Holmberg's Morning Sickness – 98KUPD: "Brady’s Morning Cup" (02-23-26)

Episode Theme:
With regular host John Holmberg sidelined due to recovery from retina surgery, the show takes on a looser, more nostalgic tone, driven by Brady, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo, and Larry McFeely. "Brady’s Morning Cup" covers a post-Olympics weekend in Arizona, music festivals, the quirks of radio history, listener stories and trivia, and a classic segment replay.

Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Holmberg’s Medical Absence & Team Dynamics

• [02:00] John Holmberg is recovering from retina surgery. The team discusses his (lack of) pain, misery at being stuck at home, and the uncharacteristically terse one-word text responses.

  • “He just sounded miserable. Miserable this weekend.” – Brett
  • One topic: The complications of accidentally using the wrong post-op eye drops and doctor’s reassurances.

• [24:10] Reflections on Holmberg’s usual high activity level and how frustrating it must be to be forced into inactivity.

  • “He is stuck. He’s just stuck there.” – Brett

2. Weekend Recap: Olympics, Music Festivals, and More

A. Winter Olympics Banter

• [03:05 – 06:30] Reaction to USA Men's Hockey win (46 years after the Miracle on Ice, played at 6 AM AZ time). Bars opened early for fans, creating a sense of community.

  • Discussion devolves into confusion about curling rules and strategy, referencing “the hammer” and scoring mysteries.
    • “I don’t understand that at all. Like, it does not make sense.” – Brett

• [06:20] Biathlon coverage, including an odd sports confession from a bronze medalist and his on-air plea for girlfriend forgiveness.

  • “He thought, ‘I published the biggest mistake of my life!’” – Brady
  • Team laughs at the perils (and idiocy) of confessing on international TV.

B. The Innings Music Festival in Tempe

• [07:39 – 14:38] Brady attends with a VIP pass, giving an inside look at the price tiers, festival setup, who played, and the crowd experience.

  • $600/day for VIP; $800-$1000 for platinum.

  • Discussion of exclusive seating, steep drink prices ($16-20), side stands, energy of crowds on Mill Ave after the show.

  • Discussion of how Sublime now includes lead singer Bradley’s son.

  • “When the band was done Saturday, just zombie walk the sea of people. … It was just had a good energy, good buzz.” – Brady

  • Festival Music Lineup: 21 Pilots, Cage the Elephant, Vertical Horizon, and more.

  • Upcoming country lineup: Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Hardy, and others; shout out to Hardy's rock show and pyrotechnics.

  • Comments on the baseball vibe, famous players making appearances, and observations about the crowd.

C. Nostalgia for Old Radio Station

• [43:00+] Wild stories from their previous Guadalupe location: bullet holes in the trailers, shooting contests with oranges, meth-heads on couches, and impromptu monster truck and off-road shows in the parking lot.
  • Fondly recall the "white trash picnic" days and free-wheeling time before moving to the new building.
  • “I miss the old buildings. … It was our dump.” – Brett

3. Show Traditions and In-Jokes

A. "Brady’s Morning Cup" Theme Song & Bagels

• [20:00 – 23:00] Eric debuts a custom theme song for “Brady’s Morning Cup.”
• Brett bakes and brings bagels for the team, sparking banter about John’s lack of baked goods and Brady’s penchant for eating-related trivia.

B. Trivia & National Day Gags

• [32:00] It’s National Tootsie Roll Day; the team fills Brady’s “Honey Pot” with Tootsie Rolls and discuss the candy’s history.
  • “Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced daily. … the first candy in Brady’s Honey Pot.” – Brett
• Yiddish Word of the Day returns: “Balabusta” (homemaker).
  • “She’s one Balabusta Buster.” – Brett

C. Listener/Industry Criticism & Show History

• [26:00+] Addressing angry listener texts and the myth of an “original” John-and-Brady two-man show.

  • “I miss the days when it was just John and Brady alone. It’s never, never been that way.” – Brett

• [29:00] “Brady’s Big Fat Wedding” at the Celebrity Theatre: Memories of booking Seether, Static X, and a compilation video of comedians (Joe Rogan, Frank Caliendo, Norm Macdonald, Chelsea Handler, Bob Saget, etc.) giving marriage advice.

4. Local News & Amusing Headlines

A. Arizona Lottery Ticket Controversy

• [60:10] A Circle K manager buys unsold tickets after a lottery drawing and claims a $12.8M jackpot. The episode dives deep into the ethical/technical/legal dilemma.
  • “Is that illegal? … Did he know that was the winning ticket?” – Larry
  • The team debates security loopholes and the likelihood of controversy erupting if the payout goes to Circle K instead of the individual.

B. Microsoft Teams Tracking Work Locations

• [63:00] Discussion of forced workplace transparency, with jokes about using VPNs (and their connection to office porn viewing).
  • Reddit and Twitter/X as new sources for adult content—with Brett’s mom texting about him talking on-air about porn.

C. Mr. Clean Retires

• [64:02] Procter & Gamble say Mr. Clean is “retiring” after 68 years, leading to debate over brand mascots and marketing stunts.

D. Bizarre Stories

• Russian missile destroys an Oreo factory in Ukraine (jokes about “escalation”); a half-mile long escalator in China; cocaine-using Wisconsin school teacher; “Punch the monkey” and his IKEA comfort toy; L.A. bans pooping on city buses.

5. Classic Bit: Guadalupe Squares "Sam the Metallica Fan"

• [82:20+] Replay of an all-star comedic “Guadalupe Squares” featuring voice impressions (Obama, Al Pacino, Hugh Jackman, etc.), outrageous answers, and Sam the Metallica Fan’s wild energy mimicking songs and loving Metallica.
  • Trademark loose, edgy improv.
  • Notable moment: “You want to live inside Metallica?” – Eric mimicking Sam

6. Lighter Segments & Entertainment

A. Movie Reviews

• [104:00+] Larry reviews “Crime 101” (Chris Hemsworth, Barry Keoghan, Mark Ruffalo) and “How to Make a Killing” (Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Ed Harris).
  • Both get solid ratings (“3.5–4 stars”).
  • Remarks on Barry Keoghan’s bizarre role in “Saltburn.”

B. What Would Brady Do?

• [111:09+]
  • Letter 1: Should I sue my ex-best friend for skipping my destination wedding (after covering $2,300 in expenses)?
    • Team: Don’t bother; friendship is over, money gone, but you can at least ask for an explanation.
    • “Just, you know, cancel the friendship.” – Dick Toledo
  • Letter 2: Gym etiquette—how to handle influencers hogging machines for social media.
    • Team: Try a gym that doesn’t allow cameras, or “Move it, toots!”

C. Standout Music/Concert Memories

• [122:30+] Reminiscing about concerts that “gave them chills”: Korn, Rob Zombie, Faith No More, Rammstein, and Springsteen, with personal stories from stage work and backstage encounters.

D. Entertainment Drill

• [127:39+]
  • Michael B. Jordan’s uncomfortable BAFTA moment with a guest who has Tourette’s.
  • Celebrity trivia: Guy Fieri, Gavin Newsom, and others are all 58.
  • Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi announces stage 1 cervical cancer.

E. Tech and AI in Entertainment

• [130:00+] The crew discusses AI in film and music, joking about Brett’s “AI girlfriends” and the inevitable, ever-increasing power of the technology.
  • “As Holmberg always says, it’s here, it’s not going anywhere.” – Brett
  • “…today is the worst day it will ever be [for AI].” – Dick Toledo

Notable Quotes & Times

• “He just sounded miserable … I mean, he just sounded miserable.” – Brett ([02:31])
• “I didn’t realize it was that long. 46 years.” – Brady on U.S. Hockey miracle anniversary ([03:46])
• “It's not like the 1980 Miracle on Ice, but it's been since then.” – Brady, same topic ([03:11])
• “That was cool, though. I liked it. What do you guys think of the bagels?” – Brett ([23:23])
• “It’s National Tootsie Roll Day, and Leo Hirschfeld … named it after his five-year-old daughter Clara, whom he affectionately called Tootsie.” – Brett ([32:51])
• “No, you should have Slayer!” – Eric, lampooning impossible-to-please listeners ([27:22])
• “Sorry, don’t know … I have no idea who that.” – Brett on current festival lineups ([15:47])
• “That stuff I have reverence for—the near misses we brought in.” – Dick, on wild old radio stunts ([48:14])
• “You could buy it … yeah, that is a good argument.” – Larry on the Circle K lottery ticket debate ([62:32])
• “For $20, you never have to talk to them again in your life.” – Larry, on how to write off a lost friend ([115:47])
• “Move it, toots!” – Larry, on gym influencer etiquette ([118:02])
• “I do like that though, Brett’s morning Gabagool.” – Brett ([103:11])
• “The brontosaurus ribs from the Flintstones.” – Dick, on Brady’s forearms ([119:41])

Key Timestamps

• [02:00] – Holmberg’s health absence explained
• [03:05 – 06:30] – Olympics/hockey & curling talk
• [07:41 – 14:38] – Innings Festival (VIP costs, lineup, logistics, crowd)
• [24:00] – Ford bagels + “Brady’s Morning Cup” song debut
• [32:00] – Tootsie Roll trivia and “honey pot” gag
• [43:00+] – Old station nostalgia, crazy stories, wild parking lot stunts
• [60:10] – Lottery controversy dissected
• [104:30+] – Movie reviews (Crime 101 & How to Make a Killing)
• [111:09+] – What Would Brady Do? (destination wedding, gym etiquette)
• [122:30] – Unforgettable concerts (personal stories)
• [127:39] – Entertainment Drill (Oscar slip, Snooki news, age trivia)
• [130:00+] – Discussion on AI’s influence in entertainment

Tone & Style

• Casual, free-wheeling, heavily Arizona-centric
• Blunt, raunchy humor; self-deprecating; full of inside jokes
• Recurring gags: food, nostalgia, music, “Larry’s Morning Sickness” jabs, offbeat trivia

For New Listeners

This episode is a prime example of what makes the HMS crew endearing to fans—local flavor, irreverence, nerdy music/festival knowledge, deep friendship, and the kind of oddball storytelling that only comes from decades in morning radio. Without Holmberg, the rest of the crew both honors his absence and turns up both the chaos and the fun, making “Brady’s Morning Cup” a worthy temporary transformation of Arizona’s #1 morning show.

[For brevity, many advertisements and minor digressions have been omitted from this summary.]