Best of the Program | Guests: Rick Burgess & Justin Kite | 5/16/25

Summary

The Glenn Beck Program: Best of the Program | Guests: Rick Burgess & Justin Kite | May 16, 2025

In this standout episode of The Glenn Beck Program, hosted by the Blaze Podcast Network, Glenn Beck engages in insightful and thought-provoking conversations with special guests Rick Burgess and Justin Kite. The episode delves into pressing issues surrounding American politics, culture, traditional masculinity, and the importance of historical education for the younger generation.

Decoding James Comey's Controversial Message

The episode opens with Glenn Beck addressing a recent controversial tweet by former FBI Director James Comey. Beck raises questions about the nature of Comey's message:

"Was James Comey sending a coded message for somebody to assassinate President Trump or was he just remembering our darkest day?" ([00:30]).

Beck and his co-host Stu Burguiere dissect Comey's cryptic Instagram post featuring seashells and the numerical code "86 47." They explore the possible meanings behind the numbers, with Stu suggesting that "86" could be a slang term for eliminating something, and "47" referencing the 47th President, Donald Trump.

"86 47. 47 being the president of the United States." ([12:46]).

The discussion highlights the potential implications of such messages from a former FBI Director, emphasizing the gravity and responsibility that comes with his position. The hosts express concern over the possibility of veiled threats and the broader impact on political discourse.

Honoring Traditional Masculinity with Rick Burgess

Transitioning from political controversies, Beck welcomes Rick Burgess, a prominent radio host and author, to discuss his upcoming book, Men Don't Run in the Rain. Burgess shares heartfelt reflections on his late father, Bill Burgess, an esteemed American football coach known for his unwavering leadership and integrity.

"My dad's perfect vision of a man and his family is that in the pouring rain, his wife would be put in the car dry, his kids would be put in the back seat dry, and then he would sit at the steering wheel soaking wet." ([28:53]).

Burgess emphasizes the importance of traditional masculine roles, arguing that men like his father embody qualities of steadiness, fearlessness, and leadership—traits he believes are essential for mending the fraying fabric of modern society.

"Men should be steady. Men should be fearless." ([28:53]).

He critiques the current cultural narrative that often labels such traditional masculinity as "toxic," advocating instead for a recognition of the positive impact that strong, responsible men can have on their families and communities.

"We're letting that being lumped in because he was a leader, because he was an influencer, because he believed you needed to be tough..." ([34:14]).

Burgess passionately argues that society is losing these archetypal figures, which he sees as vital for guiding the next generation. His insights serve as a call to action for men to reclaim these traditional roles and for society to value and honor such leadership.

Empowering Youth Through History Education with Justin Kite

In the latter part of the episode, Glenn Beck introduces Justin Kite, the Creative Director for PragerU Kids, who discusses the Trailblazers of America book series aimed at educating young minds about pivotal figures in American history.

"Trailblazers of America is a seven-part bio series that takes our readers on a trip that geographically covers the country, but then also chronologically covers the country and does so in a way that is pretty exciting." ([42:45]).

Kite highlights the significance of teaching history from a perspective of achievement and survival, countering narratives that focus solely on victimhood. He underscores the importance of figures like Bass Reeves, a former slave who became one of the first black deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi, illustrating themes of resilience and justice.

"Bass Reeves is a U.S. marshal who always got his man. Always got his man. No matter how long it would take, if he was on your trail, you were going to jail or die." ([45:20]).

The discussion emphasizes the need for educational materials that inspire and inform young Americans about the diverse and often underrepresented stories that have shaped the nation. Kite advocates for resources that foster a sense of pride and understanding of America's foundational values.

Closing Thoughts

Glenn Beck masterfully weaves together these discussions, presenting a compelling narrative that bridges political analysis, personal memoir, and educational advocacy. The episode not only critiques contemporary societal trends but also offers solutions rooted in tradition and education. Through engaging dialogue and poignant anecdotes, Beck and his guests underscore the importance of leadership, responsibility, and historical awareness in fostering a robust and resilient American society.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Glenn Beck ([00:30]): "Was James Comey sending a coded message for somebody to assassinate President Trump or was he just remembering our darkest day?"
• Rick Burgess ([28:53]): "Men should be steady. Men should be fearless."
• Rick Burgess ([34:14]): "We're letting that being lumped in because he was a leader, because he was an influencer, because he believed you needed to be tough..."
• Justin Kite ([42:45]): "Trailblazers of America is a seven-part bio series that takes our readers on a trip that geographically covers the country, but then also chronologically covers the country and does so in a way that is pretty exciting."
• Justin Kite ([45:20]): "Bass Reeves is a U.S. marshal who always got his man. Always got his man. No matter how long it would take, if he was on your trail, you were going to jail or die."

Conclusion

This episode of The Glenn Beck Program offers a rich tapestry of discussions that reflect on the current state of American culture and politics. By addressing controversial topics, honoring traditional values, and promoting educational initiatives, Glenn Beck and his guests provide listeners with both critical analysis and hopeful perspectives for the future.

Transcript

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[Glenn Beck]

Was James Comey sending a coded message for somebody to assassinate President Trump or was he just remembering our darkest day? Yeah. The second option doesn't seem too likely. We talk about James Comey and what really needs to happen. Also history for all Americans. Justin Kite joins us and Rick Burgess also on today's podcast, talking about dads and also demons in real life. Now listen, the tiny print or the fast talking warnings, the side effects that sound worse than the things you're trying to fix. Some conditions to apply pain relief shouldn't feel like a gamble. But what if there was another way? What if pain relief didn't come with a warning label? Just, I don't know, Relief. That's the idea behind Relief factor. It's not a drug, it's not habit forming. It doesn't come with a mile long list of side effects. I don't know, might lose eyesight. I don't know if that's good. It's a daily supplement that supports your body's natural ability to fight inflammation, one of the root causes of pain and the cause of so much of our disease as well. I've been taking it for years now and I have to tell you, my hands no longer have the pain that they used to have every day. So if you're living with aches and pains, see how Relief factor and daily Free, a daily drug free supplement can help you feel better and live better every day. Get their three week quick start for only $19.95. In a few weeks, even days you can the difference relief factor can make. You don't have to be stuck living with pain. Visit relieffactor.com or call 800 for relief. It's 800, the number four relief. Hello America. You know we've been fighting every single day. We push back against the lies, the censorship, the nonsense of the mainstream media that they're trying to feed you. We work tirelessly to bring you the unfiltered truth because you deserve it. But to keep this fight going, we need you right now. Would you take a moment and rate and Review the Glenn Beck podcast. Give us five stars and leave a comment. Because every single review helps us break through Big Tech's algorithm to reach more Americans who need to hear the truth. This isn't a podcast. This is a movement. And you're part of it. A big part of it. So if you believe in what we're doing, you want more people to wake up, help us push this podcast to the top rate review, share together we'll make a difference. And thanks for standing with us. Now, let's get to work. You're listening to the best of the Glenn Beck program. Gotta get to James Comey at 8647 here in just a second. If you don't know what that is, wait until you hear this. This guy is a dope. But anyway, we have another episode of Glenn and Stu Super Babies. I, you know, I think we've been taking this baby filter. I don't know if you, if you haven't seen the baby filter thing that is going around. I absolutely love it. I could, I could, I could actually watch this show all day long if we were babies. I think we were better if we look like babies, quite honestly.

[Stu Burguiere]

Show is clearly better. It's clear infants.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, right. And everything sounds so innocent. Now. We were doing a bit a couple of days ago about this. Who was it that that was in trouble or you remember the name of the guy?

[Stu Burguiere]

Oh, Brandon. Brendan Miller.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay. And so he's, he, he sends a text to some, one of his friends and I don't know what it means. Stu doesn't really know what it means. And we're, we're talking about it. And then he explained it to me and it was good and it was informative, but it takes on a whole new feeling if we're, we're babies talking about it. Now if you, if you are watching the Blaze or you're watching us on, you know, Roku or wherever, you're watching us, you'll enjoy this. If it's radio, it's just going to sound like a radio bit, but go to my Instagram page and you'll see the babies. But here's what we talked about now as babies.

[Stu Burguiere]

So this is NBA player Brandon Miller. He got a text from his friend this night, the night in question, and he was texted this. I need my joint. RL Just got da Fakin. I was interesting. How would you interpret that particular defense?

[Glenn Beck]

Just got my joint.

[Stu Burguiere]

No, I need my joint.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, need my joint.

[Stu Burguiere]

RL just got da Fakin.

[Glenn Beck]

Ralph Lauren. Somebody is selling fake Ralph Lauren Clothing. He needs to get to his joint, his house, because he has some way to prove that that person is doing wrong.

[Stu Burguiere]

You think it's a copyright infliction?

[Glenn Beck]

I think it's a copyright. A very large. Okay. It's a very powerful company that should be doing it themselves. But here's this hero going and saying, I got to get to my house. I've got to get the things that will help Ralph Lauren with this copyright infringement. Wow. That's how I read it.

[Stu Burguiere]

That's X. I never, never received that.

[Glenn Beck]

I've done this for almost 50 years.

[Stu Burguiere]

That's true. That's true. Now, I don't think Brandon was from Mount Vernon, so there may be a bit of a dialect difference here.

[Glenn Beck]

Sure.

[Stu Burguiere]

Apparently what he was saying was he needed his gun, which was his joint.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay, okay.

[Stu Burguiere]

R.L. real life. He needed a gun in real life. It wasn't a fake gun or in.

[Glenn Beck]

A video game, even though finger guns are very dangerous.

[Stu Burguiere]

No.

[Glenn Beck]

Yes. You know, as you're watching this, you know what makes this so amazing? And so. I mean, it's. It's wild that AI can do this now, but what makes this so incredible is the eyes. When you're looking in a baby's eyes, it's so innocent.

[Stu Burguiere]

It's sincere.

[Glenn Beck]

It's sincere in everything. And they're honestly trying to. So when we're doing sarcasm, you know, it's Ralph Lauren, but you look at it as a baby. The baby's eyes are so sincere. It's. And you know what you. You miss. It's something I. For the very first time, I'm like, that's what. That's what Christ means about. Come to me as a child. We've lost the innocence. We've lost the. You know, no, no baby is sarcastic. This is just this. I'm. Lord, do not listen to this, because I'm condemning myself right now. But babies aren't sarcastic. You know, they. They just. They're just not. They're honest, they're innocent, and they're actually trying to figure things out. And I think that's what we lose as people. We start to go, oh, I know exactly. I know exactly what they're saying. I know who they are. I know what this means. And it's the cynicism that stops us or the arrogance that stops us from looking and saying, what else could this be? What is this really? Who are they really saying? You know, because we've gone through life, and we're like, that's not happening. Nope. They weren't Trying to. They weren't trying to help Ralph Lauren out. It's fascinating. It's fascinating. Now, maybe we. Maybe we as babies can figure out 86, 47 now. I don't know, Stu, if you saw the James Comey tweets.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yes, I did.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah.

[Stu Burguiere]

Well, I mean. And when you say his tweets, I mean, he took a picture of a shell formation that I found on a beach.

[Glenn Beck]

He was just walking by, just walking by and just walking by, and he.

[Stu Burguiere]

Was like shells in the sand.

[Glenn Beck]

Unbelievable. I mean. I mean, I'm sorry, but I'm not a baby. With my little innocent eyes. There's no way. I wish I was, uh. There's no way that that's. That he just stumbled across that and he was like, oh, this is a cool seashell formation. Uh, I don't really know what it means, but I knew it's political of something, so I'm gonna put it up on Instagram.

[Stu Burguiere]

Well, yeah, that's obviously not true.

[Glenn Beck]

I mean, I guess that's what he said.

[Stu Burguiere]

Well, he kind of played it off that way. I mean, he said, oh, look what I found. Like, either he did it himself, which the most likely.

[Glenn Beck]

No, but. But he came back. I don't have. Can somebody find the response? Because he came back later and reposted on it, said, here, I just found that. Yeah. I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on the beach walk, which I just assumed was a political message. I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind. So I took the post out. So he's saying, I just stumbled across this. I took a picture of it. I. I mean, maybe it was a natural formation. I mean, he knows somebody did it. But I. I knew it had to have some political meaning. Right. Do you post something that you know has some political meaning meaning without saying, does anybody know what this means? I mean, even if you post it and say that it's a very bad.

[Stu Burguiere]

Idea, particularly if you happen to be the former head of the FBI.

[Glenn Beck]

FBI. So he doesn't know what 86 means.

[Stu Burguiere]

So we should set that up. You know, if I can, I can walk you through this. Glenn, as a former, proud veteran of Chili's, right, where 86 means, like, when you don't want cheese on the burger that normally comes with cheese, you're like, the burger, 86 cheese, right? Meaning you kill the cheese off the burger. Now, also, it could mean remove the cheese. Right? Like, I mean, it wasn't I don't know that it's.

[Glenn Beck]

It has several. It has several.

[Stu Burguiere]

It's always violent.

[Glenn Beck]

It has several meanings. It might be 86 the cheese, which means get rid of the cheese.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yeah.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay. But it also has roots back during the bootleg time. Now, I've heard this story. I look for it. I couldn't find it anywhere, But I heard this story from somebody who was, you know. You know, kind of a wandering historian of New York. And I don't remember what place it is, but it had. It was a bootleg club, and during Prohibition. And it was on a block, and the basement went. The entire city block. Okay. And so it was bootlegs and gambling underneath. And the cops only knew about the front entrance. And so they would say, 86 it. It's the cops. Which may. What? Which meant the address on the other side was 86. So it meant, use that door, get out, use that door, don't go through the front door. 86, it's the cops.

[Stu Burguiere]

Oh, interesting.

[Glenn Beck]

So I meant get out when the soda jerks. And that takes on a whole different meaning today, doesn't it? Soda jerks used to be the people in the drugstores that would pull the. The fountain down and they would. You know the soda fountains. Yeah, yeah. And it would be called a soda jerk. And they had their own lingual. They had shoot one, draw one. They had shoot one in red. You should know this. If you're going up to a soda jerk, you'd say, shoot one in red. What does that mean?

[Stu Burguiere]

I don't know.

[Glenn Beck]

It means give me the Coke, but I want cherry Coke. Shoot one in red. Okay. So they would pull a soda, and they'd pour cherry soda in it or cherry flavor into it. Again. So echo was a repeat order. And 86 meant we're all out of it.

[Stu Burguiere]

Okay.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay. So it's get out, vacate, we're all out, or kill the cheese.

[Stu Burguiere]

Right.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay. So those are the meanings. But if I'm on the beach and I say, and I see 86, 47, and I'm the former FBI director, I'm like, what does. I know what 47 means. What does 86 mean?

[Stu Burguiere]

47, of course, meaning Trump, 47, president of the United States.

[Glenn Beck]

It does.

[Stu Burguiere]

Now. Now, adding onto this, you're not only the FBI director. Former. You're of course, an opponent of the president. It's been pretty clear over the years. Also, I don't know if anyone noticed this, that president has almost been killed multiple times recently. Right, Right. So there's an added Thing where you gotta be really careful around this particular person who took a bullet on stage and almost got killed at his golf club. Right.

[Glenn Beck]

I mean, look how. Look how delicate we are today. And you know, the left used to be so on the Kennedys with Robert F. Kennedy. Robert F. Kennedy. I mean, I don't know if there's, you know, somebody out trying to kill him. I just assume because he's a Kennedy, all Kennedy is somebody's out there to kill them.

[Stu Burguiere]

Does seem that way.

[Glenn Beck]

It does seem that way. But you would never say 86 RFK. You'd never. You. Just because we're decent people. But when it comes to Donald Trump, and I'll bet you now with RFK too, it wouldn't be bad to say 86 RFK. In some circles, they'd be fine with killing them.

[Stu Burguiere]

Well, first of all, yes, that's probably true in some circles. I mean, there's an entire Hamas wing of the party.

[Glenn Beck]

So, I mean, American, American, you know, leftist circles, they don't care. Ends justify the means.

[Stu Burguiere]

They're awful people on that side. I will say it possible that he didn't mean that in that way.

[Glenn Beck]

I mean, I know it could mean get out of. Get out of 47.

[Stu Burguiere]

I want him out. I want him out of Memphis. Right.

[Glenn Beck]

Yep.

[Stu Burguiere]

I'm sure that will be his defense. And one of the other things that is the new left wing pastime.

[Glenn Beck]

Hang on. I can't as you're talking. I just can't not. I can't look at you now because I'm only seeing you as a baby.

[Stu Burguiere]

I have very innocent eyes.

[Glenn Beck]

I know.

[Stu Burguiere]

The you just want to.

[Glenn Beck]

Gobble your cheeks up.

[Stu Burguiere]

That's why I'm eating more, to get those cheeks nice and plump. The new left wing pastime on Twitter today and on social media is to search for all of the conservatives that did tweet86.46 at some point during the Biden presidency. And there were.

[Glenn Beck]

They weren't the former FBI director.

[Stu Burguiere]

It's a very fair point.

[Glenn Beck]

I mean, I don't know. That's why I think all of these have seen 8647. Never seen that. I mean, 46.

[Stu Burguiere]

I haven't seen it either, but apparently people did post it.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay.

[Stu Burguiere]

During that time.

[Glenn Beck]

Who are they? I mean, look, we all have the crazy person that lives on our street. We've always had that growing up. You always had, oh, he's crazy Jim down the street. Don't kids stay away from Crazy Jim? We all had the neighbor who was like, you know, What? And I'll tell you what else is happening right now that nobody knows. And you're like, oh, okay.

[Stu Burguiere]

I mean, you know, there. There are some conservative influencers that just didn't like Biden, that tweeted it, not meaning that wanting him dead, but wanting probably removed from office. All that being said, none of them, as you pointed out, were people who were the former FBI director, number one. None of them also were talking about a president that had almost been assassinated multiple times recently. Right, right. So, I mean, those two areas, I think, are a massive distinction, particularly the first one. I mean, even if. If someone had tried to assassinate, God forbid, we hope that they never do. Joe Biden, when he was in office. And you tweeted that after. I mean, it would be insensitive and probably a really bad idea and a.

[Glenn Beck]

Waste of time, really. I mean, it's almost redundant.

[Stu Burguiere]

He's weighed about. Yeah. His health isn't particularly strong, as you note. However, beyond that, being the director of the FBI means that you are constantly processing a stream of threats against the executive.

[Glenn Beck]

Yes.

[Stu Burguiere]

And the fact that you would be in there and think that that was appropriate, knowing obviously what 86 could mean. It doesn't necessarily mean that, but it could mean that.

[Glenn Beck]

Honestly, when I saw it, when I saw it, I didn't think he was saying kill him. I thought he was saying, get him out. Yeah, get him out. Because that's what 86 means to me, at least. Get out. Get out. Yeah. So impeach him, cancel him, whatever. However, you know, again, when you're the FBI former FBI director, you have a little more responsibility.

[Stu Burguiere]

It's massively irresponsible.

[Glenn Beck]

Massively.

[Stu Burguiere]

And he should just come out and apologize for it.

[Glenn Beck]

I randomly saw these shells. They washed up on the beach like that, I guess I don't know who did it. And I thought it might be political, so I posted it. Nobody believes that.

[Stu Burguiere]

Yeah. Another thing is, if you're the former FBI director, maybe never post anything on social media. I don't know, do something that's supposed to be important. I just don't even understand people with this nonsense.

[Glenn Beck]

So you know how many days, as of yesterday, you know how many days it's been since 9, 11.

[Stu Burguiere]

I did see this.

[Glenn Beck]

And everyone's talking 8647. 8647. I'm just saying that's what he was saying.

[Stu Burguiere]

That's what he.

[Glenn Beck]

He was saying. I know there's a political message somewhere in there. Yeah, it was at. Yet what are the odds that yesterday was 8647. When he posts that, I mean, the odds are 100%.

[Stu Burguiere]

It was that many days to a day. Right. What does 911 have to do with this?

[Glenn Beck]

Well, he was in the FBI and he just was like, it's a political message. Is that really remember. We got to remember 9 11, but we got to remember it cryptically in clamshells.

[Stu Burguiere]

Is he really going to argue that? No.

[Glenn Beck]

No, I don't think so.

[Stu Burguiere]

One interesting thing about this now, Glenn.

[Glenn Beck]

In case you don't know what we're talking about, James Comey posted a picture in. In shells on a beach 8647, which means 86 the president. You can. Gangsters would say that means kill him. You know, if you're a soda jerk from the 1940s, that means, you know, hold it back. Cancel that order. Okay, so 86. 47. 47 being the president.

[Stu Burguiere]

I have some news for you, Glenn.

[Glenn Beck]

Okay.

[Stu Burguiere]

It's sad. It's tragic.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, no.

[Stu Burguiere]

James Comey has 86 his Instagram account.

[Glenn Beck]

No, no. Now, you would think that James Comey would have not had one, right?

[Stu Burguiere]

Isn't that quite obviously the right move for a former FBI director?

[Glenn Beck]

Yes.

[Stu Burguiere]

Never post anything.

[Glenn Beck]

Yes, certainly.

[Stu Burguiere]

If you're going to have one, it should be private. You mean, like, you're. Maybe you want to post your family pictures to your family? Okay. Of course. You know, I don't know why people enjoy doing that, frankly. I'm still in, you know, I don't know, 1990 or something on that one. Unlike my wife, certainly.

[Glenn Beck]

But I don't know, I like the collaboration. I like people when they respond back and they, you know, I like some.

[Stu Burguiere]

Of this where it's very important and I do it. So it. But, like, I don't know that I would necessarily have a. I wouldn't do.

[Glenn Beck]

It if I wasn't in this job. I would do it with my family.

[Stu Burguiere]

Maybe like a personal. Like, yeah, like, even posting things. Like, I, like, I, you know, like, I take pictures and I send. I typically will just like, send them to my wife if I think they're a good picture of the kids. Like, you know, But, I mean, you could easily just as well do that, I guess, on a social media account. That's private. But this is, again, attention seeking. And, you know, we're in a business where we need people to listen to the show, want people to listen to the show, want people to be interested in what we do. It's part of our business. If you're the former FBI director, unless you think of yourself as a celebrity that writes big books, then I guess you do need an Instagram account.

[Glenn Beck]

Oh, he doesn't look at himself like that at all.

[Stu Burguiere]

You'd think there'd be no need for that as a former FBI director. But again, he sees himself as an MSNBC personality, which is just pathetic. Like, he really is pathetic. And now he has no Instagram account.

[Glenn Beck]

Pretty smart. That's the first smart thing he's done in a long time.

[Stu Burguiere]

A little late on that one.

[Glenn Beck]

James, I have to tell you, you said earlier today, and I agree 100%, if I'm his attorney, I saw that last night and I went, oh, honey, honey, wherever you want to go in the world and vacation, we're going to be able to afford it.

[Stu Burguiere]

There's not gonna be a lot of people, you know, like, after Trump won in the first time, he's like, ah, we're not gonna go after Hillary. That is not gonna be his vibe.

[Glenn Beck]

No. And it shouldn't be. It shouldn't be. The first picture of a person is not on Facebook. It's not even, you know, it's not even after they're born. The first picture of a person is usually before the name has been chosen, before there's a gender reveal party, sometimes before anyone else even is expecting. It's an ultrasound picture. That first image, tiny form, fluctuating and flickering heartbeat, and suddenly it's real. That's why preborn provides free ultrasounds to women facing unplanned pregnancies, because that first picture has the power to change hearts and save lives. Statistically, when a woman sees her baby on ultrasound, she's far more likely to choose life. And it's not a theory. It's a proven, powerful moment of connection. Preborn does not lecture. They don't shame. They offer truth in the form of a picture that speaks for itself. And then. And then they take care of mom and the baby. If nobody else is there for, they'll. They'll help her for two years. That picture, that life is worth everything and so is Mom's. Please, you want to join this effort? You want to help stamp this evil out? Preborn.com Beck. Do it through love, not through lectures. It's Preborn.com Beck sponsored by Preborn. Now back to the podcast. You're listening to the best of the Glenn Beck Program. All right, so apparently, apparently there's this football team, big football team, and this guy named Bill Burgess was a coach and a player there for a long time. I don't know. I Know Rick from Rick and Bubba. Previously with Rick and Bubba is here. And this, this is his dad. So try to. Try to just say, okay, I, you know, let's just pretend we know who his dad is. Rick, welcome to the program.

[Rick Burgess]

Oh, my goodness. Hearing you two talk about football is agonizing.

[Stu Burguiere]

What are you talking about him?

[Glenn Beck]

He knows that he's just been drug and dragged into this thing with me. Yeah.

[Rick Burgess]

I will tell you, if I was going to ask about a team, I'm going to ask Stu over you, Glenn, am I going to stew, though, if I have other options?

[Glenn Beck]

Okay. Welcome. Tell me, tell me about your dad.

[Rick Burgess]

So you guys so kind to have me on. Of course. You know, we, as you said, spent 31 years doing the Rick and Bubba show, and now this year, started the Rick Burgess show. We're five months in, as you said, got the new podcast on BlazeTV. Still working with you guys. So this has been something that I have been thinking about for a while about writing a book about dad, iconic figure. And it's not just a football book or anything like that. It's really about the men. And I know you guys have talked about it so many times. They're a dying breed, and we desperately need them back. So in order to mold the next generation, we need to be able to look to the model. And dad was an incredible leader, influencer, wonderful father. Isn't that a nice change of pace for a man to actually say his father was great, but he was one of a kind, a true original. You know how we throw around that phrase a lot? Hey, they broke the mold on that one. And then you're thinking, did they really? In this case, I can tell you, especially the two of you who've never met him, there is no one on this planet that I've ever met quite like Bill Burgess. And, you know, he was so humble that I knew I couldn't do the book until it was the right time. And unfortunately, he passed away in December of 2023. Battled Alzheimer's in the final years of his life. And when he passed, I said, you know what? Now's the time to give him, you know, the recognition that he would have never wanted, but deserved and try to use him to help influence not just men. You know, my wife read it because it comes across like, this is a dude book, and it certainly is beneficial for men. And you know that I have a real heart for men's ministry, and you guys have been kind enough to let me talk about that in the past, but this is actually a book for anyone. I remember my wife read it, and I came home and she's a real writer. So I was nervous about her assessment, and she said, you know what? I knew you're dead for 30 years, but after reading this book, I understand you better. And I also. I was taught two things by your dad in this book that I need to apply to my life today. So it's got a lot of comedy in it. It's got a lot of seriousness in it. You know, you'll laugh, you'll cry. You've heard that before. I always say this. If my dad was coaching football today, he would be put in jail.

[Glenn Beck]

So if anybody doesn't know who his dad was. American football coach. He was head coach at Jacksonville State University, I believe. Also played for Auburn, correct? Yeah. And in the hall of Fame. So tell me, what do you get? What do we learn from your father that we should know?

[Rick Burgess]

Well, you think about the title. I could tell you and Stu both had a reaction to the title, and I knew that would be the case. It really is an intriguing and provocative title. Men Don't Run in the Rain. I can't tell you how many people are like, man, as soon as I saw that, I was like, what? And I open up the book telling you about me being a kid. And I kept noticing that anytime it would rain, that if my dad was outside, he would never change his walk. He would walk in the rain, never scurrying, never, you know, never frantic. And I was little, so I never questioned him about it. Well, I got about 13, 14 years old, and I was at school because he was also coached high school football before he coached college. And it's where I went to school. A lot of you may not know this, but I'm actually an Oxford graduate. I'm not trying to get all arrogant. Of course, that's Oxford High School. But. So it's true. It's absolutely true. So it's in between Atlanta and Birmingham. If you're ever in the Deep South. Where I grew up is where you stop and go to the bathroom if you're going to either one of those cities.

[Glenn Beck]

Right.

[Rick Burgess]

So anyway, we. I was outside waiting to ride home with him because I wasn't old enough to drive yet, but I was already playing junior high football, and he was athletic director and head coach of the varsity. So he comes out. Well, one of those, you know, classic Alabama thunderstorms in the heat of summer start. Well, I go to run to his truck and he takes his forearm and he stops me and I Looked at him, he said, men don't run in the rain. And at the time, I was like, what? He said, man, we don't run in the rain. We walk to the truck. I started thinking, what in the world did he mean by that? But over time, I understood it wasn't about, you know, don't look stupid or whatever. It was like, men should be steady. Men should be fearless. And if you're going to be frantic about the rain, what about in life? When you face something that truly is difficult, how will you ever. He was already looking ahead. How are you ever going to stand in and have a headship and leadership in your family? How are you going to deal with difficulties when they come your way if you think rain is difficult? And my dad's perfect vision of a man and his family is that in the pouring rain, his wife would be put in the car dry, his kids would be put in the back seat dry, and then he would sit at the steering wheel soaking wet.

[Glenn Beck]

You know, in looking through this, I don't know if I taught my kids anything that profound at all. But your dad said so many things to you that are so important. You know, one of the things that he said on just remaining humble is, nobody cares what you did last year. And here's a guy who, you know, no, they care about what you did last year. You're in the hall of Fame, right?

[Rick Burgess]

Yeah. His humility was incredible. And, you know, he also, since he coached such a team sport, he was infuriated about individual awards. We literally had to tell him, dad, you're accepting this award on behalf of all the coaches, all the teams. He's like, no individual wins a football game. No individual has a successful football program. And he always had that attitude. But what he meant by that was, you know, and he. He taught me that lesson. He said, you can't spend the rest of your life continually tell stories about what you did last year. What are you going to do this year to make it count? And you can't drag. Last year, he taught me that lesson, as you guys may have seen in the book, because I had started on varsity as a sophomore, which that drove him crazy. But my position coach actually gave me that when I came back the next year as a junior, I thought, well, I'm a starter, and I wasn't even doing anything. I don't think it was that big a deal. But he stopped practice day one. He said, hey, get out. Get out. Get on the sideline. Let's get somebody in here who wants to play And I was over there going, what is he even talking about? And I'm over there getting a drink of water or whatever, and he walks over and he says, hey, let me just tell you about this. Nobody cares what you did last year. It has no impact on what we're doing preparing this team. And I thought, okay, he's teaching a football lesson, but he's teaching much more than that. We all know the men and women that keep telling that same story about what they did 25 years ago, but what have you done today?

[Glenn Beck]

So did your dad. I mean, you know, kids generally don't take that stuff well when you're saying it to them. You know what I mean? They're like, you know, they outdid. Is so frustrating. Did you take it that way or did you understand the lessons when he was giving them? And was he just a hard ass all the time or.

[Rick Burgess]

No, no, he really wasn't. You know, every player that ever played for him will tell you this. He was hard, but he was fair. And it was that fair side that bought what you're thinking about why you didn't. Now, there were days you got frustrated with him, of course, but did I understand the depth of the lessons when they were coming? Not all of them, but let me tell you why I was willing to listen. And he was a great leader. And this is the biggest part. And you just said it. Please do not picture my dad being the Great Santini. It was nothing like that. He was hard. He was no nonsense. It was his way or no way if he was in leadership. But he also would come home and leave all of that at the office, at home, he had a gregarious laugh that would fill up an entire house. He never took us out in the yard. So we're gonna run through some drills today, boys. Nothing like that. When I told him I wanted to play football, he said, why? When I was, you know, a little league, he said, if you want to play cause you want to, don't play cause you think I want you to. And he didn't coach us in the league. He didn't take us out in the yard like I said, and make us run. When he came home, he was dad, and he was fun. And he was also really. Our mom was probably more of the heavy in the house. Now, look, when dad was called in, that was the end of the foolishness, okay? But mom kind of handled the daily outbreaks. Dad was only brought in for the. For the heavy stuff. And I think the thing that I could say that I love the most about him is that we always felt safe.

[Glenn Beck]

Why do you think this is important now?

[Rick Burgess]

I think we're missing this. I think there is. You know, my mother is a powerful woman. She's still alive today. And she certainly was not inferior to him in any way. But our house had structure, and the man was the head of the house and had a headship and a leadership. And the mom his total equal. They were equal, but they were beautifully distinct. And that's how God made the family. And we're turning that upside down. And we're taking men like my dad, and instead of celebrating them, we're actually criticizing them and calling that toxic masculinity when it's not. Now, there is a form of toxic masculinity, no doubt about that. But men like my dad, that's not it. And we're letting that being lumped in because he was a leader, because he was an influencer, because he believed you needed to be tough, because he believed you needed to stand in the gap, because he believed you needed to be steady. But he believed you didn't need to make excuses. He believed you quit. You didn't worry about things like rain that would take you off the main goal of where you're going. He was actually invaluable. And there was a time when men like him just blended into society. They weren't even considered to be a big deal. But we're losing them, and we got to turn that around.

[Glenn Beck]

What? I mean, how much would your father stick out now?

[Rick Burgess]

Like I said, if he was coaching, they would want to put him in jail. I can't. You know, and you see these. The thing that's missed, especially these young males, they crave a man like my dad. And we have males that think that they should be babied and spoiled and given whatever they want. And that's the way to. You know, that's not. That's no way to leave. I'll tell you. There are men everywhere we go. Can you imagine this, Glenn and Stu? I can be going through an airport, and somebody will see my kids, and they'll see me, and they'll say, are you Bill Burgess, son, and are these his grandchildren? And when I say yes, I can't tell you the number of times with tears in their eyes, they'll say, your daddy saved my life. Your daddy was the daddy I didn't have. If it wasn't for your daddy, I'd be in jail. And we're missing those guys.

[Glenn Beck]

You know, it's amazing because I have always found women who just have self confidence, they know who they are, they're comfortable in their own skin and they just. They just walk differently. I find those women to be incredibly attractive and beautiful and. And you know, you. You see all these men who are becoming. Becoming almost women in their attitude. I can't imagine women find that attractive. They find a man who knows who he is and knows the role of a man. I would imagine that women feel the same way about. That's what's attractive is a man who's a man and not boastful, not coming in. And let me show you how it's none of that. Just a quiet, humble man.

[Rick Burgess]

Well, I will tell you, you're exactly right. And we see this a lot doing the men's ministry. And my mom will tell you this, I'm married to the kind of woman you're talking about. I'm sure you guys are too.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, we are.

[Rick Burgess]

But. But here's the thing. What? We're exhausting them because we're making them do our job and their job and, and that's what's missing. When we went out and started reaching and discipling men with the manchurch.com, which you guys have been kind enough to let me talk. And when we finally get men to take the proper role in the home. The biggest fans of all this are women. To your point, Glenn, they're saying, I never wanted to have headship in the home. I never wanted to usurp my husband. I knew we were equal. I'm confident in myself. I wanted to do my job, but I wanted him to do his. I didn't want to do my job and his. I'm not trying to, you know, be some woman who is under, like I say, under my. My husband won't do it and I've been stuck with it. And we're frustrating women. So yes, when they see a man that takes his proper place, you better believe it's attractive.

[Glenn Beck]

The the name of the book is Men Don't Run in the Rain is by Rick Burgess.

[Stu Burguiere]

You're streaming the best of Glenn Beck. To hear more of this interview and others, download the full show podcasts wherever you get podcasts.

[Glenn Beck]

Welcome to the Glenn Beck Program. Let's let me enter introduce you to somebody. Justin Kite. He is with Prager U Kids. He's the creative director for Prageru Kids. And I was with him, I don't know. Monday, I think. Justin, was it Monday that we were together?

[Justin Kite]

It was Monday.

[Glenn Beck]

It was Monday. And it was the first time that we had met and you are a, you're a history teacher. You taught history. You, you're really, really good at it. And would you just share what you shared with me about halfway through the day about your history with me?

[Justin Kite]

Yeah, most definitely. First of all, thanks, thanks, Glenn, for having me on.

[Glenn Beck]

Sure.

[Justin Kite]

Well, I was, I was a, I was a US History teacher and also world history teacher at the high school level at big public schools in Texas and at the, at the height of Glenn Beck with the Fox News. Yeah, that was kind of the height of my, I would say. I mean, I was kind of.

[Glenn Beck]

Go ahead, say it. Hating me. I'm with you. I'm with you.

[Stu Burguiere]

I'm still with you.

[Justin Kite]

I think I was a propaganda artist and I didn't even know it. And, and, you know, you were kind of my, you, you were kind of my foil and my number one enemy. And so when it was, when it was time to get on the plane and go meet Glenn Beck and the Glenn Beck show, it was, it was a very surreal experience for me.

[Glenn Beck]

Right. Because you have changed. What woke you up?

[Justin Kite]

You know, having a front row seat to it. And I didn't have a, like, like one big moment. It was kind of like Spidey senses. That started really in about 2011 because I had gone through my teacher training in 2008, and just within the three years, things really started to shift fast. And I was, and I was in the types of schools where we had a lot of outside experts coming in to try to like, you know, save the world and fix the system. And as early as 2011, they were bringing in these pilot programs from fancy universities that had us talking about stuff in the classroom that even me being at that time a very liberal, liberal proponent of everything against what you were saying, it didn't feel right. And so it's like, and my unique experience there, which relates to kind of what we're going to talk about today, I hope, is that, you know, I'm a white guy and I'm in front of classrooms primarily of Hispanic and black children, and I'm teaching US History and I'm, I'm kind of being nudged is a nice way to put it, to preach victimhood. And it just didn't feel, it didn't feel right and I didn't do it. And I framed my history lessons as a story of America as a story of survival, America as a story of achievement. And that included everybody in this country, regardless of ethnicity or skin color.

[Glenn Beck]

Well, it was great to work with you on Monday. We're I was cutting some stuff that, that I and Prager you are working on for history and you were at the museum and you were just, you were a great partner to work with, keeping me honest, keeping it right on track. You're a great partner. But you gave me as a gift one of your books. And there are now seven books in the series. They're Trailblazers of America. I had not heard of this kid series, but I've been reading it. It is, it's fantastic. Tell everybody what it is.

[Justin Kite]

Yeah. Thank you so much. It's. It's a, it's a seven part bio series. And the intro music that you had for me was perfect with that western twang because that's kind of the vibe of our, of our Trailblazer series. And we have. It's. You can buy them individually seven stories or you can get them in a full compilation, but it's from Daniel Boone all the way to Bass Reeves with six other stories in between that kind of chronologically tell the story of America's growth and expansion westward. And so from Boone to Davy Crockett to Lewis and Clark to Johnny Appleseed to John C. Fremont to John Sutter and then Bass Reeves, we're able to kind of take our readers on a trip that geographically covers the country, but then also chronologically covers the country and does so in a way that is pretty exciting.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah. And I mean, I think I hugged you when you said Bass Reeves was in the book. Because Bass Reeves, I mean, some people say it's. This is all just legend. Nobody knows. And I don't think it's true. But somebody, some people say that Bass Reeves is the, the inspiration for the Lone Ranger. Ranger. And when I found Bass Reeves, because I was doing, you know, I was painting a painting of the Lone Ranger and I wanted to learn more about. And I saw this name, Bass Reeves is possible, and I started looking it up and I'm like, how did I not know this guy? This guy is fantastic. And he was a U.S. marshal and tell his story a little bit.

[Justin Kite]

Well, so he was born into slavery and he was, he was owned by a well to do family in East Texas. And when the Civil War broke out, he was brought along with the young men of that family. And interesting of his upbringing, which is so condemning of the institution of slavery is that his, like the, the family that owned him permitted him to use firearms, but they didn't permit him to learn how to read, which says a lot about the importance of education. But in that childhood where he was brought up with guns. He became an expert marksman. And always having an American spirit inside of him. I would say that when given the opportunity to break free from slavery, he did so, and did so on the way to fighting in the Civil War. And then he escaped into the, you know, the bandit lands of the Indian Territory. And while he was there, we don't. I mean, he was literally off the grid. And so his time in the Indian Territory is legendary. But he must have picked up or at least intensified his skills, because when the Civil War ended and he then, you know, and slavery was abolished and he was allowed to. Permitted to join. Join American society, he did so as a U.S. marshal and racked up statistics that were just, like, unheard of.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, he was a guy who always got his man. Always got his man. No matter how long it would take, if he was on your trail, you were going to jail or die.

[Justin Kite]

And we're talking, like, hundreds of dudes that he went after and was successful in getting. And an incredible man of integrity. One of the people that he actually had to bring to justice was his own son.

[Glenn Beck]

Thank you for.

[Justin Kite]

And so, you know, we at Prageru kids aim to teach what isn't being taught. And, you know, you said you didn't know that much about Bass Reeves. I didn't even know who the guy was. And I'm a U.S. history teacher. And so one of the cool things about this series is kind of uncovering those old gems that have kind of been forgotten about.

[Glenn Beck]

And it's. I mean, if you're in California, the sixth story is John Sutter, who was the owner of a mill where gold was discovered, I believe in California. And this guy, you know, when you learn about the. The. The rush to California, you see the kind of American that we now say just doesn't exist. The. The, you know, now we're like, oh, I don't know. That seems really hard. If you want to be an American, you know, you. You should read John Sutter because it's optimistic and yet stubborn and yet. And it's just, we're going to get it. We're going to do what we know we can do, correct?

[Justin Kite]

Most definitely. And we strategically picked John Sutter because we wanted to have an immigrant tale as part of the series. And he was born in Switzerland and made his way to America as a young man. And our theme of our John Sutter book is pretty much failure, because that guy dreamed big and fell on his face over and over again, but had the gumption and had again, that American spirit to get up and try again.

[Glenn Beck]

So the name of the book. And if you have kids, you have grandkids, you know, homeschoolers, you need to get Trailblazers of America. Trailblazers of America. It's from Prageru and Justin Kaitis, the author of it. This guy I'm talking to. Can you only get it at Prageru or where can you get it?

[Justin Kite]

So you can go to our website, but then that links you to Amazon so you can go directly to Amazon and get it as well. And I agree with everything you said about getting it for the kids, but even if you don't have kids, make a heck of a coffee table book too.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, most Americans don't know these stories. I know these stories and that's why I'm saying it for kids. But. But I shouldn't have said that. Most Americans do not know these stories. And they need to. They need to because you'll be able to. It just. It helps you frame where we are, what is true, what we're capable of and where we need to go.

[Justin Kite]

Most definitely, sir.

[Glenn Beck]

It's. It was great to meet you, Justin. And thank you for sharing with me. Your. Your Glen hating years. I had them too. So don't worry about it. You're not alone.

[Justin Kite]

From. From foe to friend, sir.

[Glenn Beck]

Yeah, that's right. Thank you, Justin. I appreciate it. Justin kite it is prageru.com also you can get it online at Amazon.com Trailblazers of America.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Glenn Beck]

Of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail].