talk about basketball and what he looks for in leadership. Then John, John and myself are going to talk through the issues of the week in a game we call Big Deal or no Deal. Is something something you ought to be paying attention to, or is it just a distraction? And then finally, Lila Bashir is going to teach us some Gen Z lingo. It's going to make me sound really, really old. As always, we want the conversation to be real and so we're going to be driven by those cast rules we talked about in episode one and in episode two. Cast rule number one Be authentic. We want to see the real you. Number two, Talk like a real human being. Talk like you would with your friends. Because that's the conversation we're going to have. Number three, no debating reality. Facts are facts. Opinion is opinion. Number four, Tell your why. We want to get beyond what you think or what you're for and why you think it and why you're for it. And finally have fun. Which we're definitely going to do in this episode. So without any other delay, let's get to the coach Today on the Andy Beshear Podcast. Our special guest is hall of Fame and NCAA Championship coach John Calipari. This is a coach that has built or rebuilt programs at UMass, at Memphis, at Kentucky and now at Arkansas. About half of the current NBA rosters have played for him and he is an all around great guy where I got to see his compassion and empathy really at play. Especially after natural disasters. He's become a great friend. I look forward to forward to this conversation where we'll start with his upbringing, move into basketball and then Talk about leadership, because this man knows a lot about leadership. Coach, welcome to the Andy Beshear podcast, Governor.
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John Calipari
You know, I wasn't turning this down. The chance to sit with you. We, we traveled the state a little bit together, didn't we?
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Andy Beshear
We, we did. We traveled the state during tough times, but then we traveled the state during some good times too.
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John Calipari
It's a pleasure to be here with you.
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Andy Beshear
Well, very excited about this. I want to start with you. You grew up in a blue collar family. Tell us a little bit about that and how it shaped you as a, as a person and as a coach.
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John Calipari
We were a pay it forward family. Never had everything, but never went without. Everyone in our community was the same. Their families were blue collar workers in some form or fashion. My dad was in the mill for a while and then he ended up going to being a baggage handler for at the time, Allegheny Airlines, US Air turned into then American or wherever they all went. Mom worked in the high school cafeteria. She sold ice cream, so she had the white coat on and. But we never did without. Friday was a big day. Dad got paid on Friday. So Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, good food days. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, you were having dinner. I mean it. But you know what? I didn't know anybody else lived any different.
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Andy Beshear
Right.
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John Calipari
We all, we never locked the door. Wherever you were, you ate. All my friends have stayed. My friends, the guys that I grew up with will come to games and you know, be with us and we have a group text and. But what you learn, you don't work, you don't eat. You better work, you better be ready to spend time. You're not looking for the shortcut. A lot of times you're looking for the long way with have satisfaction from doing things, from working. When you walk away, job well done, whatever that is. Pittsburgh was a mill town when I grew up. It's now insurance, medical and all the other stuff, but it was a mill town. We used to hose our house off because of the soot you had to hose because this. Yeah, oh yeah. It was a little different.
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Andy Beshear
How early in life did you know that you wanted basketball to be, to be your profession?
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John Calipari
I was pretty young because all the people I looked up to, the professionals, were all teachers and then coaches and then Bill Sacco, Skip Tatalo, Ray Bonnie, Mark Capoana. They were all the coaches. Football, basketball, baseball. I thought, I guess you got to be Italian and you're supposed to coach because they were all Italian. And so, you know, I, I started at a young age knowing what I wanted to do enjoyed playing. Enjoyed. You know, we broke into gyms, played on Saturday nights and we were gym rats. And it wasn't just me, it was our whole team and learned to come together and be about each other. And no, it's. I wouldn't trade how I grew up, friend. You know, my parents never, we never had a credit card. We bought things on layaway. When I say pay it forward. If people came to our house at Christmas, my mom would go to another room and wrap some of our presents for them to get for them and mom, where's my sweater now? They needed it worse than you. I didn't even get to wear it. You gave my sweater away. So. But I again, you know, you just, you know, you take. Dad was working overtime. Mom was the dreamer. You can be president, Mr. Chief. You could be president if you want. Well, I am right now a dual citizen. I'm a citizen of Italy and a citizen of the United States. So you know what that means. Gov can't be president.
- [07:49]
Andy Beshear
Can't be president. I like it. Tell me. Most coaches have this great story of sacrifice, especially when they started, how they got in on the ground level, what that's like in your very first year that you're trying to break through.
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John Calipari
I take a Drive on I70 from Pittsburgh to the University of Kansas. I'm going to work their basketball camp. Bob Hill invited me. Ted Owens was the head coach. We drive all the way on I70 from Pittsburgh to Lawrence, Kansas. As I'm working the camp, Ted Owens watched me with some young kids doing individual work, knew a little bit of my background and said, I'd like you to join my staff. And I said as an assistant? He said, yes, as a volunteer.
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Andy Beshear
Assistant, volunteer.
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John Calipari
And I said, how much does that guy make? And. But I worked in the training meal with the Sinclairs so football and women's basketball and basketball players would come through and I was the peas in the corn. Would you like peas? You like corn? I tell the story. They once a week they did steaks. I never had steak growing up. I steak, are you kidding me? So would also eat there. I, I think I had three steaks the first time because I said, I don't know if I'm ever going to get steak again. I'll eat three of these. But again, live with the part time assistant, worked their camp, you know, again, had no worries, had no money and just coach basketball. I never got in this to say how much money are you going to make coaching? No one did back then. I mean, coaches were making Little more than a high school teacher would make. It's gone crazy now. But back then it wasn't about that. It was about loving the profession. It's about loving the players, loving to see them grow. So, no, but I also met my wife. She worked in the business office at the university and I was delivering something down there and she saw me and Mitch, this woman was. She chased me everywhere that. I mean, I'm like, you gotta leave me alone. Come on. Or maybe it was me chasing her. I gotta figure it out. I think I was chasing her more.
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Andy Beshear
Yeah, that, that sounds. That sounds about right. Knowing, knowing your wife. But. But you were a lucky man. Did. Did your mom ever call you, having served ice cream in her cafeteria, now that you're at Kansas, you know, serving some of the players before you get your own and talk to you about it.
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John Calipari
My mom used to call and used to say, how do you do this? Oh, yeah, I can't believe you're not nervous. I mean, this is crazy what you're doing. I can't even watch the games. But she was the like your mom, Mama bear, would you say?
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Andy Beshear
Oh, yes. I remember when I said, guys, I think I want to run for office. And she looked at me and said, no. And then we worked through it after that. But it's that love of a mom and wanting to protect you. It's a pretty special thing that I wouldn't trade for. For anything. Coach, when was the. That first moment where you said I could be really good at this, that first moment that you had that said I can be a top tier coach?
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John Calipari
First of all, my first year at UMass, we gave up 100 points, I think 14 times. We were the worst defensive team in the. My first year, I called Rick Barnes, who's a good friend, and I said, rick, what do I do? He asked, what. What would you say? I don't know. If we jumped up, see, what would you tell me? You, you demand, what do you work on? What are your defensive principles? So I tried to give him like 20 things. Too many, too many. Give me four. And from that point, ball pressure, gaps, don't give them lanes, get around the post and get off on the weak side. And to this day, that's basically the premise of our defense. And from that conversation, the next year we got better. The next year we got better. The next year, my first year, I was trying to do drills which I had learned that didn't even fit how we were playing. But they. If you came in and watched us, you'd Say, wow, he runs good drills. Just didn't fit. So you learn as you go on this. And if you don't fail, if you don't take a spill or two, I got fired by the nets. If you don't have stuff like that to let you know, you're going to be fine. It's hard to not worry about result. Worry about your team getting better, worry about the process, worry about loving every day in practice. The result will take care of itself. Well, when you're so concerned with the result, it's hard to really get your team back.
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Andy Beshear
The idea of it's hard to win if you're afraid of losing.
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John Calipari
We call it winning and learning. Just learn from it and march on. I want to see when things go bad. What kind of leader is that, Coach? Now, it's easy when you're winning every game, but when things go wrong in your position. I've seen you when co hit our state. I watched you. I saw what you did when some of the biggest disasters that this state has ever faced has been with you as governor. And now, well, what do we jump under the covers? Do we blame? Do we? Or do we just go out? Let's get something done. And it may not be everything we want to do, but we're going to do something and we're going to get started. I think in coaching, things go bad. Do you blame or do you take responsibility? Does your team splinter? And if they do splinter and start blaming each other, it tells a lot about your leadership. If they come together as things get crazy and they get better and tighter, talks about leadership. Leadership in these jobs is how do I help, how do I move, how do I influence? What do I do that this state or city or university needs for me, the students. Ellen and I did something for the students in education, knowing the loans that those kids, which was incredible, we talked to the school, the dean of the school of education and say, how can we help? And so it's, you know, the federal workers. Do you remember when they laid off the federal workers in Lexington?
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Andy Beshear
Oh, I do.
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John Calipari
And Ellen said, how do we help? And I said, well, I think we gave grants to each of them that would wanted to come. And, you know, we did stuff with Kroger. We did stuff. I mean, that position I held and the one I have now really carries weight in those states. You've done things that no one knows that you did. So in your politician, I, you know, you, you're not really a politician, but.
- [15:38]
Andy Beshear
It does mean we normally talk about it.
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John Calipari
Yeah, you're trying to say. Let me have coverage. Well, there was a death in Dawson Springs. Ashley McKnight's son, Logan McKnight died. Car crash. Devastated. Devastated.
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Andy Beshear
And then they lost their house a.
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John Calipari
Month after policeman and you did stuff that no one knew that you did. And are you ready for this? You continue to do that's authentic. That I probably shouldn't have said it here, but it's important for people to know. Yeah. You and I went out for the flood victims. We met people. We did things behind closed doors. We gave cash out. Probably weren't supposed to. Can I get arrested for that?
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Andy Beshear
I think I can pardon you.
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John Calipari
I need a pardon before you leave. Got it. So we did that. No one knew what and you've done. I think it's so important. But there are other times that you have to stand up because you're trying to influence others to do it, to step in, to give, to care. And that's been the greatest thing with my time in Lexington and what I'm trying to do right now in Arkansas. Very similar. I don't want to just be the basketball coach. That doesn't move me. We got to win because it helps move people and think I've been okay at that.
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Mr. Cool Representative
Mr.
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Andy Beshear
Cool.
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Mr. Cool Representative
A Kentucky based H vac manufacturer that redefines home comfort with a focus on innovation. Mr. Cool leads the industry with patented technology like their pre charged line sets. That means you can install a high efficiency heating and cooling system yourself. No hassle, no costly labor. The DIY Douglas Mini Split is designed for simplicity, savings and comfort on your terms. Ready to take control of your comfort? Visit MrCool.com that's M r c o.
- [17:55]
Andy Beshear
O l dot com this is the Andy Beshear podcast. We are on with Coach Cal. Coach One of the funniest stories because you look for moments you can smile and laugh and when we're down helping those that have been through the worst is I still remember after the tornadoes, you're out there giving out a little bit of cash. I gave my coat away to a woman who was really cold. And I look back and I'm proud of that moment. But then I gave my belt away to somebody who didn't have one and I realized my pants were a little larger than I thought they were before I gave that belt away. So that might be the one that I pull back. But I'll still never forget. He walked out, he looked at our friend Rocky Atkins and he said, I got the big man's belt.
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John Calipari
You know. But you think of all the things you've done and you know some of the best are those kind of situations. You know again, a great Christian state that we were doing things at Christmas where we were making Christmas for families. We did that every year. And you know some of the up the tears and all the other things that go along with was also to show our players they're watching you as a governor, they're watching me as a coach. And you know the best sermon is one without words.
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Andy Beshear
Amen.
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John Calipari
Let them watch what we're doing.
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Andy Beshear
When you agreed to do the blue white game in Pikeville to help flood survivors, I remember when we walked out to present that check of what it had raised for the flood relief fund and your players were as excited to get out there and gave it just as much as they did during the game. I thought that was a great testament to them and a great testament to you.
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John Calipari
But it was their idea, Gov. They're the ones that wanted to do it. Can we go to Pikeville and do a game? It wasn't my idea, it was theirs. A really proud moment which meant I'm teaching, I'm doing what I'm trying to do now. Do you mind if I tell the story?
- [20:08]
Andy Beshear
Go right ahead.
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John Calipari
So at the time our governor, his approval rating was like 65%. It's ridiculous. Pretty ridiculous. Republicans 65 was, was that low or was it 68? I couldn't remember.
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Andy Beshear
It's 68 now.
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John Calipari
So I said, I saw your dad and I said have you ever.
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John McConnell
Did.
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John Calipari
You ever have a rating like that? He said, they, they still think I'm in office. And then the governor says to his dad, no, no, the 32% that the negative. They do think you're still in office.
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Andy Beshear
That's why they gave me the negative and still do.
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John Calipari
Which I Erical going back and forth.
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Andy Beshear
With you dad, I am blessed to have been from a great family. When we talk about leadership, tell me the importance of trust. You've got to earn the trust of a family that sends their 18, 19, sometimes 17 year old son to your team and your university. The team's got to trust you when they, when they come together. And you can certainly see that these players trust you when they're, when they're drafted and they know they're going to be financially secure for the rest of their life.
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John Calipari
Well, starts with you under promise and over deliver. So you're not embellishing. You're not, you're not. Because that's when kids just, they leave. You told me this, you said this and all Of a sudden, you recruited over me or you did this. The biggest compliment that I've had in my coaching career is when former players send their sons for me. This year, I had three players where I coached their dad and one I coached a brother. That's the ultimate. I trust him. I played for. And. And that's. And there are others that wanted to. And I. I said you wouldn't play much. I love to coach you here, but. And, and, you know, again, if you embellish, if you say whatever you have to to get them to come to school and you can't follow through.
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Andy Beshear
How.
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John Calipari
Do you have trust? I've told players we were recruiting, and I'm saying, look, anything I say to you, I'll be able to do because I'm not going to promise you starting positions, minutes, shots, all that. What I'm going to promise you is I'm going to be there step by step. My staff adds value. That's what their job is. You're going to have coaches that are there for you, your dreams and aspirations. We know what they are, and we're going to chase them with you.
- [23:11]
Andy Beshear
Coach. We like to finish our interviews with a little bit of fun. So we're going to do a bit of a lightning round where just one or two sentences, if, if that's possible for a great coach like you, and then we'll. We'll bounce to the next one.
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John Calipari
Two things. I'm a poor, miserable sinner and I'm not real smart, so it may take me a minute to get stuff out, but go ahead.
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Andy Beshear
You got this proudest moment as a coach.
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John Calipari
Being on that stage in the national title, and they're putting their hands in my hair. My wife's up there with me. We looked at each other and I said, well, we got that done. Now we can move on and make sure we're doing right by these kids.
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Andy Beshear
Is player that improved the most from when he first came to your program to when he left, man, there are a lot.
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John Calipari
I mean, Shay did not start. Look at him right now. Yes, he didn't start his 10 games. Emanuel Quickley didn't start the first 10, eight games of his sophomore year. And look at where he was. Nick Richards ends up playing for player of the year. The year we won, I think it was five years ago. We won the leap by three. Three games and it was canceled a year. We could have won the national title. By Covid. Nick Richards and I could name so many guys that just got better as the year went on. You know, I Look at Reed and what he was able to do.
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Andy Beshear
Wow.
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John Calipari
You know, if anybody said they knew he'd have that kind of year, you know, you. Yeah. You got to go get a lie detector to prove to me that that's true. You spend favorite meal, again, being Italian, a nice bowl of pasta. I'm trying to limit bread and appetizers.
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Andy Beshear
Good luck.
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John Calipari
So everybody losing all this weight? Well, I'm not with my boys Joey and Scotty and all the guys that.
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Andy Beshear
I would eat dinner with from Lexington. Oh.
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John Calipari
And then we're eating five appetizers, carving up two extra meals, two loaves of. I mean, and then they wonder, what. Now I'm. I'm not doing that. And they're saying, what's. What's happening? I said, I'm not hanging with you guys. That's why I'm losing weight.
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Andy Beshear
Coach Cal, on effective weight loss, make sure you're eating with friends that help you out, not ones that don't. Funny.
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John Calipari
Stay home and eat your wife. That's another one.
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Andy Beshear
Funniest thing you've ever heard from the stands.
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John Calipari
Well, I heard some mean stuff. The. The best thing in Arkansas. I got cheered when I wasn't coaching there one time, and it was an unbelievable cheerleader when I got thrown out of the game. And there's a picture of our baseball coach, who is unbelievable. Coach Van Horn, waving to me. And there's a picture like he's waving at me, and he and I are dear friends. And now I said, what about this picture? Yeah, you weren't on our side, but no, that's. And by the way, we did win that game. I have to remind him all the time. Ashton Haggis went crazy, and we ended up winning. But.
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Andy Beshear
And to close out. To close out and test your dual citizenship, though this won't help on the whole weight loss topic. Ice cream or Italian ice?
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John Calipari
Italian ice.
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Andy Beshear
Wow. Yes. Coach Cal will not be president with that answer. Coach, thank you so much for joining the Andy Beshear Podcast. I greatly appreciate you. The next segment on the Andy Beshear Podcast is my weekly conversation. Amongst my conversation with the Johns, John McConnell and John Rabinowitz. Today, we're going to have a little bit of fun. We're going to play a game called Big Deal or no Deal about all of this news that comes out during the week and whether we should be paying attention or whether it's just a distraction. John McConnell's going to lead us on this one, so everybody, please pray for us.
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John McConnell
Hey, we're going to make it through this. Okay, big deal or no deal? Okay, start with the price of eggs. Now, in 2021, the average price was about $1.80. Today, the average price is about $6. Big deal.
- [27:54]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Listen, I'm an egg guy. Every Wednesday.
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Andy Beshear
I've always thought that about you.
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Morgan and Morgan Representative
Listen, I know every Wednesday I have eggs in the morning. The girls, it drives them mad. I had a particular type of egg that I liked and it went from two or three bucks to six bucks. So this is a huge deal to me. We've got to get control of the price of these eggs because it's very important to me, especially on Wednesdays.
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John McConnell
Okay.
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Andy Beshear
I think it's a big deal for American families, mainly because it's just a really clear example of how prices have gone up and up and up until where they're now unbearable. I think you see politically how crisp the example is and how much American families are hurting, because it certainly hurt the Democratic nominee in the last presidential election, and now it's certainly hurting President Trump today. What he promised was he was going to bring prices down, and now he's saying, so what about the price of eggs? Admittedly, it probably has more to do with bird flu than anything else, but still a very good example of how the American people are struggling, how they want relief and what they expect you to be focused on. So big deal.
- [29:05]
John McConnell
Eggs, big deal. All right, another one. Alcatraz reopening as a working prison. Big deal or no deal?
- [29:15]
Andy Beshear
I'll start with this. No deal. There's no way this is going to happen. It cost way too much. The island's not all that big. Tourists are going out there every day. This is meant to distract us from where the market has been, whether it's stock market, bond market, value of the dollar. This is to distract us from the on again, off again tariffs. I think they just made this up one day and threw it out there, hoping we'd bite.
- [29:41]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Yeah, I kind of agree. Conceptually, I kind of get it. But it's a great tourist trap when you're out in that neck of the woods. And so. But it will never happen.
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Andy Beshear
So here's what I really think. I think the President watched the rock the night before and woke up the next day and said this would be a great idea.
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John McConnell
Well, I've been there. It is a great tourist trap. So I think it should remain. Okay, next one. The FEMA director. Big deal or no deal?
- [30:09]
Andy Beshear
This is about the now former FEMA director getting laid off after he said that FEMA was important. When the President apparently Wants to shut it down. I got to meet this FEMA director and first of all, let me say if you looked on our social medias, you would have thought that we are two very different people. He comes from a very different philosophy about life and has very different views. But I found him really competent. He wanted to do a good job. He cared about the people that had been impacted. And I could see him really growing into this job because again, you see people at their lowest moments and you want to lift them up. He gave us some of the best service that I have seen out of FEMA directors. And so I think that this is a big deal in the case that. But we're losing somebody that was trying to do a good job in that position. And it's also a big deal because if FEMA goes away, the costs for states to comply with all the federal acts that deal with natural disasters is going to eat up all the money that's there to help people.
- [31:14]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
You know, Andy, that's a question I was actually going to ask you. I didn't know whether or not if they redirected the money for FEMA to the states. I mean, you've lived these disasters more than any other. Is that something. Can the states do it on their own?
- [31:28]
Andy Beshear
Not if we have to abide by the same laws, rules and regulations that FEMA does. So FEMA oftentimes gets a bad rap for how they process applications for families for communities that have been impacted. But they do a lot leading up to that. They help with the emergency response. They send in boat crews to help during flooding. They help in the urban search and rescue going house to house. And they've done a whole lot when it comes to those applications. But their main problem with the applications is that Congress put so many rules on them that they have to go through all of these detailed checks before they can send a payment out to a family. Well, FEMA has the same group that does these for all 50 states. So if you take away that group, if you fire all those people who do the checks before sending out the payments to families, then every state has to do it if we're subject to those same rules. And what that would mean is we'd have 50 different groups out there doing it, and we'd have to cover that overhead cost that's certainly covered by fema. So that's what I mean. And it would eat up all those. Those dollars.
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Morgan and Morgan Representative
Big deal for Kentucky, big deal for.
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Andy Beshear
The entire United States. And some of the changes they've suggested, we're not Going to help for snowstorms. Well, snowstorms have been at least 4 or 5 of the natural disasters we've faced that they'll only do the 75%, 25% match when after the tornadoes, I believe we got a 90% match. Why? Because it had wiped out two towns and close to have wiped out a couple of more.
- [33:03]
John McConnell
Yeah. And whenever I look at right now, they're talking about in June that they're probably going to be facing a $6 billion shortfall. So, you know, when we look at having disasters, that money is going to have to come from somewhere to be made up for if they don't find a way to fund it.
- [33:17]
Andy Beshear
But I just wanted on the record that I talked positively about an official in this current administration who's no longer there, but both he and Secretary Noem, especially in the first natural disaster that Kentucky faced, did a really good job.
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John McConnell
Big deal or no deal? Derek Carr retiring.
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Morgan and Morgan Representative
I mean, listen, this is a huge deal in my world.
- [33:38]
John McConnell
Big deal.
- [33:39]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
I think it's a huge deal in Louisville as well.
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Andy Beshear
And it's a big deal because it's.
- [33:42]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
A big deal because it gives Tyler Schuck an opportunity to compete for a starting position with the New Orleans Saints. And I will say Derek Carr was a Superstar. Made over 200 million bucks, four time Pro Bowl. Like it's going to hurt losing him. But what a heck of an opportunity.
- [33:59]
Andy Beshear
For Tyler and for those that don't necessarily follow football and haven't maybe heard every episode, this has been a running part of the show. In episode one, we talked about John Rabinowitz being a sports agent and this was his biggest football client, at least in a while, if not now, ever. And then we followed him through the draft where he was going to be a backup to a elite starting quarterback. That quarterback suddenly retires and all of a sudden this guy we've been talking about and following since episode one looks like he will be the starting quarterback of the New Orleans Saints.
- [34:37]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Right place at right time. And what an opportunity.
- [34:39]
John McConnell
Yes. So big deal.
- [34:42]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Big deal.
- [34:42]
John McConnell
Big deal.
- [34:43]
Andy Beshear
Big deal to John.
- [34:44]
John McConnell
Big deal to John.
- [34:45]
Andy Beshear
Should be. Should be a big deal. Overall. We certainly hope the best for him.
- [34:48]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Yep.
- [34:50]
John McConnell
So big deal or no deal? I know we've got the opioid crisis that's happening throughout the country, but here in Kentucky, big deal.
- [35:01]
Andy Beshear
So news we got last week, news we've prayed for, was that we are seeing now. We saw a 30% reduction in overdose deaths last year compared to the year before. Now we were already in the right Trajectory finally, they've been going down for two straight years before last year, and that was the first time since 2018. But the first year was, oh, about two and a half. And the second year was almost 10%. This one, 30% should give us all hope. You know, this is an epidemic that arose in our times that has taken far too many of our friends and family members. If you live in Kentucky, you've lost multiple people to this thing. As Attorney General, I sued more of these opioid makers than any other AG in the country. I'm proud I did it because I think some of that money, plus Medicaid covering drug treatment, our good work, law enforcement, hard working folks in the treatment and recovery community have done so much. This is. It is hard to say how big of a deal this is. It's almost a miracle, but I know it's a miracle that's been earned through hard work.
- [36:10]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
I couldn't agree more. It's bigger than big. It's huge for the Commonwealth. I remember, I think it was 2017 or 2018 when we were sitting in your office as AG and you looked at our team led by James Young and Linda Singer at that time and you said, file these lawsuits, hold them accountable. And we filed seven of them, I think that year. And to see the journey along the way and the lives that are now being saved and people getting treatment in the Narcan out there. And so it's just such a great thing for the commonwealth and, and I hope the news continues to improve year.
- [36:45]
Andy Beshear
Over year and it should tell us to keep going. And some of these federal cuts that are being considered could pull us back. One of the game changers was covering treatment with Medicaid. It meant that it was there and available federal funding helps with Narcan. Some of that has been suggested that it be pulled back. We may finally be seeing the path towards winning, towards ending this epidemic and not leaving it to our kids and our grandkids. So we have to keep going. If you're doing something and it's successful, keep doing it or do more of it, but don't do less.
- [37:19]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
And you're right, nobody fully appreciates how much it affected Kentucky and West Virginia in this area, I mean, it was just a pipeline straight down through our state and affected so many families and you had to save someone sometime. A few years ago, I remember that.
- [37:33]
Andy Beshear
We did pulled an overdosing man from a car and watched him stop breathing and thankfully EMS got there in time and, and revived him. But to watch the color drain from somebody's face is.
- [37:46]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Can't imagine.
- [37:46]
Andy Beshear
It's a tough thing to see.
- [37:47]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Yeah.
- [37:48]
John McConnell
So a big deal, too. We have a personal friend who's lost someone and this month is going to be that person's birthday. So it's hard. And when it affects someone like what you talk about, there's a ripple to the friends, the families that surround them. So a big deal that Kentucky's worked hard and move this the right direction.
- [38:06]
Andy Beshear
Really big deal.
- [38:07]
John McConnell
Okay, big deal or no deal? Andy's finally getting some gray hair.
- [38:14]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Listen. Oh, look at this.
- [38:16]
Andy Beshear
We have this one. What do you think? Winning? I mean, it took a pandemic to gray my hair.
- [38:23]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
I was going to say, have you seen. I wonder what the before and after pictures look like.
- [38:26]
Andy Beshear
Oh, my goodness.
- [38:27]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Is it rough?
- [38:28]
Andy Beshear
Yes. Before it looked like I used to and now I look like my dad.
- [38:33]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Oh, listen.
- [38:34]
Andy Beshear
Who is a good looking man?
- [38:35]
John McConnell
That's right. I used to have hair before it. So whatever happened to me, it just left.
- [38:39]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
I don't believe that at all. There's no way that's true. Was it red as well?
- [38:43]
John McConnell
Yeah. There's no proof on that, is what you're telling me.
- [38:45]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Yes.
- [38:47]
John McConnell
All right. Big deal or no deal? New Pope.
- [38:51]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Listen, I think this is a huge deal for our country. I would say that in mass yesterday, our bishops or our priests said there was no way an American was ever going to be named Pope. And in fact, it's happened. I think they wanted somebody that had been in the trenches. He was a missionary in Peru and had that relationship with Pope Francis. And I think he's going to be a bridge. He's going to keep the tradition, but also follow up with what Francis was working on. So I think it's a huge deal and I think it's great for our country.
- [39:25]
Andy Beshear
Agree. The fact that he's an American is great for our country. Maybe it's even more important that he. That he's pledged to continue to follow Francis example of helping the lost, the lonely and the left behind, to be less worried about dogma and more accepting of people. And certainly the Chicago White Sox, who he's a fan of, is hoping he will have a direct line to the Almighty because they might need it.
- [39:48]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
They will need it. And it's. I can't believe there's video of him at the World Series. That's so crazy.
- [39:54]
Andy Beshear
That is amazing. This has been Big deal or no deal, our conversation this week with the Johns. This is the Andy Beshear podcast. Welcome to this week's segment of In My Kentucky accent. This is where I talk about the things that have burned me up, that have gotten me mad from this last week, things that need to be done better. This week its Congress's plan to cut Medicaid. Their plan would put into place different procedures that are estimated by a nonpartisan group to kick 8 million people off their health care coverage. The state that I live in only has 4.4 million people. So this would be devastating to families, devastating to seniors, devastating to kids. Remember, Medicaid covers the people we love the most, our parents and our kids. It covers so many children throughout the United States and then it covers most of the long term care costs when our parents or grandparents can no longer live with us or by themselves. It is cruel. It will cause people to die. It will inflict major damage to rural hospitals and rural health care. It'll result in job losses for people because they're less healthy, as well as layoffs throughout the healthcare system. You simply can't cut this amount of money out of our healthcare system without it causing major damage. It's wrong, it's unethical, and it should not move forward. So everybody out there speak up and speak out. This could be your relative losing their health care coverage. We cannot let it happen.
- [41:45]
Mr. Cool Representative
Mr.
- [41:45]
Andy Beshear
Cool.
- [41:45]
Mr. Cool Representative
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- [42:25]
Andy Beshear
It'S the final segment of this episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast. A segment that I look forward to and that terrifies me all at the same time. This is the segment where where one of my kids teaches me Gen Z lingo. And because it makes me look oh so old, every episode I brought along John McConnell and John Rabinowitz so that they'll look old too. We're welcoming Lila Bashir back to the podcast. Lila, welcome to the Andy Beshear podcast.
- [42:55]
Lila Bashir
Thank you.
- [42:56]
Andy Beshear
What are you teaching us this week?
- [42:58]
Lila Bashir
All right, so we are going to learn facts.
- [43:01]
Andy Beshear
And this is F A X or F A C T S. F A C T S. Okay, so I'm guessing this isn't just a noun.
- [43:10]
Lila Bashir
No.
- [43:11]
Andy Beshear
Okay, so how would you use it in Gen Z lingo? What do you think, guys?
- [43:17]
John McConnell
I Mean, we know it's not fax, so it's not a fax machine. I feel better. Of course we do. Why would you not?
- [43:25]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Okay, well, we do not.
- [43:28]
Andy Beshear
One would think email and then printing.
- [43:29]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
I know.
- [43:29]
Andy Beshear
Yeah. Know.
- [43:30]
John McConnell
I don't know.
- [43:31]
Andy Beshear
But there are still some things in business that the contract says buy facsimile. That must mean. So you can't get out of whatever it is.
- [43:40]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
It's crazy.
- [43:41]
Andy Beshear
Okay, so explain to us Gen Z. Facts.
- [43:45]
Lila Bashir
Okay, so facts is like you're agreeing with someone if it's something true. Basically, you might not have known it, but they'll say something and you're like, oh, yeah, facts.
- [43:58]
Andy Beshear
Okay, so. So if I said Lila had a great derby outfit, you'd say facts. But. But it's not. That's a fact. No, that makes you sound older.
- [44:12]
Lila Bashir
It's like you're like. You're so right.
- [44:15]
Andy Beshear
What about your favorite sports team? You know, if you'd say, the New Orleans Saints are going to be great this year with Tyler Schuck.
- [44:24]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Listen.
- [44:24]
John Calipari
Facts.
- [44:25]
Lila Bashir
Yeah, there you go.
- [44:26]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Or John McConnell picked out the smallest.
- [44:28]
John McConnell
Couch you could possibly buy.
- [44:31]
Andy Beshear
Facts.
- [44:32]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Facts. Barely fit on it.
- [44:34]
Andy Beshear
For those that are just listening, most people just listen. I would encourage that they check out the YouTube channel at Andy Beshear Podcast to see John and John on a tiny couch. Facts. Well, Lila, what if you disagree? What if somebody says something and you wouldn't say facts? What do you say?
- [44:51]
Lila Bashir
That's Cap.
- [44:53]
Andy Beshear
Cap.
- [44:53]
Lila Bashir
Cap.
- [44:54]
John McConnell
That's Cap.
- [44:54]
Andy Beshear
What does that stand for?
- [44:56]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
False is Cap.
- [44:57]
Lila Bashir
Yeah.
- [44:57]
Andy Beshear
Okay, so if the Johns thought the couch was roomy, that's Cap.
- [45:05]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
This Cap thing is a great. Imagine we talk to our wives, and instead of saying no, we're like, cap.
- [45:12]
Andy Beshear
Yeah, that'll work out well.
- [45:13]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
It should be great.
- [45:14]
Andy Beshear
I think in the next podcast, instead of big deal or no deal, we. We should play Facts or cat. Yeah, I like it. So if, you know, we are thinking we're probably too old to do some of this Gen Z lingo, but we decide to embrace it. And no matter what's said on the podcast, we respond either facts or Cap. Did we do it for the plot?
- [45:38]
Lila Bashir
Sure.
- [45:39]
John McConnell
Oh, and would that be fire?
- [45:41]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Skippity.
- [45:43]
Andy Beshear
It seems we end up at this point every single time.
- [45:46]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Every time.
- [45:47]
Andy Beshear
Well, Lila, thanks for teaching us a little more Gen Z lingo. I think that this segment was facts.
- [45:54]
Lila Bashir
Oh, yeah.
- [45:56]
Andy Beshear
Fire. We are wrapping up this episode of the Andy Beshear Podcast, available on all major platforms, as well as our YouTube station, Andy Beshear Podcast. Please subscribe. We've gotten to learn a lot this episode. We got Coach Cow's weight loss program which is stop eating with your friends as well as played Big Deal or no Deal, learned a little Gen Z lingo and you got to hear my most recent gripe through my Kentucky accent. Facts, facts. Absolutely. What was your favorite part of the episode, John?
- [46:36]
John McConnell
I mean the Big Deal or no Deal was a fun one to go add into this. So I enjoyed that.
- [46:41]
Andy Beshear
Bouncing it around, hosting your first segment.
- [46:43]
John McConnell
You know, hosting my first podcast segment, Fooling myself and being in control. I enjoyed Andy may get a little nervous anytime I get behind the microphone in full control.
- [46:52]
Andy Beshear
Did you pre screen the questions? Unfortunately not.
- [46:55]
John McConnell
No he did not.
- [46:56]
Andy Beshear
He asked me about my gray hair. What do you think?
- [46:59]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Yep, good point.
- [47:00]
Andy Beshear
What about you favorite part?
- [47:01]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
I will tell you, there were two times when you were interviewing Coach Kao that kind of stood out to me.
- [47:06]
John Calipari
First.
- [47:06]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
First when he talked about how important it was when he was coaching at Kentucky and now at Arkansas and not just being a great head coach, but being a good steward to the people of the states that he's representing. I thought that was huge then and I loved the discussion he had about and I'm not just saying it because you're in front of me, but we have witnessed this, both John McConnell and myself. There is so much you do behind the scenes that people have no idea how many people you help and you're not seeking attention on it. And I thought that was impressive for him unsolicited to tell a few stories about what you do to help the people of Kentucky.
- [47:44]
Andy Beshear
He does the same. He is a good person. I got to see it in action over and over and over. So it's been a fun episode. Definitely. Facts.
- [47:55]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Yes.
- [47:56]
Andy Beshear
We didn't have to do this one for the plot.
- [47:58]
Morgan and Morgan Representative
Not at all.
- [47:59]
Andy Beshear
But really a really fun episode and we know we've got a bunch more to come. Thank you all for tuning in to the Andy Beshear Podcast. We'll see you this coming Thursday with our next episode. Thanks for tuning in. Be sure to subscribe at Andy Beshear Podcast on all major social media platforms.
- [48:21]
John McConnell
Cool.
- [48:21]
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Mr. Cool Representative
To come.
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