Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – “Native Grill Handle The Heat Finals Details | Holmberg’s Karen Moment over Dog in Pickup”

Date: September 2, 2025
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo
Episode Focus:
This episode of Arizona’s top morning show blends classic event hype—previewing the Native Grill “Handle The Heat” Finals—with an unexpectedly personal deep dive as John Holmberg confesses to a “Karen moment”: panicking over seeing a loose dog in the bed of a moving pickup truck. The crew offers unfiltered banter, personal anecdotes, and touches of dark humor while tackling contemporary anxieties about safety, the “softening” of America, and generational differences.

Main Theme & Structure

• First Segment:
  Preview and lively discussion about the Native Grill Handle The Heat Finals, including hot wing eating competitions, charitable donations, and intriguing contestant stories.
• Second Segment:
  Holmberg’s anxiety and moral dilemma after seeing an unleashed dog in the bed of a pickup, broader discussions on evolving safety standards, cultural shifts, and the “Karen” phenomenon.
• Throughout:
  The show delivers a mix of humor, nostalgia, and candid reflection, anchored by the crew’s easy rapport and off-the-cuff stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Native Grill Handle The Heat Finals

(02:29 – 04:39)

• Holmberg and the team discuss the event details: the hot wing eating contest finale is taking place at the Native Grill location on I-10 and Ray.
• The winning contestant will receive $979. The “Handle the Heat” platter (10 hot wings + Stella beer) is available for $19.79, with $1 from each order going to the Arizona Humane Society.
• Recaps of previous qualifying rounds and standout contestants: from big eaters to “average-looking dudes,” but no “Joey Chestnut”-style outliers.
• Emphasis on bringing back past winners:
  • “Last year’s champion is back in. So he won—by a hefty margin last year.” — Holmberg (03:32)
• Quick event logistics—wanting strong competitors, energetic crowd, and celebration of local charitable giving.

2. Holmberg’s “Karen Anxiety” over Dog in Pickup

(04:39 – 12:11)

• The Incident:
  Holmberg recounts how, driving up the 51, he notices a beagle mix “unleashed in the back of a pickup.”
  • “I had to stop myself from calling the police. I was in full Karen mode.” (05:44)
• Nostalgia & Culture Clash:
  Reflection on how, as a kid in Pennsylvania and Indiana, “that’s where dogs go”—the truck bed, a normal part of rural life. Now, seeing it is jarring.
• Emotional Reaction:
  • “I’ve become such a baby. I can’t even see it. I almost started crying. I was helpless. This poor dog was so happy. And then the dog did something—he was in heaven and I was in hell.” (06:40–07:32)
  • The team empathizes but also pokes fun, recounting their own childhoods riding “in the back of trucks” and how times have changed.
• Moral Confusion & Social Judgment:
  The guilt and confusion about becoming judgmental (“Karen”), even though such incidents were previously unremarkable.
  • “I realized, oh my God, I’m the biggest [expletive] in the world. I couldn’t even see it. That dog will be fine. When did it happen that we all—in our brains—[change like this]?” (07:35)

3. Real Stories: Dogs and Vehicle Mishaps

(08:45 – 10:28)

• Co-hosts recall vivid local stories:
  • One about a dog leashed in the back, jumping out at a stoplight and getting briefly suspended until a stranger rescued it. (08:45)
  • Another: family goes camping, forgets the dog tied to the bumper, dog survives but a grim echo of the movie “Vacation.” (09:20)
• Holmberg’s reaction:
  • “Your story just made me [expletive] my pants… I hate that story.” (09:09)
  • “That is the vacation story. Oh my God. All right, well then. Yeah, well, that's different. That's just being jerks. But the back of the pickup thing, I used to never thought it’d be a problem…” (09:31)

4. Kids in Trucks, Safety, and the Changing Times

(09:39 – 11:44)

• Reflection on shifting standards: kids riding in truck beds used to be thrilling, now seen as reckless.
• Generational humor and frankness:
  • “It kind of used to be—the thing is, like, if you're so stupid, you fall out of the back of this truck, it's kind of on you. And I feel the same way about the dog, but I couldn’t see it. I just could not see it.” (09:54)
  • Anecdotes about high schoolers falling out of trucks, mostly chalked up to “being drunk or stupid.”
• Holmberg’s conclusion:
  • “If you’re thinking about it and you’re loading your dog up in the back of a truck, please stay off the 51. I might be out there and I will full Karen the next person I see doing this—I will call the police.” (10:34–11:21)
  • “I can't take it. It's not for me. It's my heart. Can't do it. Please, for God's sakes, put your kids back there so no one cares. Your dogs—my God, they don't know any better.” (11:23)

5. Personal Solutions and Final Pleas

(11:44 – 12:11)

• Discussion of modern pet safety products: seatbelts, harnesses.
• Holmberg: “I have a seat belt for my dog. Strap him up in the back seat. Absolutely. You never know what's gonna hit you. My God, it's terrible.”
• The segment wraps with Holmberg’s plea: put dogs inside, save the truck beds for kids if you must, but spare sensitive animal lovers from panic.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Holmberg on his panic:
  • “I had to stop myself from calling the police. I was in full Karen mode.” (05:44)
• Holmberg acknowledging generational shift:
  • “Dogs used to ride in the backs of pickup trucks all over the place. This is the first time I’ve seen in years.” (05:44)
• On witnessing the happy dog:
  • “This poor dog was so happy. And then the dog did something—he was in heaven and I was in hell. I was about to start sobbing.” (07:32)
• Co-host, recounting a near-tragedy:
  • “There was a truck stop and there’s a dog in the back. And he had his leash on. Well, the dog jumped at a stoplight and the dog fell down...Some dude jumped out and put him back in. But it could have been like vacation. And I’m not trying to be funny with that.” (08:45)
• Holmberg’s plea for animal safety:
  • “I have a seat belt for my dog. Strap him up in the back seat. Absolutely. You never know what’s gonna hit you. My God, it’s terrible.” (11:49)
• Final word:
  • “Put a child in the back of the truck. That’s where they belong. The dog needs to be inside, buttoned up. A kid flies out. Too many of those. One less annoying thing on an airplane. And then Brady needs a kidney. The dog flies out. Brady can’t take that kid. Put your kids back there. Put your teen kids in the back of the truck and drive around so Brady lives. Do it for Brady. Let’s stop with the dogs. That made me nuts.” (12:11)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00 – 02:29 | Ad break, introductory banter, Brady’s kidney jokes
• 02:29 – 04:39 | Native Grill Handle The Heat Finals, event details, contestant stories
• 04:39 – 12:11 | Holmberg’s “Karen” freakout: the loose dog story, discussion on kids/dogs in truck beds, safety culture, generational change, real mishap stories, and modern solutions

Tone & Style

The episode is irreverent, candid, nostalgic, and humorously self-deprecating. Holmberg’s raw confession draws laughter and commiseration, while the team’s stories add nuance to a familiar Arizona scene—dogs in trucks—now seen through the lens of 2020s cultural anxiety. The Native Grill contest excitement offers local flair and charitable community spirit.

For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode delivers a mix of old-school radio energy, open self-reflection, and sharp humor around very real (and relatable) anxieties—blending Arizona flavor with universal questions about how our perspective shifts as we grow up.