Holmberg’s Morning Sickness

Episode Date: September 26, 2025
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The crew recaps the Thursday Night Football game where the Seahawks beat the Cardinals, leading to a hilarious in-depth discussion about the “ginger curse” in sports, specifically the belief that redheaded (“ginger”) quarterbacks like Sam Darnold will never win a Super Bowl. The conversation also delves into why “Juniors” (athletes named after successful fathers) rarely live up to their legacy, using Marvin Harrison Jr. as the prime example. Plenty of sports banter, jabs at the Cardinals, and playful speculation about genetics and sports curses make for a lively episode.

Seahawks Beat Cardinals: Uniforms, Game Recap, and Kyler Murray

• Arizona Cardinals' New Uniforms:

  • John opens with a rant about the Cardinals’ new, “diarrhea-splattered” jerseys, comparing them to “someone threw wet diarrhea through a screen” ([00:40]).
  • Rich explains they’re meant to represent “being in a sandstorm” ([01:42]).
  • John jokes the Cardinals alone are “in the sandstorm,” leaving the other team unaffected, and adds the field and helmet design were better than the uniforms ([01:49]).

• Cardinals vs. Seahawks – Brief Recap:

  • John congratulates Rich on his Seahawks’ win (“Congratulations to your Seahawks...I enjoyed the hell out of [the game]” [02:23]).
  • Rich: “I'm becoming like you with Kyler Murray,” to which John replies by disliking Kyler’s attitude and decisions ([02:46]).

The “Ginger Curse”: Can Redheaded Quarterbacks Ever Win the Super Bowl?

• John’s Central Hypothesis:

  • “You’re cursed with a ginger quarterback and that will never ever result in a Super Bowl. Quarterback. It's been preordained…there will never be a ginger Super bowl champion. It's never going to occur.” ([02:52]–[03:15])

• Debate Over Examples and Exceptions:

  • John and Rich try to recall any ginger QBs who have come close, name-dropping Andy Dalton (“Dalton and Darnold are both...going to fall down the line of people who never hoisted a Lombardi” [11:22]) and others—Boomer Esiason (“Boomer was an albino” [03:55]) is humorously dismissed as not qualifying.
  • John: “Gingers have been invented to be the bad guy, never the hero” ([03:48]).
  • Discussion derails into whether certain athletes—across sports or with borderline red hair—count (e.g., Brian Scalabrine, Justin Turner) ([07:41]-[08:07]). John asserts only “true gingers” (full red hair, “shock of red hair”) qualify ([12:36]).
  • “It's not ginger hate...like midgets, you have special powers. And I avoid you.” ([08:37])—John, with his trademark irreverence.

• Notable/Comedic Quotes:

  • “If you're pinning your hopes on your quarterback being a super ging and getting to the Super Bowl, start a new hobby because you got February's free.” ([25:25])
  • “You can't have a ginger be the hero. I'm sorry to all gingers. You can't do it. You're always the guy who helped the hero or got in the hero's way. You're cursed.” ([06:10])

Juniors in Sports: The Shadow of the Successful Parent

• Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Sr.:

  • John criticizes the trend of expecting greatness from "Juniors": "Marvin Harrison Sr. was awesome. He fought real hard...Marvin Harrison Jr. was always the son of Marvin Harrison. You got the kid who was raised in the lap of luxury...he’s just not his dad, and it shows. He’s mopey. He quit.” ([16:10]–[17:04])

• Work Ethic Discussion:

  • John sees a pattern where successful self-made fathers’ children lack their drive: “A lot of rich self-made men have kids that are like lazy losers that are named Junior...all of them.” ([17:04]-[18:48])
  • Brady (guest): “He was better than everybody in college. That wasn’t hard for him. Now that it’s work, it does…a lot of guys, it’s always been easy for me. I’ve always been the star. And now you’re making me work and I’m not gonna do that well.” ([17:21]-[17:29])

• Other “Junior” Cautionary Tales:

  • Examples include Joey Porter Jr., Bronny James, Michael Jordan Jr., and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
  • “The worst thing you could ever do is be the greatest of all time...and name your kid after you.” ([20:09])

• Notable Quotes:

  • “He chooses when to be good. That’s the worst player you can have on a team is a guy who takes plays off—the worst player you can have on a team.” ([23:14])
  • “You can’t compare college to the pros. He could half ass it in college and get away with it because he’s more athletic than a lot of people. Worst thing you can put on a team is a dude who kind of plays when he feels like it.” ([23:56]–[24:01])

Cardinals Personnel Calls and Roster Culture

• Kyler Murray:

  • Rich and John both express skepticism over his leadership and future, with John referencing both his on-field and off-field controversies ([02:46]–[02:52]).

• Marvin Harrison Jr. – Trade Him?

  • John: “I am all about the Cardinals...trade him while people still think he’s good. Because what you’re going to keep putting on tape is a guy who doesn’t try a lot.” ([21:16])

More on Sports Curses and Genetics

• Seahawk’s Ginger QB (Sam Darnold):

  • “Dalton and Darnold are both…gonna fall down the line of people who never hoisted a Lombardi. I’m right about this.” ([11:22])

• Red-haired Athletes and Curses:

  • Listeners call in with names of “possible” gingers across sports, like Ricky Carmichael and Canelo Alvarez, which John swiftly dismisses unless they fit his “American sports people care about” criteria ([14:06]–[14:45]).
  • “You know what a ginger [is]. When you see it…That dude is red.” ([12:36])

Humorous Side Bars and Cultural Observations

• On Cardnials Uniform Colors:

  • “Cardinals look like Emma Stone naked last night...Just. That was a good game. It was fun.” ([15:20]-[15:27])

• Arch Manning & His Ears:

  • “I look at Arch Manning and I think, he can’t hold up a Lombardi because of his ears.…They pop out and make a noise. Yeah, everyone giggles. Baby New Year.” ([27:44]–[28:57])

• Listener Jokes and Texts:

  • Redheads are “fire in bed” ([25:20]), but John doubles down: “They’re still never going to hoist a Lombardi.”

Noteworthy Timestamps

• Cardinals’ New Uniform Diatribe: [00:40]–[02:15]
• Seahawks/Cardinals Recap – John’s Dislike of Kyler: [02:46]–[03:02]
• Start of Ginger Quarterback Curse Rant: [02:52]–[05:06]
• Attempts to Name Ginger Champions in Pro Sports: [07:41]–[14:45]
• Discussion About Juniors Not Living Up to Dads, Marvin Harrison Jr.: [16:10]–[21:16]
• Joey Porter Jr., Bronny, Michael Jordan Jr.—The “Junior” Curse: [20:09]–[22:55]
• Discussion about Arch Manning’s ears: [27:44]–[28:57]

Memorable Quotes

• John, on the ginger curse:
  “Biblically, Quran, any sort of polytheism in India has all said there will never be a ginger Super Bowl champion. It’s never going to occur.” ([03:02]–[03:15])

• John, on the “Junior” curse:
  “How many kids do you know who are lazier than their fathers? All of them. Almost. A successful dad? Yeah, you’re not going to be the same.” ([17:04]-[18:48])

• On Marvin Harrison Jr.:
  “He’s just not his dad, and it shows. He’s mopey. He quit.” ([17:04])

• Rich, on Andy Dalton's ginger status:
  “If you put Dale Earnhardt Jr. next to Sam Darnold, Dale just has to be with you.” ([11:22])

Episode Summary

This episode fuses sports analysis with irrepressible comedy, as John Holmberg leads an extended roast on the “ginger curse”—the theory that no true redheaded quarterback will ever win a Super Bowl—while playfully raising the bar for what counts as “ginger.” The show takes entertaining detours into Cardinals uniform design, the inevitable disappointment for fans of “Juniors,” and various oddities and curses in American pro sports. Longtime listeners will appreciate the signature blend of irreverence, references, and inside jokes, while even casual fans will find the rants about sports genetics and uniforms memorable and hilarious.