02-05-26 - The Ask An Italian Segment Is Back As Emailer Asks Bret If His 5yo Son Can Start Gambling Ring At School - Details On Our Super Bowl Party Downtown At Copper Blues

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: "Holmberg's Morning Sickness" – February 5, 2026

Episode Theme:
A return of the "Ask an Italian" segment spurred by a hilarious email about childhood gambling, plus heartfelt details about the upcoming Super Bowl party benefitting the Humane Society—hosted at Copper Blues, Downtown Phoenix.

---

Main Discussion Themes

• Ask an Italian Segment: Can a 5-year-old start a gambling ring at school? (Tongue-in-cheek banter about Italian-American culture, family, gambling, and the lessons we pass on to kids.)
• Super Bowl Party Preview: Announcement for their downtown charity party, with heartfelt context dedicated to the host’s aging dog, Frankie, and a range of prizes for attendees.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Ask an Italian" Segment Returns

[01:02 - 04:03]

• Setup: John Holmberg introduces the segment after receiving an email asking if it’s okay for a five-year-old to start gambling at school, especially at Italian-themed Super Bowl parties.

  • "We play the game every once in a while... It's time to play Ask the Italian guy." (John Holmberg, 01:02)

• Banter & Advice:

  • Bret (the token Italian) gives mock advice on the acceptable age to start gambling, veering rapidly into jokes about how, as an Italian, you should teach the kid to take bets instead of placing them.
    • "If he's gonna be in the box, he should know how betting works.” (John Holmberg, 01:49)
    • “He should be taking the bets... The money man… He's the bank, right?... Not making the bets. Taking the action.” (Brett & Host, 02:21–02:30)

• Comic escalation:

  • Joking about recruiting other young kids ("a couple six year olds on the payroll to take care of kneecaps") in a hyperbolic mafia style.
  • “I have a couple six year olds on the payroll to take care of some kneecaps and stuff. You know, those first graders out there.” (Host, 02:38)

• Personal Story:

  • A guest remembers his own Italian childhood, finding cash left at a golf club poker table, and taking it—tying in the theme of kids, gambling, and Italian family hijinks.
    • “I was about five or six…they’re playing poker. They leave the table… money everywhere. We go to the table and… payday for me.” (Guest, 02:47–03:23)
    • “Like, dad, look at this! You left all that.” (Guest, 03:25)

• Movie Reference:

  • A nod to iconic Italian-American movies: Bronx Tale and early lessons about throwing dice, furthering the episode’s playful stereotype humor.
    • “Remember in the Bronx Tale when he was teaching him how to throw dice; was he 5? I think he was like 10 or something like that.” (Host, 03:46)

• Final Stance (Tongue-in-Cheek):

  • “No. The answer is totally not. Gamble away five. And if he has a problem, text next step to 5, 3, 3, 4, 2 on his little Mickey Mouse phone, and we'll be just fine.” (John Holmberg, 04:03)
  • Satirical take on disclaimers about kid gambling, "if you have a child with a gambling problem that's kindergarten age, we disagreed with the problem." (John Holmberg, 04:17)

Notable Quotes

• “He’s got to learn sometime.” — Host (02:04)
• “Teach a little Yogi Falcon first…The right way. Collect. Yes, then bet.” — Brett (02:32–02:35)
• “You're a bear of a small mind. Give me a honey pot.” — Brett (03:39)

---

2. The Super Bowl Party & The "Frankie Bowl"

[06:01 - 09:42]

• Announcing the Event:

  • The hosts announce a Super Bowl watch party at Copper Blues, benefiting the Humane Society. The event is code-named “The Frankie Bowl,” after John Holmberg’s aging dog, Frankie.
  • “We're doing a Super Bowl get together on Sunday...Copper Blues and we're gonna donate a bunch of money to the Humane Society.” (John Holmberg, 06:22)

• Frankie's Story:

  • John shares emotional reflections on his dog Frankie’s last days, underscoring the party’s charitable aim toward helping animals in need.
    • “My boy Frankie is...he’s 15 years old and we’re awfully darn close...he’s been through all of it. Megan and I have agreed; there’s no more pulling needles in and out of him.” (John Holmberg, 06:02–06:41)

• Party Details & Prizes:

  • Attendees can win an arcade system, a Capita snowboard, gift cards (Mo Money Pawn, Raising Cane's, Crazy Girls Cabaret), new mattresses, and more—through simple drawings and trivia.
    • “Gift cards that will total up into the thousands... just going to be drawings, literal drawings.” (John Holmberg, 07:37–08:00)

• Emotional Call to Action:

  • John urges listeners to support animals while he copes with a personal loss.
    • “No bad days. That’s my rule. So it’s the Frankie Bowl...let’s make Frankie Bowl a big success for future Frankies, for all of you guys.” (John Holmberg, 08:53)
    • “They just make the world better. Get you through an awful lot of stuff.” (John Holmberg, 09:26)

Notable Quotes

• "He made my life better for the last 14 and a half years, just like those dogs tend to do." — John Holmberg (08:47)
• “He’s lost his sight, he’s lost his hearing, and he’s just walking around getting a bite to eat now and again at best he can. He’s just not, you know…” — John Holmberg, on Frankie (09:03)

---

Memorable Moments

• [02:38]
  • Satirical mafia references about grade-school “kneecap collectors.”
• [03:23]
  • Childhood memory of raiding a poker table for loose cash.
• [06:02–06:41]
  • Vulnerable, heartfelt update about Frankie's health and the pain of pet loss.

---

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 01:02 – "Ask an Italian" Segment starts (should you let your five-year-old gamble?)
• 03:46 – Movie references add to the Italian-American comedic riff.
• 06:01 – John begins heartfelt monologue about his dog, Frankie.
• 06:22–09:42 – Super Bowl party details and call for Humane Society donations.
• 08:53–09:26 – Emotional capstone about the impact of pets.

---

Tone & Language

• Style: Irreverent, playful banter with affectionate ribbing; sharp and fast-paced.
• Recurring Tone: Light-hearted satire on cultural stereotypes, mixed with authentic, sentimental moments—especially regarding the Super Bowl charity drive and John’s love for his dog.

---

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode deftly blends sharp, satirical comedy (with the crew riffing on Italian-American stereotypes and childhood ‘gambling rings’) and real emotion (dedicated to host John Holmberg’s beloved, aging dog Frankie). The tone shifts naturally from jokes about five-year-olds running book at Super Bowl parties to a sincere plea to support the Humane Society at their big “Frankie Bowl” watch party. The camaraderie between hosts, the absurdity of some of the advice, and John’s heartfelt tribute to his pet make for a dynamic and memorable listen.

---

Transcript

[Host]

You're listening to the HMS podcast brought to you by MMP Guns.com, your most trusted online marketplace for firearms, ammunition and accessories.

[John Holmberg]

It's John Holmberg here from the morning Cygnus and I'm absolutely thrilled to tell you about my [e-mail] youm've heard me mention Kevin Costner, Trey McBride, other countless celebrities and pro athletes and how they chose lifted trucks. But that doesn't mean it's only for actors and pro athletes. It's for all of you. Everybody who loves a cool adventure. So if you're a huge celebrity like me or just an average Joe who wants the best truck available, head on over to lifted Trucks. They live up to being the number one custom truck dealer for over 30 years. 10,000 five star reviews can't be wrong. Liftedtrucks.com work hard, play hard, drive harder.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.

[John Holmberg]

Still streaming Homberg's morning sickness [e-mail] yeah, before we get into anything else here, I just wanted to got a question to the Brett. We play the game every once in a while. I can't answer it. Brady can answer it. It's time to play ask the Italian guy.

[Brett]

No.

[Host]

What? Where'd this come up from?

[John Holmberg]

Kevin Falcone.

[Host]

You should know.

[John Holmberg]

Two Italians having a conversation. He should know, but he's just, you know, he's making sure.

[Guest]

Sometimes they need help.

[Brett]

Brady wants some advice. He wants a consiglierity. You know, his son Yogi is going to a Super bowl party on Sunday. There's gonna be a lot of Italians and a lot of Italian style gambling.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Brett]

Do you think it would cause a problem in his life if he started gambling since he's only 5, if he's gonna be in the box, he should know how betting works. Brett, if you had a five year old, would you let him gamble? Nah.

[Host]

He's got to learn sometime.

[John Holmberg]

That's exactly what I expected. All right, there you go. It's another episode of Asking Italian. The answer is yeah. He's got to learn sometime.

[Brett]

Does he want to walk him through?

[Host]

But he should be taking the bets.

[Brett]

Go.

[Host]

He should be taking the bets. He should be the. The money man.

[Brett]

He's the one he's the bank, right?

[Host]

Exactly.

[Brett]

Not making the bets.

[Host]

No.

[Brett]

Taking the action, right?

[Host]

Yes.

[Brett]

Teach a little Yogi Falcon first.

[Host]

The right way.

[Brett]

Collect. Yes, then bet.

[Host]

And I have a couple six year olds on the payroll to take care of some kneecaps and stuff. You know those first graders out there.

[John Holmberg]

To knock some people down. All right, well, there you go.

[Guest]

Reminded me of when I was about five or six years old. My dad was golfing at this club called Riviera, and it was predominantly Italian members. And I remember coming into the clubhouse after the round because I just rode around with my dad and they're playing poker over the. They leave the table. There's probably eight or ten guys decked out. They leave the table. We go to the table and sit there afterwards. And there's just money everywhere under the table.

[John Holmberg]

Oh, no kidding.

[Guest]

Yeah, they just left it.

[John Holmberg]

Just let it lay.

[Guest]

Just a payday for me.

[John Holmberg]

And you were like a five year old that took it all.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[John Holmberg]

Nice work.

[Guest]

Like dad, look at this. You left all that.

[John Holmberg]

This guy driving down the road going.

[Brett]

That's where it went. All right. Dummy revealed himself.

[Host]

Gonna get a visitor.

[Brett]

We'll go get a visit to that. I was like Winnie the Pooh.

[Guest]

You're a good kid.

[Brett]

You're a bear of a small mind. Give me a honey pot.

[John Holmberg]

It is. All right. There you go. Ask an Italian. And it just happened. Well done.

[Host]

Remember in the Bronx tale when he was teaching him how to throw dice, was he 5? I think he was like 10 or something like that.

[John Holmberg]

Collision was pretty young early on. Yeah. When he ran into chess Palmintarian. That all right. I was just curious. Italian. Asking another Italian, you think five's a little early. Is that frowned upon?

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

No.

[John Holmberg]

No. The answer is totally not. Gamble away five. And if he has a problem, text next step to 5, 3, 3, 4, 2 on his little Mickey Mouse phone, and we'll be just fine. I'm not sure I. This is one of the moments where I'm going to say I'm not sure that Homebrew morning podcast along with Hubbard Broadcasting. Yeah, the Views of Brett podcast. For God's sakes. We can do it. If you have a child with a gambling problem that's kindergarten age. We disagreed with the problem.

[Host]

He's the bank. Where's the problem?

[John Holmberg]

Would love to talk to that kid.

[Guest 2]

Next thing you know, you know, I got my Big Wheel. I gave that up.

[Guest]

I lost that.

[Guest 2]

I'm blowing guys for, you know, just.

[Brett]

To play casino casual.

[Host]

He's got to be the bank.

[John Holmberg]

I lost it all. All my Legos, I lost it all.

[Guest 2]

Legos were gone.

[Guest]

Missed it by one.

[Guest 2]

I had a little boo Boo gone. It's just because the goddamn guy. Mr. Field Goal. I mean, come on. Where do you get the nerve to ask me that?

[Host]

Have a couple of hard pipe hitting guineas on the payroll.

[John Holmberg]

You're all good. I gotta ask you a question. Did you. My teddy bear.

[Guest 2]

You get the balls? You asked me that. Then I. Your teddy bear.

[John Holmberg]

Come on. Anyway, haven points in a little league. Thank you. There you go. Thank you very much for playing let's ask in Italy. The answer I thought would be a given was we got an entertainment drill coming up next. Morning sickness. Morning sickness. Before we get into the entertainment drill, which we will eventually, I'm catching up on everything. The Wolf boys were so much fun. The wolves were fun. So we got a little behind, and that's on me. But I want to tell you guys that this is getting out of hand here. This Sunday, here's what I'm looking forward to. And I'm going to play on your heartstrings here because, ah, you're going to get me welling up if I start talking about it. My boy Frankie is. He's all right. My little puppy Frank is.

[Brett]

Yeah.

[John Holmberg]

You know, we're getting there. He's 15 years old and we're awfully darn close. So this weekend might be Frankie weekend. I know, but it's part of it, right? So I look at it this way. He's had a. An amazing run. And I don't want to. I don't want to. I don't want to guess this. You know, I don't want to start saying, Mike, you know, he might have a snapback and have a couple great months or whatever. He's an old dog. But I'm not putting him through any more of the stuff. Megan and I have agreed that there's no more pulling needles in and out of him. Try to draw for what he's. He's been through all of it. So help me out in honor of Frankie and all of your guys, pets and everything else Sunday, and let's do what's right for all those fuzzy guys that don't have Frankie homes, that don't have a house that's warm and cozy and people who love them, they're at the Humane Society waiting for houses and all the people who help that out. We're doing a Super bowl get together on Sunday for the, you know, the big game, Right? So you got the Super. A copper blues and we're gonna donate a bunch of money to the Humane Society. How's about that? And here it is. This is gonna get you there. So you go down there, you can donate anything you want. I mean, some of you can donate nothing if you want, but come down, watch the game. We got that going on and we're kicking it off at 4:30. Doors will open at 2. They're helping us out with Copper Blues. Menus all open and everything. We're gonna give away an arcade system for. From Prestige Billiards. Meathead and the gang up there handing that over. And they're the best people in the business. Prestige Billiards, we love you. $150 gift card from our guys at mo money pawn and MMP guns. We're going to have those to give away. Capita snowboard from Josh and the guys at Action Ride Shop. A whole snowboard going out the door. New mattresses from Boring Mattress. The. The folks that I used to talk about with Tuft and Needle. They got rid of Tuft and Needle.

[Brett]

They.

[John Holmberg]

They ushered it into a new company. They didn't like the way the new company handled it. They left, started all over and because they kind of destroyed the TN brand. So Boring Mattress is a new thing. Happy to meet with those guys again because I worked with them so long ago with tuft and needle. 300 carpet cleaning from 0res. Awesome work. $100 gift basket from Raising Cane's chicken fingers. If Brady doesn't get it first. 200 gift card to Crazy Girls Cabaret. Jim over there said that's good for lap dances and anything else you want to do. Keep the party going. And then also gift cards that will total up into the thousands. And it's just going to be drawings, literal drawings. I'll just say, all right, a trivia question or something. It's time for a drawing. I don't give people numbers or something. We'll figure it all out. But everybody's going to get some stuff and we'll put your name in a hat. And they say we're draw for the snowboard right now and you're going to walk away with prizes. I know that that's the sell, but what I'm really shooting for here is that you guys come out, help out the Humane Society. While I'm kind of having my heart slowly break in half with my man Frankie. And I've been through it a million times and it never gets easier. And I know, I read a lot of emails and we've all in this room been through that A couple of times. So watch them boy kind of take his. His last days and giving him the best days he can have in his current condition is what we're up to. No bad days. That's my rule. So it's the Frankie bowl, and these.

[Host]

Allergies are killing me, man.

[John Holmberg]

Knock it off. The Frankie Bowl's upon us. And I want to tip my cap. My. My little. My little bestie, little Whitey. And he's. He's, you know, he's on the couch right now just trying to look at you. He's lost his sight, he's lost his hearing, and he's just walking around getting a bite to eat now and again at best he can. He's just not, you know. But, yeah, it sucks. But he's a good one. So let's make Frankie Bol a big success for future Frankies, for all of you guys. Because he made my life better for the last 14 and a half years, just like those dogs tend to do. They just make the world better. Get you through an awful lot of stuff. And hopefully we'll see you Sunday at Copper Blue's downtown entertainment drill. Coming at you next, Arizona's most powerful rock radio station. He said fully erect. I'd like to kill you. Big day.

[Simply Business Announcer]

You compare prices when shopping for flights, hotels, cars. So why not small business insurance? At Simply Business, we'll show you policies that fit your business and a range of prices to help you save. Who knew buying insurance could be so simple? Visit SimplyBusiness for your free quote today.