Holmberg's Morning Sickness (98KUPD) – Sept 2, 2025: Full Show Summary

Episode Overview

This post-Labor Day episode marks a poignant and lively return for the crew of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness. The team—John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo—reconvenes after personal health crises and loss, discussing recovery, mortality, pop culture, football, and the unvarnished realities of daily life with their signature Arizona bluntness. The show weaves heartfelt updates with irreverent humor, philosophical tangents, and plenty of offbeat banter.

1. Team Health Updates: Brady’s Surgery & Toledo’s Loss

Main Discussion (00:37–17:16)

• Brady’s Kidney Surgery:

  • John details Brady’s recent kidney removal due to a cancerous tumor—”bigger than they thought it was” and compared humorously (if disgustingly) to a bad restaurant meatball.
  • Brady describes improved energy, color, and reduced swelling post-surgery.
    • “You look different… You look healthy.” —John (02:01)
  • Post-operation, Brady’s kidneys are at 22% function, which, though better than feared, signals lifestyle changes and weight loss for future eligibility for a kidney transplant.
    • “Your goal weight is 180… doctor said, get that weight under control.” —John (10:05)
  • Diet talk: Boiled chicken and green beans in the hospital, plus healthy home-cooked meals from wife Ronnie.
    • “I had a turkey sandwich… liking the rye.” —Brady (11:26)
  • Entertains with dark humor about his new health journey and impending transplant timetable.

• Toledo’s Family Loss:

  • Recently lost his mother; details the emotionally complex experience of being present for her passing.
    • “When it’s over, the sense of relief and a little sense of guilt… So happy she was gone.” —Toledo (13:58)
  • Dark, oddly comforting humor emerges about his stepdad’s odd detachment:
    • “If she was a dog, I would have taken her out back and shot her.” —Toledo's stepdad (14:42)
  • Shared reflections on grief, relief, and the strange relief of end-of-life care.

2. Classic Morning Banter & Signature Segments

• Coyotes Mating in Holmberg's Yard (18:07–22:44)

  • John relates hilarious bewilderment at seeing two coyotes copulating in his front yard after a storm; ponders Native American symbolism and runs through possible meanings and absurd futures.
    • “I’m like, is that my dog? Two coyotes just banging away in my front yard…” —John (18:07)
    • The crew riffs on the spectacle, cultural superstitions, and John’s comic dismay.

• Football & College Sports Chat (27:23–34:41)

  • John's anticipation for the NFL season, skepticism about college football rankings, and a digression about over-hyped preseason numbers.
    • “How do you have the number one team in the country with a quarterback you’ve never seen play?” —John (29:06)
  • Dallas Cowboys’ management decisions and Jerry Jones’ press habits are lampooned.
  • The ongoing friction of age in professional sports (Tom Brady’s late-career successes) gets the usual “Holmberg take.”

3. National Lampoons: Doorbell Ditching, Etiquette, and Blunt Realities

• Modern Pranks Gone Wrong (66:48–78:55)

  • The team reminisces about “doorbell ditching” (ding-dong ditch) and the grim reality that pranks now sometimes end in violence or tragedy.
    • An 11-year-old killed in Houston for doorbell ditching sparks a conversation about how these pranks used to be innocent fun.
    • “If you’ve ever been shot at doorbell ditching, you’re terrible at it.” —John (80:34)

• Bathroom Boundaries in Relationships (53:38–61:36)

  • Extended comedic debate about couples’ bathroom habits, privacy, and relationship taboos.
    • “There’s great shame in our poos. You can’t complain that your wife doesn’t blow you anymore if you leave the bathroom door open.” —John (60:27)
  • ‘Training’ a partner to behave a certain way draws heated responses—especially from the men on the show.

4. Organ Donation, Kidney Candidacy, and Morbid Practicalities

• Brady Kidney Donor Segment (84:03–92:51)
  • Comically dark negotiation for Brady’s kidney future: Who’s eligible, whether he’d accept kidneys from “homeless guy,” “gay porn star,” or even a “Michigan Wolverine.”
    • “If I wouldn’t trust their credit, do I trust their organs? No.” —John (98:03)
    • Listeners call in with odd/bragging offers for kidney swaps—“I got a 33-year-old kidney… 5k and a generator.”
    • Candid, irreverent, and empathetic for those navigating real-life organ donation.

5. Pop Culture, TV/Film, and New Releases

• Hot Releases (157:15–174:41)
  • The crew previews streaming debuts & shows like:
    • Netflix’s “Wednesday,” “The Paper” (an Office spin-off), “The Runarounds,” new Spike Lee & Denzel movie “Highest to Lowest,” HBO’s “Task and Mercy,” and more.
    • Commentary centers on aging actors, diversity, tropes in media, the rush of “influencer”/cult documentaries.
  • New music features Glenn Hughes, David Byrne, Testament, Scorpions, Soul Fly, and AI-generated oddities like “Lick It Till I’m Done.”

6. “N-word or F-word” and Listener Interaction

• Returning Game: (171:02–172:16)
  • The crew plays the “N-word or F-word” game, guessing which explicit lyric will crop up first in an early ‘90s King T hip-hop track.
  • Characteristic blend of irreverence and nostalgia.

7. Unfiltered Advice, Offbeat Observations, and the Show’s Heart

• Random high points and off-color but heartfelt outbursts:
  • “I’m the biggest pussy in the world. I couldn’t even see it.” —John on dogs in pickup beds (138:39)
  • Brady’s high-on-oxy antics, chicken wing temptation, and ongoing struggle to balance humor with health.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Recovery & Friendship:
  • "You look. You look a little more awake, I guess, would be the words I'd use." – John to Brady (03:55)
• Gallows Humor on Grief:
  • "If she was a dog, I would have taken her out back and shot her." – Toledo’s stepdad (14:42)
• Surgery & Food:
  • “The real work begins now. Your goal weight is 180.” – John (10:00)
• Coyotes in the Yard:
  • “There’s just two coyotes just banging away my front yard. Hey, hey, hey!” – John (18:07)
• On Bathroom Etiquette:
  • "There’s great shame in our poos. You can’t complain that your wife doesn’t blow you anymore if you leave the bathroom door open.” – John (60:27)
• On Organ Donation:
  • “Would you... accept a homeless person's kidney?... If I wouldn’t trust their credit, do I trust their organs? No.” – John (98:03)
• Football Fandom:
  • “I hate when old people do good at things. Hate it. I like my sports to be extraordinary and young.” – John (33:51)
• On DIY Pranks:
  • “If you’ve ever been shot at doorbell ditching, you’re terrible at it.” – John (80:34)

Memorable Moments

• Brady displaying his (healing) surgery scar, launching a wave of disgust and jokes from the crew (03:10–03:46).
• The show’s mixture of heartfelt sincerity and radio shock-jock irreverence, especially around death, illness, and organ donation.
• Hokey but genuine offers from the audience to donate organs—and John’s skepticism of their “poor people kidneys.”
• Sprawling, un-PC debates on etiquette, tradition, and what it means to “grow up” in Arizona.

Conclusion

This episode careens from medical scares and raw discussions about mortality and grief, into uncensored comic relief, sports and pop culture chat, and the anxieties/absurdities of daily life. It’s signature HMS—a testament to gallows humor, camaraderie, and a refusal to sanitize real-life struggles, all offered up with both heart and gleeful offense.

For New Listeners:
This summary captures both the gravity and comic spirit of Holmberg's Morning Sickness. If you missed the full show, you’ll come away with the crew’s updates, their outlook on life/health, and plenty of the signature banter Arizona’s morning radio is known for.