Episode Overview

Main Theme:
This episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness (09-16-25) is a lively, irreverent conversation centered on recent sports news—especially Tom Brady’s conspicuous activity in the Las Vegas Raiders’ coaching booth. The hosts riff on NFL rules, cheating, and suspicions about Brady’s dual role as a Fox broadcaster and Raiders minority owner. They also pivot to mock a White House press statement about senior advisor Stephen Miller supposedly not "playing with dolls," diving into a playful debate about adults and their toys. The episode is rich with signature banter, unexpected pop culture references, and tongue-in-cheek humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tom Brady in the Raiders’ Booth: Suspicion and Satire

Timestamps: 02:33 – 15:49

• Brady's Odd Role:
  Tom Brady, a 5% Raiders owner and future Fox NFL announcer, was caught in the Raiders’ coaching box, allegedly helping call plays with OC Chip Kelly. The crew’s consensus: “something doesn’t add up.”

  "Tom Brady's the dog that bit someone years ago and did some damage. And then you're like, oh, he's fine now. You still have to keep your eye on that dog."
  — John Holmberg, 03:38

• NFL Security and Cheating:
  Holmberg launches into NFL paranoia around play secrecy, suggesting Brady is exploiting a system loophole.

  “In the NFL... the guys are known to cheat a lot. Oh, I know. And the one who got caught the most is now an owner of a team.”
  — John Holmberg, 05:23

  • The crew jokes about sending a Fox crew member as a proxy to gather intel for Brady (06:19).

    “He's cheating again. And he's doing it kind of right out in the open last night.”
    — John Holmberg, 06:34

• Double Agent Gags & Rivalries:
  They playfully label Brady a "double agent" likely sabotaging the Raiders (“destroy the Raiders from the inside”—12:42) and bring up NFL rivalries:

  “No Yankee should own a Red Sock. That should never... I used to play for the Yanks, now I own the Red Sox. I get double agent sickness.”
  — John Holmberg, 13:07

  • Extended analogy with team owners and sports betrayals (Steelers/Ravens, etc.), with jokes at the Cardinals’ expense for being too unimportant to cheat from (15:12).

2. White House: “Stephen Miller Doesn’t Play With Dolls”—Which Means He Does

Timestamps: 16:49 – 30:23

• Political Satire:
  The hosts lampoon the White House’s official statement denying advisor Stephen Miller “plays with dolls,” arguing such denials always confirm the rumor.

  “If we put out a press release right now that said Brett sews. Everybody thinks Brett sews raggedy hands all day and then makes them talk to each other. That's insane.”
  — John Holmberg, 18:03

• The Adult Toy Debate:
  Bantering about adults collecting or playing with Star Wars figures and the like:

  “You have a whole room dedicated to toys. Occasionally you're gonna go in there and play. Play with. I would hope.”
  — John Holmberg, 19:08

  • Elaborate, comedic roleplay imagining a grown man caught mid-action-figure tryst (21:46 onward).

• Denial = Guilt:
  The gang riffs hard on the concept that an official denial always equates to the truth in public opinion.

  “If you say you don't play with dolls, guess what? You play with loads of dolls. Loads of dolls.”
  — John Holmberg, 22:43

3. The Slippery Slope of Adult Toys, Action Figures, and Collectibles

Timestamps: 24:31 – 39:53

• Nostalgia and the O.J. Simpson Doll:
  Holmberg confesses to once owning a large O.J. Simpson action figure and shares stories about its use (mixed with not-so-subtle O.J. jokes).

  "I used to always take my O.J. Simpson doll, which was oversized, ironically, and just split Barbie's legs in half...I liked when Barbie's legs went and snapped off, and apparently so did OJ because he liked when a blonde woman's parts fell off."
  — John Holmberg, 32:17

• Resale Values and Collectibles:
  The team browses eBay for O.J. dolls—debating prices, outfits, autographs, and a parody “OJ collectible machete.”

  “$500 bucks for an autographed OJ doll. Respect my childhood.”
  — John Holmberg, 36:51

4. Adult Play and Its Limitations

Timestamps: 26:14 – 30:49 & 38:31 – 39:53

• Drawing the Line:
  Deliberation over where “playing with toys” stops being fatherly or nostalgic and starts being creepy.

  "If you're doing it by yourself, there's a problem...If you'd be embarrassed if your wife walked in and it was just you with the cars...it's trouble."
  — John Holmberg, 38:48

• LARPing, Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft:
  Playful condemnation of behaviors considered too far (LARPing, making dolls "hump or scissor," etc.).

  “If they start getting figurines and, like, making them talk and walk and stuff, they've lost it. It's a bridge too far.”
  — John Holmberg, 30:50

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| |03:38| "Tom Brady's the dog that bit someone years ago and did some damage...You still have to keep your eye on that dog."| John Holmberg | |05:23| “In the NFL... the guys are known to cheat a lot. Oh, I know. And the one who got caught the most is now an owner of a team.”| John Holmberg | |06:34|“He's cheating again. And he's doing it kind of right out in the open last night.”| John Holmberg | |13:07|“No Yankee should own a Red Sock. That should never...I get double agent sickness.”| John Holmberg | |18:03|“If we put out a press release right now that said Brett sews...Everybody thinks Brett sews raggedy hands all day.”| John Holmberg | |22:43| “If you say you don't play with dolls, guess what? You play with loads of dolls.” | John Holmberg | |32:17| "I used to always take my O.J. Simpson doll, which was oversized, ironically, and just split Barbie's legs in half...I liked when Barbie's legs went and snapped off, and apparently so did OJ because he liked when a blonde woman's parts fell off." | John Holmberg | |38:48| "If you're doing it by yourself, there's a problem...If you'd be embarrassed if your wife walked in and it was just you with the cars...it's trouble." | John Holmberg | |30:50| “If they start getting figurines and, like, making them talk and walk and stuff, they've lost it. It's a bridge too far.” | John Holmberg |

Additional Segments

- Musical Wake-Up & Concert Chat

Timestamps: 39:53 – 40:35

• Wake up song: “Sin” by Nine Inch Nails, in honor of their concert that night.

Tone & Style

The episode maintains a blend of sharp satire, sports nerdery, and raunchy playful banter. Holmberg leads with wry, conspiratorial monologues, while the rest of the crew peppers in asides, punchlines, and soundboard gags. The humor is irreverent and no one—including the hosts themselves—is safe from ridicule.

For New Listeners

• If you haven’t heard the episode:
  Expect high-energy sports talk, pop culture references, dark humor, and candid riffing that jumps from NFL controversies (especially Tom Brady’s divided loyalties) to the absurdity of adult collectibles.
• Key takeaways:
  • Watch for “double agents” in sports and politics alike.
  • Official denials are fuel for mockery.
  • Nostalgia for toys is universal but there are limits—at least according to Holmberg.