Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – 01-27-26 FULL SHOW (Tuesday)

Podcast: Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – 98KUPD, Hubbard Radio, Arizona
Air Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into a major Homeland Security raid at the popular Phoenix sports bar chain “Zips,” debates around public reactions and misconceptions, tangents about crime, local culture, and spicy discussion about protest culture and modern media skepticism. The hosts pepper the show with irreverent humor, personal stories, and long riffs on pop culture—from questionable sex playlists to football jokes to wild news of the day. All this in the signature, unfiltered, sarcastic style that regular listeners have come to expect.

Key Discussion Points

1. Homeland Security Raids on Zips Sports Bars (05:00 – 29:10)

• News Recap: Multiple Zips locations in Phoenix were raided by Homeland Security, ICE possibly tagging along. Pepper balls and chaos were reported at up to 15 locations.

• Public Reaction: Instead of instant outrage, much of the local Phoenix commentary focused humorously on whether the “Zipperitas” (their cocktails) and wings would be affected.

• Speculation: The crew speculates reasons for the raids, dismissing a pure immigration bust and leaning toward money laundering, identity theft, or illegal gambling (“If they left with boxes… they were looking for something big!”)

  • “They didn’t just draw out of a hat and go, all right, we're raiding Zips today. There’s something they know.” (John, 06:14)
  • Possible jokes about a “Jewish mob” and ethnic stereotypes—used satirically.

• Desire for First-Hand Experience:

  • Holmberg laments narrowly missing the drama (“I want to be adjacent to a pepper balling… I want to see what leads to it. I want to be firsthand.” – 05:15)
  • Repeated calls for law enforcement to invite him to future raids.

• Societal Reflection:

  • Critique of assumptions/protests: “If you went there thinking, oh, ICE... you assumed the staff’s a bunch of Mexicans. You’re the problem.” (15:10)
  • Frustration with media coverage, viral videos, and the impossibility of knowing “what’s real anymore.”
  • “Be aware, don’t care… Stay for the laughs.” – humor as therapy for chaos.

2. Local Crime, Racism, and Protest Culture (29:10 – 46:00)

• **Protesters show up post-raid, assuming immigration angle; hosts call out the “racism of assumptions.”
• Fun aside:** “Remember Danny’s Car Wash? That owner was warned multiple times about hiring illegals… and got raided too.” (29:00)
• Guadalupe Case Study: Unique jurisdictional issues in Arizona’s Yaqui reservations being exploited for drug smuggling across the border.
• Pop Psychology: Deep skepticism about “buzzwords” like fascism. “Let’s stop using ‘Nazi’ and ‘fascist’ for every cop.” (23:24)

3. Wild Crime in the Valley: Sleep Assault and Reddit (46:42 – 56:00)

• Disturbing Gilbert News: Man drugged his wife and, via Reddit, invited strangers to assault her while unconscious.
• Hosts’ Reactions: Total disgust, gallows humor (“I don’t want to know unless it’s close to me!”), and speculative armchair criminology.
• “The reward-to-risk on that is zero…” (Discussion on the perps showing up.)
• Listeners write in: Some jokesters ask if the victim was “hot.”

4. Pop Culture Roundup: Pro-Bowl, Super Bowl Conspiracies, and Sex Playlists (63:15 – 86:00)

• NFL Pro Bowl Absurdity: Quarterbacks dropping out, now so depleted that Shadur Sanders (statistically unimpressive) is named.
  • “If the players don’t want it, why are we still having the Pro Bowl?” (64:34)
  • Jokes about Super Bowl being "rigged" and wild odds.
• Collections of ‘Sex Music’:
  • Lists the top “tracks to have sex to,” heavy on R&B slow jams (Isley Brothers, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Portishead).
  • Satirical discussion on why men’s “sex music” is always so groove-heavy and how bad “old school” lovemaking songs are.

5. Lightning Round: News, Lists, and Local Color (98:26 – 146:55)

• Fun Facts & Odd News:
  • Pratfall effect: Being clumsy can make someone more attractive!
  • Filipino flag flies upside down in wartime.
  • Antarctica’s first attempted murder: a book-spoiler gone wild.
  • Museum of Personal Failure opens in Vancouver.
• Fun Riffs:
  • Theories why places like “Long Wong’s” and other valley wing joints survive at slim margins—jokes about all wing places being money laundering schemes.
  • Stories about dogs as family: “You’re my world, the greatest thing in my life…” gets emotional (110:07)
  • Top 10 Dating Cities in the US includes Rust Belt and cold cities—hosts crack that Buffalo sex is just “tan fat is better than white fat.”

6. Podcast’s Signature Segments & Music Bits

• Brady Report: Bizarre news roundups
• Brady Videos: Always a mix of disturbing and absurd internet clips
• Hot Releases: Weekly TV/music/gaming drops; AI-generated music now gets applause from the team.
  • Notable: AI-generated Motown “Nothing Else Matters” and a 50s-style “Get Low,” which the crew goes nuts over.
  • “Can you take my bunghole tonight?” – a highlight from AI-vocal pop.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Zips Raid:

  • “I want to be adjacent to a pepper balling. I want to see it. I want to see what leads to it. I want to be firsthand.” – John Holmberg, (05:15)
  • “If I could see the pepper balling, I’d be like, ‘oh, that guy didn’t do anything.’ Or, ‘he should have gotten shot with real bullets.’… I’m so tired of watching things on TV and thinking, maybe it’s real…” (04:13)

• On Protest Reaction:

  • “If you showed up screaming about ICE, you’re the racist. You assumed all the staff is Mexican.” – John, (15:13)
  • “Let’s not say Nazi and fascism anymore… it’s just not (that). You can email a radio show about fascism running rampant? You’d get caught if it was a fascist state. Dismissed.” (24:47)

• On “Staying Cool”:

  • “Phoenix is cooler—we didn’t go crazy… news is going to make people mad now, but nobody was mad at first.” (11:31)
  • “Be aware, don’t care. That’s my message!” (41:53)

• Local Cynicism:

  • “Maybe it was a terrible crime being committed in there. And everybody just assumes, because of the news, it was an ICE raid… you don’t know!” (32:20)
  • “Every place that serves wings is up to no good. They figured out a loophole and Homeland Security finally spotted it.” (37:02)

• On Gilbert Sleep Assault Crime:

  • “Who’s worse—the dude drugging her or the guys in the car on the way over?” (47:02)
  • “If you’re on the tape banging the incapacitated lady… do we really need a court hearing for that?” (54:29)

• On Sex Playlists:

  • “These are all the ones where you gotta prepare—none of them are spontaneous!” (73:09)
  • “Can you take my bunghole tonight…” (160:54, AI song bit)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:00 – 29:10: Zips Raids: Theories, protest response, why locals stay cool, Holmberg's FOMO.
• 29:10 – 46:42: Racism in assumptions, protester criticism, local crime narratives, “Guadalupe Loophole.”
• 46:42 – 56:00: Gilbert sleep assault crime; dark humor, audience emails.
• 63:15 – 73:09: Pro Bowl and Super Bowl conspiracy fun, football talk.
• 73:09 – 90:00: Sex playlist lists, debates, and musical nostalgia.
• 98:26 – 146:55: Fun facts, Brady Report, dog love, local scenes, more mailbag.
• 147:43 – 166:05: Hot new releases, TV and AI music detours.
• 167:07 – 180:02: Entertainment drill, doomsday clock, more news, show wrap.

Tone & Style

• Language & Humor: Unfiltered, sarcastic, occasionally dark or off-color with edgy jokes. Critical of public panic, “cancel culture,” and both left & right buzzwords.
• Pacing: Rapid-fire banter, multiple asides, plenty of playful arguments and callbacks, never taking themselves too seriously.
• Listeners: Frequently read and react to audience emails, jokingly inviting listeners to join in their skepticism.

In Summary

This episode is a wild ride: sometimes snarky, often hilarious, frequently provocative, and always irreverent. The Zips raids spark the centerpiece conversation—a lens to explore Valley life, protest culture, trust in news, and the state of society. Old Phoenix stories, oddball crimes, and music tangents fill out a show that never sits still for long. Regulars will find all the signature bits in fine form; newcomers will see why Holmberg’s Morning Sickness remains Arizona’s #1 morning show for no-holds-barred radio.

Sample Listener Takeaway:
Missed the episode? Don’t worry—you didn’t miss a detail about the Zips raids, local crime gossip, or what songs not to play in the bedroom. If you like your morning radio sharp, irreverent, and jam-packed with dark humor (and you don’t mind an off-color tangent), this is must-listen stuff.