09-02-25 - Native Grill Handle The Heat Finals Details - Holmberg Is Panicked About A Karen Moment He Had Seeing A Dog Unleashed In The Back Of A Pickup

Summary

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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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

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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.

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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.

Transcript

[Host]

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[John Holmberg]

It's John Holmberg here seeing clear as a bell. Thanks to my friends at the Schwartz Laser Eye Center. Let the experts at the Schwartz Laser Eye center do that. Book your complimentary consultation with the gang at the Schwartz Laser Eye center and have Dr. Jay Schwartz talk to you about the best plan to make it so you don't need contacts or glasses ever again. Great eyesight is something you should not procrastinate getting. And all you have to do is go see the team at the Schwartz Laser Eye center today. Schwartz Laser Eye center the the official eye center of your diamondbacks and sons. You've been deceived by an agent of Satan himself. He's evil sitting right here. Come on. No, no, he's not evil. He's just a bit rude. Man, Brady, people sure do love the idea of your kidneys being on their mind. I think that's awesome. I think it's fantastic. Everybody asking. Brian Hanson just emailed and says Brady said he's a pike, right? Beta theta PI. Beta theta PI. Not a pike. You were in a fratern. He's like, well I didn't get one of them frat brothers to get in there. I thought you guys were supposed to be brothers for life. And Brady points out too old and useless. That's like putting his own kidney back in himself. You don't want some 60 year old banged up kidney. Now think about it. If you were getting a new and.

[Guest/Co-host]

A couple of already stepped up, you know.

[John Holmberg]

Oh, they'll say so, but they know their six year old kidneys are not going in and out. They're not meaning it. They're just saying the right thing. Brady just took a pain pill. It's the first time Brady's ever been.

[Host]

All right. I can't wait.

[John Holmberg]

Heavy drugs while doing the show. Nice job. He's on an illegal Red cap. He broke out the red caps. Apache Junction. If you see Brady walking around, he's got a pocket full of your dreams.

[Host]

He's gonna get rolled.

[John Holmberg]

Oh, you're gonna. It won't be hard. Knock him down. Ouch. A little bit. What are you doing?

[Guest/Co-host]

Easy target.

[John Holmberg]

Why are you attacking me, Dragon? Oh, he's got some in his pocket. Brett, you were at the last couple native grill and wing and pounding the. Getting the wing people in there tomorrow or. Yes, tomorrow out at i10. And Ray, I'm going to go host the finale of this thing. Holmberg's Handle the Heat finale. Somebody's going to walk out of there with 979 bucks just for eating something phenomenal. It's going to happen there. And if you want to go there, get the Homburg's Handle the Heat special. You get the wings. Ten hot wings and a Stella for 1979. And a Buck from each special goes to the Arizona Humane Society, which is not bad at all.

[Host]

We've had some good.

[John Holmberg]

You got some good eaters, some. Really? What was your. You went to two in a row?

[Host]

Yeah. Yeah. What was your surprise in the one.

[John Holmberg]

Out in Gilbert, this Brady's guy was like two pounds. He had two pounds of wings?

[Guest/Co-host]

Yeah, it was something like. Yeah, 2.1.

[Host]

Or ours was at like just under two, like one point.

[John Holmberg]

Okay, well whatever.

[Host]

I mean it was. I can't remember the exact numbers. And. And surprise. Last year's champion is back in.

[John Holmberg]

Oh, he's back in.

[Host]

He's back in. So he, he won. Surprise.

[John Holmberg]

He won by a hefty margin last year.

[Host]

Boy can eat.

[John Holmberg]

So.

[Guest/Co-host]

Competition this year.

[Host]

There's gonna be competition for sure.

[John Holmberg]

Were they all giants? Get any skinnies in there? That surprised you, Joey Chestnut style?

[Host]

No, no, I had two. Some average, average looking dudes but like there wasn't any like Joey Chestnut like Larry sized people.

[John Holmberg]

Well, we'll see. Tomorrow you can show up at the native location on i10 and Ray and tell them you want to be in on this thing and I want to take a few of you and you start pounding those wings. You get pounds and pounds of wings put in front of you. Take them home.

[Guest/Co-host]

So is this the last qualifying?

[John Holmberg]

This is finale, my friend. This is the end game. Wow. All done quick. I know. Four weeks, bam. We're all done tomorrow. So if you want to head out there, we'll get it going about 5:30. But you got to get there a little early if you want to be part of it. We need all the people cheering we'll have all sorts of stuff to give you as well. So coming out there, I definitely like watching the. The channel. Like to waste my time with contestants. I want the champions, the winners from each one to come rolling in.

[Host]

You can have some good competition, have.

[John Holmberg]

Some strong guys there. Yeah, it would be great to have a qualifier and then do the finale and have the dude have to do it back to back. Man, that would be fantastic. Anyway, speaking of Humane Society, and of course, our good friend of the show, Jim Manley, world's nicest guy, doing his little benefit show Saturday over at Cactus Jacks with his band. And don't tell Mandy. And he's just doing it because he's a kind person. Who does that? Jim Manley, that's who. The world's nicest man. I realize that as much as I complain about how pussified America has become, I occasionally catch myself in that sort of Karen mode. The. Oh, my God, what is this moment that I had on Saturday driving up the 51 when I was behind a pickup truck, an F250. And in the back was some sort of beetle beagle mix. Big old flappy ears.

[Guest/Co-host]

Unleashed.

[John Holmberg]

Unleashed in the back of a pickup truck. Now, I'm from Indiana. That's where dogs go. When I. When I grew up in Pennsylvania, the dog knew. The dog jumped into the bed of the truck to go. You saw dogs in the back of pickup trucks all over the place. This is the first time I've seen in years. And I had to stop myself from calling the police. I was in full Karen mode. They have a dog in the back, and even if it is on a leash, if you hit a bump, it's gonna hang itself. I was freaking out. I stayed behind it the whole time. Then I just thought, if he comes out, dogs don't fall out of the backs of trucks. I've never met anyone in my life said, well, we were driving along the freeway, and he flew out, hit a big bump. It doesn't happen, and yet I'm so scared of it. And we put a stop to. Kids used to ride in the backs of pickup trucks as a treat.

[Host]

Oh, we used to.

[John Holmberg]

It was a blast. Can we ride in the back? Can we ride in the back? All right, fine. We'll just. We'll just go up and down these speed bumps faster, and your dad would dick around and make you bounce like it was fun. We have become. 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 like he.

[Guest/Co-host]

Was he doing the back and forth?

[John Holmberg]

No, he was standing in the middle of the window. And I'm like, just stay there, kid. Just stay there. And in my mind, I'm overreacting. He's staying there because the wind. He can't breathe. If he stands in the wrong spot now it's gonna take in all the air. So he's finding the one spot he can. This is horrible. The dog then does the walkover on the freeway, puts his head around the corner, and those ears start flapping. And he was in heaven and I was in hell. I was about to start sobbing.

[Guest/Co-host]

Why has it turned in so tough?

[Host]

Watch.

[John Holmberg]

It's. It's impossible to see. And I realized, oh my God, I got off on Shea. And I'm like, I'm the biggest in the world. I couldn't even see it. That dog will be fine. When did it happen that we all. In our brains.

[Guest/Co-host]

You're mad at the person.

[John Holmberg]

Yes.

[Guest/Co-host]

How dare you let a dog.

[John Holmberg]

Of course. But I've never once seen even videotape of the dog flying out. Dogs are. I went four wheeling once with a dude in a jeep who didn't have doors or top or anything. The dog rode in the back seat. Were you there that day?

[Guest/Co-host]

I feel bad had with the horses in the horse trailer.

[John Holmberg]

Horse trailers make me upset in case somebody hits them, but at least they can't fall out. But this dog was like this. This Aussie healer kind of thing.

[Guest/Co-host]

Yeah.

[John Holmberg]

And he just. He rode like leveled himself. He had no seat belt or anything. We're off roading. And this dog would lean. He'd put his. He'd put his front paw up on the back seat when he'd have the. It was unreal how good he was at like. And then he'd hop out of the jeep when we'd stop for a drink and hang around and he hop right back in. And I. I realized the dog is not gonna jump out. It's never happened, but it still needs to be against the law. And I. I hate you for doing that to me. The dog's fine.

[Host]

Remember years ago. Oh, Mesa Drive in Southern. There was a truck stop and there's a dog in the back. And he had his leash on. Well, the dog jumped at stoplight and the dog fell down.

[John Holmberg]

No.

[Host]

And was hanging from. He still had his back paws on the neck, but the light just turned green. Everybody's just laying on his horn. Some dude jumped out of a car, lifted him up and put him Back in the back of the truck. But it could have been like vacation. And I'm not trying to be funny with that.

[John Holmberg]

Like, l. Your story just made me. My pants.

[Host]

Yeah. I mean, it was.

[John Holmberg]

Wow. I hate that story.

[Host]

Yeah.

[John Holmberg]

So. Okay, so now it's. Now my. My brain makes sense. I've never even seen it.

[Host]

No.

[John Holmberg]

I've never seen a dog.

[Guest/Co-host]

We had a horrendous story years ago where the family was camping and the dog was on the bumper of the fifth wheeler and I forgot about the dog.

[John Holmberg]

That is the vacation story. Oh, my God. All right, well then. Yeah, well, that's different. That's just being jerks.

[Guest/Co-host]

Yeah, it's different.

[John Holmberg]

But the back of the pickup thing, I used to never thought it'd be a problem seeing kids in the back of a truck. Wouldn't bother me, I don't think at all. I'd be like, oh, that's the old fashioned. Maybe a little.

[Guest/Co-host]

But you just told you, don't stand.

[Host]

Yeah.

[John Holmberg]

Or your dad would break check you. If you stood up and smash you into the back window and you're like, all right, all right, all right, I get it. But 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. And I'm sure it's happened, but it's probably like people fight. They fall out of cars too. Not even if they're sitting in the back. Sometimes people just shoot out windows if the thing goes haywire.

[Guest/Co-host]

We had in high school.

[John Holmberg]

Awful.

[Guest/Co-host]

Someone out of the pickup bed.

[John Holmberg]

Sure. But they were probably drunk or stupid. Yeah. I mean, stop.

[Guest/Co-host]

They were standing in the back.

[John Holmberg]

You're in Dumbo out of it. Yeah. Oh, this kid we called double O.C. out of control. His name was Dave. He fell out of a truck on Guadalupe right off by Dobson. Just fell out of the back of a 40 mile an hour truck and rolled to a stop like he was the Terminator. Got up, shook his head. Double O.C. was just fine. He was so drunk, he didn't. It didn't hurt. But yeah, drunk is dumb, so it's kind of true. But anyway, so 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. I Was so close. If I hadn't gotten off on Shea. Another street, I definitely would have been on 91 1. There had gotta be a law against it, right?

[Host]

I don't know. I would. There should be. If there's not.

[John Holmberg]

Cause we just stopped. It was a whole society of people that used to do it all the time. And then we just stopped doing it. I can't. 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.

[Guest/Co-host]

Now, there's things you can cl. Like seat belts. Pet seatbelts.

[Host]

Sure.

[John 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. So if you're out there and you're laughing at me right now, I know it's you. And next time. If I had to go to Cactus instead of Shea, you would have been done, man. You'd have been. You gotten pulled over for sure. I'd have stayed with you the whole time too. I went full. Karen, we're heading.

[Guest/Co-host]

On my way up to Flag.

[John Holmberg]

Oh, my God. Oh. And it just started swinging at his truck. Horrifying. So please don't do that anymore. And not for the sake of the dog. People like me. I lost my mind. Lost my mind. 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. We got the hot releases coming up in just moments. Let's get to that. It's 98. It's not weird. It's pretty cool, actually. No membership fees. I've heard enough of this.