Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – Arizona (98KUPD)
Episode: 02-09-26 - FULL SHOW - MONDAY
Date: February 9, 2026
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo
Episode Overview
This lively Monday episode brings John, Brady, Bret, and Toledo back after Super Bowl Sunday and the Phoenix Open weekend in Arizona. The crew discusses everything from the lackluster Super Bowl game, the divisive Bad Bunny halftime show, and the mass migration of visitors to Phoenix for big events. The hosts share irreverent takes on sports, pop culture, and local life, while taking listeners through their comically “honest” advice segments and riffing on current events. As always, the tone is brash, sarcastic, rapid-fire, and proudly unfiltered.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Phoenix Open & Super Bowl Recap
- [00:39-03:11]
- Praise for the Phoenix Open’s festive vibe, but also a plea for out-of-towners to go home:
- “It’s enough of you clogging up all the roads… house guests are like fish. After three days you start to stink. Time to go.” – John [00:53]
- The Open’s "collapse-o-rama" finish is discussed, alongside a consensus that the Super Bowl was a slog.
- “That Seahawks team is young and they’re really good and they’re going to get better… Cardinals are in trouble.” – John [03:45]
- Humor and joy at Boston fans’ misery and a dig at “punchable” personalities in the NFL.
- Praise for the Phoenix Open’s festive vibe, but also a plea for out-of-towners to go home:
2. Super Bowl Halftime Show: Bad Bunny Controversy
- [05:56-12:38 | 13:54-18:40]
- Hosts debate the backlash – was it racism, or just discomfort with a Spanish-language performance for an English-speaking majority?
- “A foreign language film, which is essentially what they threw in front of us… doesn’t make you racist to hate it.” – John [06:26]
- “I don’t know Bad Bunny’s songs… It looked like a fun thing. The wedding was a cool idea.” – John [08:00]
- The hosts note that while some attendees enjoyed it, most of the crowd was disengaged, with a split in perception drawn along cultural/linguistic lines.
- Brady and John agree that unfamiliarity, not animosity, drove the lukewarm response:
- “People don’t gravitate towards stuff they don’t know.” – John [12:00]
- NFL’s push for international appeal (Mexico as a future franchise site) is discussed.
- Hosts debate the backlash – was it racism, or just discomfort with a Spanish-language performance for an English-speaking majority?
- Memorable Moment:
- Debate over whether Americans would embrace a half-English/half-Spanish set:
- “Americans don’t like foreign language stuff.” – John [21:19]
- Debate over whether Americans would embrace a half-English/half-Spanish set:
3. Super Bowl Commercials & Cultural Reactions
- [68:22-83:39]
- The hosts review and roast the commercials, noting few standouts.
- “The one I liked the most was the Jurassic Park one… picked everybody up.” – John [69:11]
- Most discussed:
- The “Dirty Jew” ad for Blue Square, which the crew finds awkward and likely ineffective.
- “When you see the words Dirty Jew… this is not gonna go in a good direction.” – John [77:00]
- “Who’s racist and watches a commercial and goes, ‘Oh yeah, I’m not going to do that anymore’?” – John [82:34]
- The “Dirty Jew” ad for Blue Square, which the crew finds awkward and likely ineffective.
- Other notable ads: AI-laden Dunkin’ spot, state farm with Bon Jovi, a bizarro manscaped ad, and a Budweiser Clydesdale & Eagle spot that gets a loving, slightly redneck breakdown.
- The hosts review and roast the commercials, noting few standouts.
4. Locals vs. Transplants & Arizona Identity
- [23:58-29:46]
- John humorously rails against the Arizona influx:
- “This is a transitional place for women who have been broken up with... If you move here from Buffalo, first question in the interview: ‘What was his name?’”
- Local advice: don’t hire recent transplants.
- Running gag: Make Arizona seem less desirable to keep “the pores away” and preserve the party for locals.
- John humorously rails against the Arizona influx:
5. Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft, and Relationship Roasts
- [31:55-36:29]
- Hosts analyze a “dig” at Robert Kraft: Belichick’s girlfriend wears a “Orchids of Asia Day Spa” t-shirt (site of Kraft’s old legal troubles).
- “Bill Belichick smiles a lot now, which tells you all you need to know about what’s going on with him and his girlfriend.”
- Extended riff on old men, age-gap dating, and double standards.
- Hosts analyze a “dig” at Robert Kraft: Belichick’s girlfriend wears a “Orchids of Asia Day Spa” t-shirt (site of Kraft’s old legal troubles).
6. Listener Engagement & Giveaways
- [36:30-38:03; 94:56-98:07]
- Launch of the Nine Inch Nails party suite giveaway for the show’s 25th anniversary; codes, app confusion, and self-aware radio promo banter.
- “We’re just going to give you guys tons of cool stuff, as much as we can to celebrate 25 years of this stupid show…”
- Launch of the Nine Inch Nails party suite giveaway for the show’s 25th anniversary; codes, app confusion, and self-aware radio promo banter.
7. Honesty, Friendship, and the Art of Telling Hard Truths
- [127:51-129:16]
- John reads an email from “Dylan” about tough love helping him lose weight:
- “Get your fat ass in the gym. That’s what friends do.”
- Extended riff on when honesty is (or isn’t) called for with friends and partners.
- John reads an email from “Dylan” about tough love helping him lose weight:
8. Irreverent Advice: What Would Brady Do?
- [135:13-158:37]
- Real listener dilemmas, answered Holmberg-style:
- Office politics and how to stay out of the trap: “Earbuds. Stop talking to people at work.” – John [139:38]
- The father of a “whorish” teenage daughter wonders if a fake abduction will teach her to dress more modestly.
- A man whose wife has cut him off sexually asks about hiring escorts (and using credit cards to do so): group agrees, “cash only” for prostitutes.
- Perennial topics: “Better to cut the check in a divorce or keep the peace?” “How to deal with dead bedrooms in marriage?”
- The tone is brutally blunt, mocking, and at times, outright crude.
- Real listener dilemmas, answered Holmberg-style:
9. Arizona, State Identity & Local Color
- [28:33-30:26]
- John satirically claims Arizona is best as a “beautiful hotel.” He insists, “We’re full!”
- Encourages spreading rumors (“constant human trafficking”) to keep out prospective migrants.
10. Pop Culture, Social Cynicism, and "Conspiracy" Rants
- [53:26-66:46]
- John picks apart national headlines, especially the Savannah Guthrie ransom story, finding movie-script parallels and questioning authenticity.
- “Her plea… ‘She is full of kindness and knowledge, talk to her and you’ll see.’” [53:53]
- “That’s the senator from Silence of the Lambs…” [54:20]
- General suspicion toward clickbait news, childhood “kids in wells” stories, and public safety.
- John picks apart national headlines, especially the Savannah Guthrie ransom story, finding movie-script parallels and questioning authenticity.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “House guests are like fish. After three days you start to stink. Time to go.” – John [00:53]
- On Bad Bunny Halftime:
- “You’re watching a foreign language film and try to find excitement in that.” – John [06:26]
- “No one likes you. No one has – off, you’re from Boston. I love it.” – John [15:05]
- On Super Bowl Commercials:
- “Who’s racist and watches a commercial and goes, ‘Oh yeah, I’m not going to do that anymore’?” – John [82:34]
- On Arizona’s Image:
- “Make Arizona seem less desirable… It looks too happy on TV.” – John [26:12]
- On Honesty:
- “Honesty has more consequences than lying… If you’ve got a big fat friend who's not going to make it, you got to tell him.” – John [127:54, 128:06]
- On Sex & Marriage:
- “Think how long somebody can put up with blowing us before they're sick of it.” – John [154:14]
- Wildest Advice:
- “If Brady can do it, you can do it.” – John [43:34] (on using the app)
- “Only thing my daughter would have is a bunch of bruises from the 10 foot poles that knock her away from fellas.” – John [145:08]
- On Americans & Foreign Language:
- “Americans don’t like foreign language stuff.” – John [21:19]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:39-03:11 – Opening, Phoenix Open & Super Bowl recap
- 05:56-18:40 – Bad Bunny halftime show controversy
- 23:58-29:46 – Arizona’s influx; locals vs. newcomers
- 31:55-36:29 – Bill Belichick/Robert Kraft story
- 36:30-38:03 – Suite giveaway instructions, technical confusion
- 68:22-83:39 – Super Bowl commercials review
- 127:51-129:16 – Tough love & honesty segment
- 135:13-158:37 – Advice segment: “What Would Brady Do?”
- 53:26-66:46 – Savannah Guthrie conspiracy riff
- 94:56-98:07 – Nine Inch Nails suite promo/contest
- 162:02-165:45 – Entertainment news, Super Bowl aftereffects
Tone
- Brash, irreverent, sarcastic, self-mocking, rapid-fire
- Hosts riff on “redneck pride,” local superiority, and the absurdities of both celebrity culture and average American life.
- Neither sacred cows nor commercial sensitivities are spared; Phoenix/Arizona pride is competitive but satirical.
Summary Usefulness
This episode is packed with local color, sharp pop-culture commentary, and wild advice. Fans will get a dose of everything: raw sports reactions, unfiltered takes on cultural divides, and a master class in radio shock humor. Those seeking critical or nuanced sociocultural analysis should look elsewhere, but anyone wanting to know what Arizona’s #1 morning show sounds like on a big sports Monday—crude, clever, and contagious—will find this an essential snapshot.
For all contest details, listener emails, and local flavor, listen between [36:30] and [98:07] for in-show instructions and signature banter.