Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Arizona

Episode: 01-20-26 – "Great Weekend Of Football Made Us All Lazy – Bills Fire McDermott Meaning The Cardinals Are Further Down The Hiring Ladder – John's Program Of Feeding Boogers To Hated People"
Air Date: January 20, 2026
Host: John Holmberg with Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo
Station: 98KUPD | Hubbard Radio

Overview

In this episode, John Holmberg and the crew return after an action-packed football weekend over Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The group reviews NFL playoff drama, laments the Arizona Cardinals’ decline in the coaching market, and, in trademark fashion, goes off on tangents about leadership, fan resentment, and the epic new “Booger Program” for Arizona sports’ most hated.
The tone is irreverent, sardonic, and locally targeted—classic HMS.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Weekend of Football and Unity

• The hosts open celebrating what felt like a national weekend of laziness and sports over MLK holiday.
• [00:38-02:19] John jokingly credits “MLK’s Dream” with unifying everyone—“I have a dream of not moving off the couch from Saturday starting at 10 until Monday night at 10pm...MLK’s dream has come true. We are all black, white, all getting together, doing the exact same thing. That was a unified weekend.” (John, 00:55)
• The Couch Potato lifestyle is championed, bonding everyone through NFL and NBA games.

2. Intense Playoff Reactions

• [02:19-05:14] The crew reviews Bears, Seahawks, and 49ers playoff heartbreak and glory.
  • “Caleb is starting to show that that was a legitimate...This is what Kyler Murray was supposed to do. Change the franchise. And he is a legit...Dude is clutch. And he’s proving it week after week.” (John, 02:24)
  • Rams and Bears fans try to find bright spots despite losses; Richard “Toledo” is teased for prematurely shopping for Super Bowl tickets.
  • Honorable mention for the joy in rival teams’ suffering—hatred for rivals bonds fans.

3. The New England Patriots: NFL’s ‘Evil Empire’ Returns

• [05:14-08:24] John bemoans the Patriots’ swift rebuild, fan arrogance, and lucky breaks.
  • Anecdote: Seeing a friend on the golf course in full Patriots regalia during a game—“Golf looks like a jackass. So they’re back. Payne Stewart, they’re back.”
  • John proposes elaborate NFL conspiracies after Bo Nix’s injury—“There is no way we got told the truth...I think the real reasons are to say that somebody from the NFL went in there with a bat and cracked his ankle during the celebration. So the Patriots should get back in the mother Super Bowl. They love them.” (John, 07:18)
• Discussion of missed calls, controversial plays, and memes about Bill Belichick’s involvement in NFL outcomes.

4. NFL Officiating Conspiracy Theories

• [08:43-09:33] Frustration over inconsistent officiating in the Bills-Broncos matchup.
  • “If ever you have been in a situation where you think football is rigged, look no further than that Bills Broncos game...” (John, 08:58)
  • The same play called differently in back-to-back games deepens suspicions.

5. Coaching Carousel: Cardinals Fall Further Down the Ladder

• [09:34-12:32] Cardinals’ job gets bleaker after Buffalo fires Sean McDermott; Arizona is now among the least desired vacancies.
  • “This is the biggest loser. This weekend, after the Bills fired McDermott, was the Arizona Cardinals; that job got less—somehow managed to get—less desirable.” (John, 11:27)
  • Holmberg proposes owner Michael Bidwell should coach next season just to publicly absorb abuse.
  • League trend: teams with top QBs (Ravens, Bills) get first choice in coaching; Cards pick through "scraps."

6. Analogies & Local Leadership Rants

• [12:35-19:47] John likens Michael Bidwell (Cardinals’ owner) to clueless, slick radio bosses from his past, riffing on the way both organizations mismanage leadership and repeat bad decisions.
  • “He should work for the Cardinals because he was equally as stupid and oblivious as they are.” (John, 17:34)
  • Extended, colorful storytelling about radio station hirings, firings, and personal betrayals—more than just radio, it’s a metaphor for Arizona football’s mismanagement.

7. Phoenix Sports’ Most Hated: Michael Bidwell

• [23:08-28:10] Discussion pivots to how universally disliked Cards owner Michael Bidwell is in Phoenix.
  • “Everyone hates him. No one likes him…He walks in a room, everybody’s like, ‘ew.’ He’s gotta feel that. We need, and you know what? We need to do it worse. I don’t even like the Cardinals, but I need to be like, boo. If he walks by you, just boo him.” (John, 24:10)
  • Comparison: even Jerry Jones draws awe/respect; Bidwell only disgust.
  • Holmberg jokes about social schemes to ensure Bidwell feels hated at every turn—from restaurant staff to fans.

8. The Infamous ‘Feed Michael Bidwell Your Boogers’ Program

• [28:10-38:52] John introduces (jokingly) his grassroots campaign for Phoenix:
  • “Now do something for the football team…Feed Michael Bidwell your boogers.” (John, 27:47)
  • Elaborates on appropriate methods (“just slap it up against his lips when he makes a face”, “rub one on him or on his suit”), drawing laughter and some mild queasiness.
  • Notes that collective hatred might prompt long-overdue change: “Hate will force him to realize that his biggest weapon in his brain is that he’s a big deal. And if you take that away from him, he might change.” (John, 29:38)
  • Crew is (for the most part) on board with booger plan—Bret and Richard support, Brady is less enthused.

9. Real-Life Booger Art: The Rental House Story

• [34:25-36:11] John shares a true story of a renter who, in defiance after being evicted, wrote his name and “FU” on the walls in boogers and blood.
  • “He wrote his name in the last two weeks he was there on the front wall in boogers and blood...I mean, we’re talking foot and a half, long letters...It was booger art and I hated him. But right now, boy, could I use him to follow Michael Bidwell around and hand over some of those boogers.” (John, 35:02 & 35:37)
  • Crew howls at the “Van Gogh of South Scottsdale” reference.

10. The End: Final Laments and Coaching Laughs

• [40:53-end] John predicts more misfortune for Cardinals fans—a likely bad head coach hire—before signing off.
  • “Enjoy. What I predict is the next announcement coming out of Cardinals camp: Cardinals are introducing their new head coach, Matt Nagy. Have fun with that.” (John, 40:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "MLK’s dream has come true. We are all black, white, all getting together doing the exact same thing. That was a unified weekend."
  John Holmberg (00:55)

• "Caleb is starting to show that was a legitimate … Dude is clutch. And he's proving it week after week. So Bears fans have something to be happy about."
  John Holmberg (02:24)

• "There is no way we got told the truth. Absolutely. … somebody from the NFL went in there with a bat and cracked his ankle during the celebration. So the Patriots should get back in the mother Super Bowl."
  John Holmberg (07:18)

• "This is the biggest loser. This weekend … Arizona Cardinals, that job got less—somehow managed to get—less desirable."
  John Holmberg (11:27)

• "Everyone hates him. No one likes him… He walks in a room, everybody’s like, ‘ew.’ … I need to be like, boo. If he walks by you, just boo him."
  John Holmberg (24:10)

• "Feed Michael Bidwell your boogers ... everybody should ... slap it up against his lips when he makes a face."
  John Holmberg (28:10)

• "He wrote his name in the last two weeks he was there on the front wall in boogers and blood … Van Gogh of South Scottsdale … It was booger art and I hated him. But right now, boy, could I use him to follow Michael Bidwell around and hand over some of those boogers."
  John Holmberg (35:02, 35:37)

• [On bad head coach hires] "Enjoy. What I predict is the next announcement coming out of Cardinals camp: Cardinals are introducing their new head coach, Matt Nagy. Have fun with that."
  John Holmberg (40:55)

Segment Timestamps

• Opening banter / MLK Weekend & sports made us lazy: 00:38–02:19
• Bears & playoff heartbreak: 02:19–03:18
• Cardinals coaching carousel begins: 09:34–12:32
• Radio boss analogy / Cardinals mismanagement: 12:35–19:47
• Heat on Michael Bidwell (owner rant): 23:08–28:10
• Launching Feed Michael Bidwell Your Boogers Program: 28:10–34:25, 38:52–end
• Rental house booger story: 34:25–36:11
• Show close, coaching doom, final farewells: 40:53–end

Tone & Style

• The show is blunt, sarcastic, and full of local-insider humor.
• Hosts riff freely, mixing sports analysis with personal grudges, city lore, and outlandish proposals.
• The “booger” campaign is both a running joke and a device for communal catharsis directed at perennial sports misery.

Conclusion

This episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness is a cathartic and comedic therapy session for Arizona sports fans, offering equal parts NFL analysis, local feuding, and absurdist crusades against the powers that be. It’s a must-listen for those who crave irreverent, unfiltered takes and want to feel like they’re part of a deeply local, rowdy fan circle—boogers and all.