Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Arizona’s #1 Morning Radio Show

Episode: 02-19-26 – Megan 911, Cubs Stadium Construction, Snake Skin Bite, 2013/2015
Date: February 19, 2026
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo

Episode Overview

This episode of "Holmberg's Morning Sickness" blends playful banter, Arizona-local stories, and irreverent takes on everyday oddities. The crew dives into “Megan 911” moments—quirky questions and misunderstandings, pokes fun at the city’s Cubs spring training stadium construction, and navigates listener emails about everything from snake skins to household chores. The tone remains sarcastic, quick-witted, and peppered with relatable, offbeat humor recognizable to regular listeners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. "Megan 911" Moments and Women Heroes

• Theme: Celebrating failed attempts and the humor found within them.
• John recounts listener emails about “almost-heroes,” spotlighting Megan Rutledge’s infamous X Games crash and Lindsey Jacobellis’ snowboarding mishap.
  • “Megan Rutledge, the girl who did the fist pump, crashed her bike and lost the gold medal in the X Games, should get a wing in the Smithsonian. […] Because that's what a female hero is: a girl who almost made it to her destiny but then crashed and burned.” – John Holmberg (01:15)
• The hosts laugh about obscure knowledge:
  • “More blown away that there's a black guy who knows Winter Olympic facts. Fringe sport, Winter Olympic facts. That’s the next thing; he’s going to tell me he’s on the high school swim team.” – John Holmberg (01:50)

2. Cubs’ Stadium Construction Comedy

• Theme: Absurdities and misunderstandings in construction.
• The team riffs on whether the Cubs’ new facility was “accidentally” built to look like Wrigley Field, mocking the idea that major projects have no plans.
  • “Like most construction jobs, they just start pounding and nailing and then step back after four months and go, God, I hope something. It looks just like Wrigley." – John Holmberg (02:53)
  • A running joke emerges about construction teams building things by memory with no blueprints, followed by banter about "accidentally" building a house or stadium.
  • “Our house is an accident. Why? This was supposed to be a bank.” – John Holmberg (03:44)
• The group extends the gag to other iconic Phoenix buildings, calling the local Dial building “the bar of soap” and asserting it must have been a happy accident too. (05:13)

3. Megan911: Snake Skin Snafu

• Theme: Playful take on irrational fears.
• A listener shares a story: his wife feared a shed snakeskin could still be dangerous—suggesting they should get it “properly” removed.
  • “She goes, stop. Is it still dangerous?” (06:07)
  • “It’s the snake’s biggest trick to leave its skin behind as faux snake. […] It can still bite you.” – John Holmberg, mocking the logic (06:19)
• The tale morphs into a running joke about the dangers of snake “phantoms,” with the team assuring listeners that only the actual snake can bite. (06:29)

4. Household Duties & Gendered "Women's Work"

• Theme: Satirical takes on relationship dynamics and house chores.
• John details the “battle” of who will clean the dead bird remains from their window:
  • “I'm not touching that. That's disgusting.” (07:13)
  • “I took care of the body. You clean up the window. That's how it works around here and that's how it stays.” – John Holmberg (08:06)
• The discussion leans on tongue-in-cheek gender roles, referencing cleaning supply commercials and the movie “Pulp Fiction.”
  • “That's why all the commercials for cleaning supplies have women in them.” – John Holmberg (07:47)
  • “Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta back there cleaning the brains out of everything while a real man took care of the body.” – Bret Vesely (08:00)

5. Bird Mishaps and Urban Wildlife

• Theme: Birds as ongoing neighborhood “troublemakers.”
• John describes the bird strike on his window, likening the silhouette left to art:
  • “It’s like art.” – John Holmberg (08:38)
• The group riffs about a city full of bird incidents, bird “uprisings,” and the possibilities for outdoor oddity.
• John describes a surreal San Francisco baseball game where seagulls invade as soon as the ninth inning would normally end:
  • “They just waited and the game went on. It was really strange looking. So keep your eye on birds today. You get one too close, kill it. They're up to no good.” – John Holmberg (09:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On obscure Olympic knowledge:
  “Useless knowledge. I’m your guy.” – Listener Reggie (01:30)

• On women "almost" heroes:
  “Put her right next to Ms. Earhart. Because that's what a female hero is: a girl who almost made it to her destiny but then crashed and burned.” – John Holmberg (01:22)

• On construction mockery:
  “Nope. Most construction jobs just. We got some steel and glue and… Start cramming those things together, boys, and hope a stadium happens.” – John Holmberg (03:10) “Did they do that on purpose? Gentlemen, we’re building a baseball stadium today. We all know what those look like by memory, and I think that's enough planning for us.” – John Holmberg (03:53)

• On the shed snakeskin scare:
  “Is it still dangerous?” – Listener’s wife (06:07)
  “The skin can still bite you. It’s the snake’s biggest trick.” – John Holmberg (06:19)

• On household duties and rebuttal:
  “You clean up the window. That’s how it works around here and that’s how it stays.” – John Holmberg (08:06)
  “Part of being a lady. I hate to break it to you.” – John Holmberg (07:47)

• On birds and accidental art:
  “It’s kind of framed already because the windows are paned. It hit one pane. So it’s in its own little–it’s like art.” – John Holmberg (08:38)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:09] – Start of main show and “almost-hero” Megan moments
• [02:34] – Cubs stadium construction jokes begin
• [05:50] – Listener’s email about the snake skin
• [07:09] – Discussion of the dead bird and unspoken chore warfare
• [08:29] – Framing the bird imprint as art and bird trouble continues
• [09:34] – San Francisco baseball and seagull invasion anecdote
• [09:40+] – “Bird uprising” jokes and final bird riffing

Tone and Style Notes

The episode is delivered with the group’s trademark sarcasm, culture-roasting, and Arizona-centric references. They play off each other’s logic gaps and stereotypes with intentionally exaggerated, self-aware humor, making the ordinary seem absurd and every “911” question an opportunity for comedic exploration.

This summary captures the riotous spirit, major themes, and memorable one-liners from an HMS episode that finds humor in the mishaps of life, both monumental and mundane.