Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness (01-29-26)

Thursdays with Dale Hellestrae – Pro Bowl, the Arizona Cardinals’ Woes, and NFL Head Coach Hires

Episode Theme:
A lively, candid roundtable as John Holmberg is joined by former Dallas Cowboy o-lineman Dale Hellestrae and regulars Brady Bogen and Bret Vesely. The crew debates the continued relevance of the Pro Bowl, reflects on Pro Bowl selections, examines the Arizona Cardinals' disastrous organizational state, and touches on recent NFL head coach moves—especially Pittsburgh’s safe yet divisive hire.

Main Topics & Discussion Points

1. Pro Bowl: Should It Exist?

• Diluted Prestige & Low Standards:
  • [06:11] Holmberg highlights that since 2000, 696 QBs have taken an NFL snap (20+ snaps). Shador Sanders ranks 692nd by performance but is going to the Pro Bowl—underscoring the game's irrelevance.
  • Quote:

    “Touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 1,100 yards. Absolutely garbage play. And he's going to the Pro bowl because nobody wants to go.”
    — John Holmberg (07:12)

• Declining Player Interest & Watchability:
  • [09:00] Dale and Holmberg note reluctance by actual stars to participate; sponsors' money and TV ratings are the only reasons the event survives.
  • Quote:

    “I don't know if you can (get rid of it). Because players don't want anything to do with it. But guess what? There’s going to be a few million people who tune in…”
    — Dale (09:01)

  • The game has turned into flag football—Dale jokes about freak injuries to little consequence QBs.
• Ratings vs. Marketing to Kids:
  • [10:23] Heated back-and-forth on whether the NFL targets children with the event.
  • Holmberg: “You don’t target the children. With the NFL, you can’t say ratings... we’re getting the kids. There's no money there.” (11:09)
  • Brady argues that “Play 60” was all about youth outreach—Holmberg calls it a PR cover for safety lawsuits:
  • Quote:

    “Play 60 had nothing to do with them caring about getting kids interested. It was to say ‘look what we’re doing...’ It’s a complete lie.”
    — John Holmberg (12:16)

2. Cardinals' Franchise at Rock Bottom

• Ranked Worst Non-Playoff Organization:
  • [15:23] The Athletic ranks the Cardinals the #1 “most miserable franchise”; rivals are the Jets and Raiders.
  • Quote:

    “Arizona Cardinals were the ranked number one most miserable franchise... by The Athletic, John.”
    — Dale (15:34)

• Coaching Search as a Disaster:
  • [16:10] Multiple candidates (over 16-18 by their count) have passed; even prospective head coaches DON’T want the job.
  • Quote:

    “They're going down a road where the dudes who have never been head coaches... are like, ‘no way.’”
    — Holmberg (16:10)

  • Dale: Is this the Cardinals interviewing the coaches, or coaches interviewing the Cardinals? (16:28)
  • Red flag: The job is considered “career suicide”.
• What’s Driving Candidates Away?
  • [17:01] Questions center on QB Kyler Murray and the franchise's willingness/investment to build around him (or not).
  • [17:20] Dale marvels: “You land at the (Phoenix) airport... you see this beautiful stuff... and then go to a meeting with the Cardinals and go, ‘I don’t want to go back there ever again.’”
  • They agree this isn’t about salary/ownership being stingy—it’s a deeper organizational rot.
• Cardinals: A City Problem
  • [19:03] Holmberg insists Phoenix media must unite to pressure owner Michael Bidwill to sell.
  • Quote:

    “You have to recognize that this is the worst franchise. And we’re not saying it out of emotion or City Love... Other publications... say, ‘Oh, the Cardinals—the worst job.’”
    — Holmberg (19:03)

  • [20:27] Dale: “They finished nine games not out of first place... not out of second... out of third place in a four-team division.”

3. NFL Coaching Hires & the “Safe Hire” Debate

• On the Steelers' Mike McCarthy Hire:
  • [28:37] Holmberg views McCarthy as a “safe, bridge coach,” acknowledging his consistency but worrying about his health and motivation.
  • Quote:

    “Is he gonna have a stroke on the sidelines? He looks horrible. He's 62 and he's £7,000. He’s Peter Griffin from Family Guy.”
    — Holmberg (29:00)

  • They agree McCarthy keeps them relevant but isn’t a long-term solution. Three to five year “safe-bet.”
  • [29:39] Other interview candidates bombed, so McCarthy was the fallback.
• Organizational Stagnation & Change:
  • [22:10] Dale: “If you don't want to do that and invest the money... why not just sell? Get rid of it and take the billion dollars...”
  • [21:57] Holmberg’s radical idea: “Five years without a playoff appearance... you have to be relegated out (as an owner) of failure.”
  • [23:32] Dale calls out Cardinals PR chief Mark Dalton as “dictator of sports interviews” who shields Bidwill.

4. The Locker Room & Losing Cultures

• On Players Rallying to Retain a Losing Coach:
  • [27:34] Dale warns if players publicly plead for a coach’s return after a losing season, beware:
  • Quote:

    “When players start saying, ‘I want this coach back. He deserves another chance,’ the reason... is because it’s really comfortable to lose 10, 11 games.”
    — Dale (27:46)

  • Cites Jimmy Johnson’s Cowboys: losing made life miserable for ALL players, not just a few.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------| | 07:12 | “Absolutely garbage play. And he’s going to the Pro bowl because nobody wants to go.” | Holmberg | | 09:01 | “I don't know if you can (get rid of the Pro Bowl)… sponsors are going to pay money.” | Dale | | 12:16 | “Play 60 had nothing to do with them caring about getting kids interested... It’s a complete lie.” | Holmberg | | 15:34 | “Arizona Cardinals were the ranked number one most miserable franchise... by The Athletic, John.” | Dale | | 16:10 | “They're going down a road where the dudes who have never been head coaches...are like, ‘no way.’” | Holmberg | | 17:20 | “You land at the airport...see this beautiful stuff...and then...‘I don't want to go back there ever again.’” | Dale | | 19:03 | “You have to recognize that this is the worst franchise. ... Other publications... say... the worst job.” | Holmberg | | 20:27 | “They were nine games... out of third place in a four-team division.” | Dale | | 22:10 | “Why not just sell? Get rid of it and take the billion dollars...” | Dale | | 27:46 | “When players start saying, ‘I want this coach back...’ it’s because it’s comfortable to lose.” | Dale | | 29:00 | “Is he gonna have a stroke on the sidelines?... He’s Peter Griffin from Family Guy.” | Holmberg |

Additional Highlights & Tone

• Frequent, friendly digs and teasing (especially targeting Dale’s reading habits and injury history).
• Dale shares a behind-the-scenes Pro Bowl story about being almost recruited as a long snapper ([07:54-08:44]).
• Scathing takes on Cardinals ownership and operation—Holmberg repeatedly calls for public shaming or relegation of Michael Bidwill.
• Unfiltered banter—references to time travel, Neanderthals, and even awkward comparisons (“I’d rather be friends with Epstein... at least that guy got stuff done.” [24:32]).
• The episode closes with rapid-fire Suns/NBA talk before a hard and comedic cutoff as Holmberg wrangles the clock.

Recommended Listening Segments

• Pro Bowl irrelevance and snub stories: [06:11–09:00]
• The Cardinals' organizational circus: [15:23–20:30]
• What must change in Arizona and who is to blame: [21:57–24:14]
• NFL coaching carousel and McCarthy breakdown: [28:37–30:10]

Conclusion:
A no-holds-barred episode where iconic NFL irrelevance (the Pro Bowl) and local heartbreak (Cardinals dysfunction) get roasted, with a sharp mix of humor, sports insight, and “tough love” for Arizona football fans. Dale’s player’s view and John’s exasperated local pride make for a candid sports therapy session.