Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – February 9, 2026

Episode: Reviewing The Super Bowl And The Two Divided Halftime Shows – Did Jordan Hudson Troll Robert Kraft w/Shirt – Details On The Suite That Feeds NIN Contest
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo
Main Themes: Super Bowl recap, divisive reactions to the halftime shows, NFL’s push for global audiences, Phoenix Open aftermath, and a viral trolling incident involving Bill Belichick’s girlfriend.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the hosts’ reactions to the previous night’s Super Bowl, the divided response to the entirely Spanish-language Bad Bunny halftime performance vs. the alternative Kid Rock/Turning Point show, and humorous cultural reflections on Arizona's winter visitors following the Phoenix Open. John and the gang also discuss the viral moment involving Bill Belichick’s girlfriend trolling Robert Kraft, and they kick off their “Suite That Feeds” contest for Nine Inch Nails tickets.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Super Bowl: "A Brutal Game"

• The hosts recap a Super Bowl characterized by excitement in its finish but widely described as dull, with few highlights until the very end.
• John notes the exodus from their downtown Super Bowl party:

  “It was pretty full … by the third quarter, little more than half because it's like, I guess I could get some things done, sit and watch nine to nothing football.” (03:11)

• He praises the Seahawks’ young roster and predicts trouble for the Cardinals, noting that a dynasty may be brewing in Seattle.

2. Halftime Shows Divide the Nation

A. Bad Bunny’s All-Spanish Halftime

• John observes that the audience was largely disengaged during Bad Bunny’s performance:

  “No one dancing, bobbing their heads, nothing. Just kind of staring. There was a table of people who clearly spoke Spanish really enjoying it.” (08:27)

• The hosts explore why Bad Bunny was a controversial choice, especially for an English-speaking audience:

  “It's an awful lot to ask 90% of America to enjoy a foreign language film, which is essentially what they threw in front of us, you know, without subtitles.” (06:48)
  “Americans don't like foreign language stuff.” – John (22:28)

• Brady adds context about the NFL’s international ambitions, especially aimed at Mexico and Latin America.
• John and Brett discuss the divisive reaction as more cultural than overtly political, despite social media attempts to stoke outrage.

B. Kid Rock/Turning Point Alternative

• The alternative, a Turning Point USA/Kid Rock show, drew nearly 5 million viewers (12:37), reflecting the supercharged cultural split over the main halftime act.
• John teases:

  “Some people just went, nope, I’m going over to watch Turning Point.” – Brett (12:57)
  “...because they saw it as an affront to their Americanism to have guys speaking another language.” – John (13:02)

C. Mass Appeal and Cultural Politics

• The hosts lament the pressure placed on halftime acts to have “mass appeal,” suggesting it’s a no-win scenario:

  “To me, the thing you can suffer the worst when you are on a stage that large is to be bland or boring. And I didn't find it to be exciting, and I didn't think it was bad. So you're somewhere in that weird middle of just milquetoast.” – John (19:58)

D. Notable Quote on Public Reaction

“I think people saw the Bad Bunny thing as being against them rather than, you know, pro America. He's from Puerto Rico. It's America!” – John (08:27)

3. NFL’s International Ambitions and Demographic Targeting

• Brady and John discuss Roger Goodell’s deliberate push for the NFL’s international growth:

  “He wants to be international ... Mexico is a target... a 20 million person city that they're looking at Mexico City saying there's a ton of money down here.” (09:12)

• They acknowledge America’s resistance to non-English content and predict these moves will always trigger polarized reactions.

4. Phoenix Open Aftermath and Arizona Culture

• John humorously vents about the influx of tourists for the Phoenix Open:

  “...house guests are like fish. After three days you start to stink. Time to go.” (01:47)

• He pokes fun at transient newcomers, especially young women from cold states, for disrupting the status quo and then inevitably returning home:

  “If somebody says, I just moved here from Buffalo. First question in the job interview: Oh, what was his name?” (24:08)

• The hosts joke about the need to “keep Whitey away” and perpetuate negative stereotypes to discourage further migration, charmingly tongue-in-cheek.

5. Viral Moment: Bill Belichick’s Girlfriend Trolls Robert Kraft

• The crew erupts over the viral story of Bill Belichick’s girlfriend, Jordan Hudson, wearing a shirt referencing the massage parlor where Kraft was famously caught, calling it an “announcement.”
• John:

  “She went and found that T shirt and then stood next to Bill Belichick at the school he works at and proudly displayed it like, f you, Robert Kraft.” (32:16)

• They speculate on the animosity between Belichick and Kraft, have a laugh about the difficulty of finding such a T-shirt, and comment on the age differences and happiness of both men.
• “Belichick's a riot ... He can't stop smiling.” (33:10)

6. Nine Inch Nails “Suite That Feeds” Contest

• In celebration of their 25th show anniversary, the hosts launch an hourly contest to win spots in a catered suite at the upcoming NIN concert.
• Instructions change midstream, with confusion over whether listeners should text or use the app. Eventually, they clarify entry should be through the website or app.
• “If Brady can do it, you can do it. I don't want to hear any complaining.” – John (43:51)

7. Other Noteworthy Moments and Observations

• John takes pride in extracting joy from Boston sports misery:

  “My joy that there are so many people from Boston sad today is again, hate breeds happiness for me.” (03:54)

• The crew riffs on the cultural experience gap during Spanish concerts (“Bad Bunny is at … Footprint America this week and it’s packed full of people. The closest I went to years ago was Gypsy Kings. Yeah, fun show.” – 18:48).
• John celebrates Seahawks QB Sam Darnold shattering the “ginger ceiling”:

  “The first ginger quarterback to win a Super Bowl ever is Sam Darnold. … This is amazing for the ginger community.” (38:57)

• Lighthearted banter about Arizona's aversion to newcomers, the ongoing population 'crisis,' and traffic/joke references to “human trafficking rumors” to deter migration (28:03–30:42).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Bad Bunny Halftime Show:
  “It's an awful lot to ask 90% of America to enjoy a foreign language film, which is essentially what they threw in front of us, you know, without subtitles.” – John (06:48)
• On Audience Reaction:
  “No one dancing, bobbing their heads, nothing... There was a table of people who clearly spoke Spanish really enjoying it.” – John (08:27)
• On Seahawks’ Young Talent:
  “Seahawks… are young and they're really good and they're going to get better and they already got one.” – John (03:28)
• Comparing to Past Halftimes:
  “Remember... Dr. Dre and Snoop and that, how the room just bounced.” – John (10:32)
• On Internationalization:
  “He wants to be international... that's a huge target... Mexico City... there's a ton of money down here.” – John (09:10)
• On the Belichick/Kraft ‘Troll’:
  “She went and found that T shirt and then stood next to Bill Belichick at the school he works at and proudly displayed it like, f you, Robert Kraft.” – John (32:16)
• On Ginger Representation:
  “The first ginger quarterback to win a Super Bowl ever is Sam Darnold... This is amazing for the ginger community.” – John (38:57)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:11 – Super Bowl party exodus and general audience reaction
• 06:48 – Bad Bunny halftime show: Language, politics, and mass appeal issues
• 08:27 – Host and audience reactions, disengaged crowd during performance
• 09:10 – NFL’s “global expansion” strategy conversation
• 12:37 – Turning Point USA/Kid Rock alternate halftime show and audience split
• 13:18 – “Affront to Americanism” and reflecting on cultural responses
• 19:48 – Discussion on the “dullness” of Bad Bunny’s show and cultural expectations
• 32:09 – Belichick’s girlfriend’s viral shirt trolling Robert Kraft
• 38:57 – John’s riff on “ginger” quarterbacks and Sam Darnold winning the Super Bowl
• 43:47 – Clarification of the Nine Inch Nails contest entry process

Tone & Style

The episode is classic HMS: irreverent, sarcastic, self-deprecating, heavy with pop-culture jabs, and full of boisterous banter. John leads with a blend of acerbic wit and underlying sincerity, poking fun at both national controversies and the quirks of Arizona life. The conversational flow is lively and provocative, inviting listeners to both laugh and reflect on topics from sports fandom to broader cultural clashes.

Summary

This episode delivers an energetic recap of a Super Bowl that may not be remembered for its on-field drama, but will be for the cultural divisions spotlighted by its halftime entertainment. The hosts wade into the reactions around Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language performance with candor and wit, discuss the NFL’s international ambitions, and have fun with a viral personal rivalry between Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick. Throughout, they sprinkle in inside-Arizona jokes and launch a big contest for loyal listeners, keeping the tone both critical and inclusive for fans old and new.