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

Episode: 08-21-25 – FULL SHOW – THURSDAY

Air Date: August 21, 2025
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely
Guest: Brian Posehn

Episode Overview

This lively episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness blends irreverent humor, camaraderie, and quick-fire banter around everything from unusual medical conditions to nostalgia over first cars and candid stories from NFL days. The crew navigates through personal updates, pokes fun at Brady's automotive history, riffs on trending news, and welcomes comedian Brian Posehn for an engaging interview. Amid earnest shoutouts to ailing family, charitable drives, and local events, the show maintains its trademark tone: edgy, teasing, but always entertaining.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Toledo’s Sudden Absence & Behind-the-Scenes Camaraderie

[03:00–04:50]

• Toledo is out for a family emergency (his mother is ill). Holmberg peels back the curtain:
  “As much, you know, as we give Toledo... it's all in fun because we love him... Deep down inside, let's pull the curtain back... Toledo’s one of our guys.” — John Holmberg [03:00]
• Sets the mood for the episode, balancing goofball antics with genuine empathy.

2. "Naggers Syndrome" Segment & Adult Humor

[04:50–15:00]

• An email prompts Brett to read about a rare genetic disorder, “Naggers Syndrome,” generating relentless gigging and immature wordplay:
  • Brett can’t get through the segment without laughing at the word’s unfortunate proximity to a racial slur, leading to meta-commentary on making innocent words taboo.
  • “You have ruined it. You've made me racist where there's no racism!” — John Holmberg [07:33]
• The crew teases Brett’s inability to handle “dangerous” words and riff on related charity names.
• Memorable moment: “If anyone in Brett's family ever got diagnosed… the doctor be like ‘I'm afraid he's got nagger's disease.’ This is not a funny moment, sir.” — John Holmberg [09:11]

3. Car Price Inflation & First Cars: Comedic Nostalgia

[17:18–28:32]

• The group reminisces about how much cheaper cars and houses were “back in the day” — and relentlessly roast Brady’s vehicle choices.
• Notable exchanges:
  • “You purchased that [’87 Ford Tempo] with your own money without being dared or having lost a bet?” — Brett [30:54]
  • “With you and cars you had... you’ve been buying awful cars a lot... That is not a good first car to own.” — Brett [22:31]
• Stories about their youthful rides cascade into running jokes about “lesbian cars,” wagons, and missed romantic opportunities.

4. Operation Hydration & Local Charities

[44:20–47:00]

• The KUPD "Operation Hydration" water bottle charity drive nears a major milestone:
  • "Of what we've collected... 91% has already been given out. That's 900,000 bottles of water..." — Brett [47:29]
  • Push for listeners to keep donating as summer persists.

5. Phoenix News: Desert Sky Mall Train Theft

[50:51–56:00]

• Hysterical local news: someone stole the kiddie train from Desert Sky Mall and drove it through city streets.
• The crew speculates on the theft, the neighborhood, and the chances for “train rides at UFest.”
• “Give [the thief] a pat on the back and tell him hilarious and just let him go.” — Brett [54:23]

6. Lunch Stories & Coin Shaving History

[57:00–63:33]

• Holmberg tells a story about a lunch party where a waitress describes coin-ridging as a technique to stop “coin shaving” by Jews, with table-side jokes and history lessons morphing into playful anti-Semitic riffs (in the room’s irreverent tone).
• “That’s why coins had ridges – to keep my people from shaving them!” — John Holmberg [58:32]

7. Promotions: Shane Gillis Ticket Presale

[63:33–64:25]

• Secret presale code “LIVE” for the Dec. 5 Shane Gillis arena show is shared for KUPD listeners.
• Code works at ShaneGillis.com starting at 10am.

8. "Brady Report" – Fun Facts & News Highlights

[94:36–103:19]

• Covers Saturn’s hexagon, the average cloud weight, and the perfect American salary ($74,000).
• U.S. pet obesity at 60%; chemical castration plea deals for sex offenders.
• Earliest-ever return for Starbucks pumpkin spice latte in August; West Virginia tops the pumpkin spice obsession.

9. Brian Posehn Interview

[119:44–136:44]

• Standup comic and actor Brian Posehn chats about career highlights, playing unique roles (“the Mandalorian,” “Mr. Show”), being recognized in public (“Vegas, Disneyland—people want a selfie, but bro touches are the worst”).
• Hilarious anecdotes about meeting Dio and Vinnie Paul, being star-struck by DeNiro and Geddy Lee, skipping the last Ozzy show, and almost appearing on “Celebrity Wife Swap.”

Notable quote:
“Dio came to my house… he’s standing in my kitchen holding one of my glasses… looking through my records, ‘You should have more Dio.’” — Brian Posehn [130:41]

10. NFL Reminiscence with Dale Hellestra

[139:20–176:30]

• Dale dishes on the new Netflix Cowboys documentary, recounts forgotten locker room stories, and explains his own trades and pension.
• The show lampoons the team’s 30-year championship drought and Jerry Jones’ perpetual reign.
• They review preseason football absurdities, the economics of NFL pensions, and the value of humor in the face of aging and medical adversity.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “We love Toledo… deep down inside.” — John Holmberg [03:00]
• “You've made me racist where there's no racism. Yes, you have done it.” — John Holmberg [07:33]
• On Shane Gillis tickets:
  “Just use the password LIVE… you can actually buy them now.” — Brett [63:41]
• Nostalgia riff:
  “You purchased that with your own money without being dared or having Turismo having lost a bet?” — Brett [30:54]
• About the mall train thief:
  “Give him a pat on the back and tell him hilarious and just let him go.” — Brett [54:23]
• Brian Posehn on Dio:
  “He’s out in my pool… looking through my records, ‘You should have more Dio.’” — Brian Posehn [130:41]
• Brady’s car choices:
  “No, you can’t. You had a Ford Tempo and you quit.” — Brett [73:09]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Toledo’s absence & show camaraderie: [03:00–04:50]
• Naggers Syndrome segment: [04:50–15:00]
• Car nostalgia & ribbing Brady: [17:18–38:00]
• Operation Hydration & charities: [44:20–47:00]
• Desert Sky Mall train theft: [50:51–56:00]
• Lunch stories & coin shaving: [57:00–63:33]
• Shane Gillis presale info: [63:33–65:11]
• Brian Posehn interview: [119:44–136:44]
• Cowboys documentary/NFL nostalgia: [139:20–148:08]

Tone and Language

As always, the tone is edgy, rapid-fire, self-deprecating, and at times purposefully juvenile, with the group poking fun at themselves and one another, all in the context of Arizona’s pop culture universe. Sensitive subjects are approached with tongue-in-cheek irreverence while still weaving in moments of genuine personal concern.

Summary Flow

• Opens with real-life updates and a show of solidarity for absent colleague Toledo.
• Delves into an immature but hilarious segment on “Naggers Syndrome,” serving as a lightning rod for jokes about language taboos and group immaturity.
• Features long, comedic reminiscences about the guys’ first cars, with Brady becoming the butt of an extended “uncool car” joke.
• Covers local hijinks (mall train theft), charitable efforts, and shameless event promotion.
• Dotted with regular “Brady Report” factual tidbits and trending stories.
• Welcomes comic Brian Posehn for a sharp, anecdote-rich interview that pivots back to music, comedy, and celebrity encounters.
• Concludes with Dale Hellestra’s NFL retrospectives, football economics, and reflections on aging, family, and medical legacy.

A classic episode blending raucous humor, local flavor, and a tight-knit cast not afraid to veer from self-mockery to heartfelt moments—all wrapped up in the rowdy, sharp, and distinct voice of Arizona’s most popular morning show.