09-29-25 - We Try To Get Mercury Mania Going w/John Offering $100k To A Random Person We Call For An Impossible Question But Our Phones Don't Work

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: 09-29-25 - We Try To Get Mercury Mania Going w/John Offering $100k To A Random Person We Call For An Impossible Question But Our Phones Don't Work
Podcast: Holmberg's Morning Sickness (HMS), 98KUPD Arizona
Date: September 29, 2025
Hosts and Cast: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo, plus assorted station voices

Main Theme:
The hosts attempt to stoke excitement around the Phoenix Mercury’s WNBA playoff run ("Merc Mania") by offering a massive cash prize to a randomly dialed listener—$100,000 (eventually raised to $250,000)—if they can answer an "impossible question" about the team. However, their technical woes with the studio phones both derail and provide comedic fodder for most of the segment.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Minnie Mouse Walk of Fame Star & Women’s Recognition (00:21–01:15)

• Brady reads a text questioning why Minnie Mouse got a Hollywood Walk of Fame star given she’s always a supporting character to Mickey.
• He riffs: “It’s like giving Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife a star. She made all her money off him. … Who cares?”
• The hosts joke about the practice of giving stars for association rather than individual merit, drawing parallels with famous ex-wives.

2. Holmberg’s Sports Bets and WNBAs’ Phoenix Mercury Involvement (01:15–04:13)

• Holmberg recounts a previous on-air bet: if the Diamondbacks made the World Series, he’d quit being a Cubs fan—and followed through.
• Another bet: “I said I’d get a tattoo of Brady naked on my chest if [the Cubs] won the World Series. That can’t happen.”
• Attention shifts to the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury; Holmberg offhand promised a tattoo if they won the championship, not realizing their playoff position.
• Brady/hosts riff on little-known facts about the Mercury playoffs, poking fun at low interest and players’ off-season priorities: “Some of the other girls had cruises…” (03:40).

3. Launching “Merc Mania” and the $100,000 Phone Challenge (04:13–06:06)

• The hosts try to whip up “Merc Mania”: “The city is just clamoring for more Merc ball. … Jersey sales through the moon, Brady!” (04:21)
• Holmberg: “I’m gonna put Hubbard’s money on the line… $100,000!” (04:47)
  • Brett: “Tripp is gonna roll over in his grave.”
  • Brady, comically: “He’s not even dead. Yeah, he can fire me, that’d be fine.”
• The show plans to randomly call a local number; if answered and the recipient can answer a WNBA Mercury question, they earn the prize.

4. Epic Technical Fail – The Phones Don’t Work (06:06–15:16)

• Attempts to call out fail repeatedly. “If the phones would work. They don’t.” (05:34)
• Multiple hosts joke and try repairs: “Alexander Graham Bell had a better setup.” — Brady (09:42)
• In-jokes about 1980s phone reliability vs. today and “Fonzie” magic-fix attempts.
  • Brady: “I’ve got a reputation for hitting stuff that’s broken and it goes right back to working again.” (11:28)
  • Brett: “Come on, Fonzie.” (11:33)

5. Escalating the Challenge: From $100K to $250K (10:01–13:46)

• Frustrated, Holmberg ups the ante: “I’m going to boost it up a little bit while we’re waiting. $250,000. I have that much confidence that not a soul will know the answer.” (10:01)
• Hosts discuss how the show would be national news if a rando claimed the giant prize.
  • Mabel: “You’re out of your mind. What if they get it?”
  • Brady: “Great news stories. … We’ll be like Mr. Beast.” (13:37)

6. Jokes on Merc Mania’s “Popularity” and Phoenix Sports (13:58–16:05)

• Comedic riff about the lack of “Merc Mania” in Phoenix: “You see all the people walking around in their merc jerseys… People have the flags on their houses…” (14:13)
• Brady quips: “If you’ve seen a merc flag on anybody, just move. That’s akin to having one of those Palestinian flames. You just got terrorists in your hood.” (14:19)
• Ongoing phone jokes, including a mock switchboard operator routine ("Mabel," an old-timey operator).

7. Stubbornness to Make It Happen & The Bet Rolls On (16:05–18:38)

• Holmberg: “For every day we can’t get the phones to work, it’s another 50 grand to whoever answers my question.” (17:59)
• The group plans to continue the stunt the next day if tech issues persist, with the jackpot rising.

8. Hopes for a Classic Winner (“Merc Mania” Character Bit) (18:38–19:25)

• The hosts imagine the “ideal” winner: “My big dream is that a woman answers, and she’s a little bit rough. … Even still, she won’t know. … I’m hitting right in the center of the planet Mercury.” (18:38)
• Funny impressions of what a true Merc Mania fan would sound like (18:53).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Brady on Minnie Mouse’s stardom:
  “Minnie Mouse—name one Minnie Mouse feature thing. They’re all Mickey movies!” (00:27)

• Holmberg, talking about Mercury fandom:
  “The city is just clamoring for more Merc ball… Jersey sales through the moon, Brady!” (04:21)

• Holmberg, on the $250K confidence:
  “I’m that confident not a soul will know… Quarter of a million dollars of mine and Hubbard’s money.” (10:01)

• Brady, mocking the phone system:
  “Alexander Graham Bell had a better setup. Two people with string and cans has a better setup than this.” (09:42)

• Brady, on Merc Mania ‘hysteria’:
  “If you’ve seen a merc flag on anybody… that’s akin to having one of them Palestinian flames. You just got terrorists in your hood.” (14:19)

• Brett, describing escalating stakes:
  “For every day we can’t get the phones to work, it’s another 50 grand to whoever answers my question correctly. … Tomorrow, $300,000.” (17:59)

• Holmberg’s “ideal” winner:
  “And I hope a lady answers. … She won’t know. … I’m hitting right in the center of the planet Mercury.” (18:38)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |---|---| | 00:21–01:15 | Minnie Mouse, Bill/Melinda Gates riff; women getting credit by association | | 01:15–04:13 | Holmberg’s sports bets history; Phoenix Mercury playoff situation revealed | | 04:13–06:06 | Launching “Merc Mania” and the $100,000 challenge | | 06:06–15:16 | Multiple failed attempts to place the random phone call; technical and phone jokes | | 10:01–13:46 | Increasing the prize to $250,000; internal debate and comedic tension | | 13:58–16:05 | Joking about Phoenix’s Mercury fever; mock old-timey switchboard bit | | 16:05–18:38 | Stubborn escalation: bet will return and grow daily until successful | | 18:38–19:25 | Imagining the classic “Merc Mania” winner; segment closes with laughs |

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Recap for Non-Listeners

The HMS crew’s attempt to capitalize on (and lampoon) the Phoenix Mercury’s playoff run turns into an improv-heavy, self-aware bit about sports fandom, underdog leagues, and radio stunts gone awry. The group riffs on walk-of-fame culture, reflects on their overly bold betting history, and doubles down on giving an “impossible” Mercury question to a random phone number in Arizona for an eye-popping cash prize—only to be foiled again and again by dysfunctional phone lines. The technical disaster becomes the segment’s punchline, with escalating prize money, jokes about the obscurity of the Mercury’s fanbase, and a running gag about the show making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

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Tone:
Irreverent, quick-witted, heavy on sports sarcasm and inside radio banter. The team embraces the chaos, turning a failed live stunt into a showcase for their chemistry and comedic instincts.

Transcript

[Brett]

You're listening to the HMS Podcast, brought to you by MMP Guns.com, your most trusted online marketplace for firearms, ammunition and accessories.

[Holmberg]

Still streaming Homberg's morning sickness [e-mail] so a very late.

[Brady]

My fault, as usual, was the drone talk. And then I got a text from somebody that said a rather interesting thought. Scott Haynes. Why does Minnie Mouse get a star in the Walk of Fame? Isn't it? He's right. Minnie Mouse. Name one Minnie Mouse feature thing. They're all Mickey movies. It's like giving Jeff Bezos, his ex wife, a star. She made all her money off of him. It's like Miranda Gates or whatever her name is getting a star in the Walk of Fame just because Bill got one. Melinda. Who cares?

[David]

Yeah, her too.

[Brady]

See? Exactly. Point made. I never say Dill Gates. Oh, you mean Bill. Oh, right, of course. No, we all know that one. Yeah. Why did Minnie Mouse get a star she didn't deserve?

[David]

I think Mickey demanded it.

[Brady]

No, Mickey wouldn't want that. Mickey came from the 30s. He was still mad about the voting. He was borderline a Nazi. You forget, the dude that invented Mickey wasn't exactly on the cutting edge of progress. He just liked drawing the mouse. A lot of weird stuff back in the day. That's interesting. Good point though. Minnie doesn't deserve a star. She got one simply to, you know, sell another character, which makes sense to me. But come on. Broads. Broads. Some sort of feminine power thing. Speaking of the wnba, I have been put in a pickle here. I made that weird claim a few years ago when the Diamondbacks made the World Series that if they beat the Phillies to get to the World Series, I would quit being a Cubs fan. Well, damn it all if they didn't do it. And I, to my word, took all my Cub stuff down and have not really followed the Cubs since. It was an easy transition for me because I got angry at the Cubs in 2018 and then followed that right through. They're really good this year and I'll probably have my heart involved in some of these games coming up, but I don't have the love for them I used to have. I did abandon my fandom when it came to the Cubs, mainly because new owners made me kind of feel weird about them. I no longer had that tie to the Cubs anymore. Then I said that I would get a tattoo of Brady naked on my chest if they won the World Series. That can't happen. Sons of bitches started to do pretty well in that thing. And I got real worried, so I was rooting for the Rangers real hard. Luckily, that one didn't happen. Well, enter 2025 and go right to foot and mouth disease that occasionally I get. And a few weeks ago, I said that I would get a tattoo of the Phoenix Mercury somewhere on my body if they won the championship. I didn't even know they were in the playoffs, to be honest with you. Some guy called in, said he goes to the games, and we were making fun of him. Turns out they are in the playoffs, and they're in the, like, some over the weekend sometime. They won a game that made it. So they're going to the girl basketball finals. I didn't even know they had that. I thought they just stopped playing when football started. Well, no, they were playing during summer.

[David]

They made the playoffs because a couple of teams said they just wanted to end it.

[Brady]

Yeah, well, one of the girls. There's a weird one, is like, one of the girls who's straight on the team that was going to win. Like, girl.

[Brett]

That's what.

[Brady]

Yeah, exactly. That's what they were surprised by. But she's like, the head coach, and she goes, ah, my husband and I are gonna go on vacation before he has to go back. Had it scheduled before, and it was way before the playoffs. We didn't know. So a couple of girls were already gonna go. And some of the other girls had cruises, so they conflict. So two or three of the teams. So there's. They have a championship for the wnba. I didn't know that. Well, the Mercury are in it. And the city, Brady, you know it and I know it, is just clamoring for more Merc ball. We are. It's crazy.

[David]

Merc Ball fever.

[Brady]

Merc ball. Well, you don't say that because they might play the fever. You can't get the fever because the fever might be coming.

[David]

Merc Ball mania.

[Brady]

That's right, Brady. We got the Merc Mania out there. People are losing their minds. Jersey sales through the moon. The moon, Brady, I want to play a little Merc ball. You and I have been going over this off the air, and I'm going to put Hubbard's money on the line. They've done it with mine. I'm going to put Hubbard's money on the line. You don't like the amount I'm going to put up?

[David]

What'd you decide?

[Brady]

$100,000? No.

[Brett]

Tripp is going to roll over in his grave.

[Brady]

He's not even dead. Yeah, he can fire me, and that'll be fine. $130,000. There you go.

[Brett]

Run your mouth again.

[Brady]

I am going to re. I am.

[Brett]

You almost got. You almost lost it last time with the tab.

[Brady]

Shut up, Brett. Don't make me afraid of it. Just saying. I've been arguing with Brady off the air about it for 20 minutes. He wants to go, like, maybe $5. Well, yeah. You actually did go up as high as 10,000. 10,000, baby, compared to the numbers I'm throwing out. This dude's doing dudes different. I'm going to now randomly dial a number. If the phones would work. They don't.

[Brett]

I could look at them. They're not working.

[Brady]

Where's the thing I turn on and off? Oh. Might have just saved the company 100 grand. I'll do it, and I promise Phoenix looking up. That's how they can look it up all they want. If I get lucky enough to randomly call. I need some suspenseful music here. If I randomly call.

[David]

We have over 15 million listeners here.

[Brady]

Locally, we've got loads of listeners.

[Brett]

Gotta stretch. Cause the phone's rebooting.

[Brady]

Loads and loads of listeners. Brad, if I have to pay it, I will. It's gonna take me a few payments. No, Vic, get that checkbook out. Yeah, it's good for ratings. It'll be national news. Local DJ jackasses his way out of one grand. That's a good story.

[David]

They'll say, why? What about. Well, because you ask for.

[Brady]

Because all I did. Yeah, they might not do that story because I'd be like, oh, that makes women mad. I will randomly call. Merc Fever sweeps the city again.

[David]

Merc Mania.

[Brady]

Oh, that's right. I did it myself. Merc Mania sweeps the valley.

[Brett]

Give it a shot. See if them phones work.

[Brady]

There you get.

[Holmberg]

I'm going now, I think.

[Brady]

Nope. Oh, man. I might be getting. Getting lucky. Why don't they work? I don't know. Does that one work? We have two phones.

[Brett]

One of them don't go on the air, though. That one's for the intercom.

[David]

Calling in for the Merc Mania.

[Brady]

Well, you can't call in for Merc Mania. I only call out for Merc Mania. Merc Mania in the finals against the Aces and. Or the Heat. But our station doesn't work.

[Brett]

It's probably because Tripp heard you giving 100 grand away.

[Brady]

Shunt the lines down, David. The jackass is going to do it. Looks like you owe someone 100 grand. You know what I could do is take the 100 grand and buy a new phone. Sesto.

[Brett]

How is this so I think David's here.

[Brady]

You want me go down and get him? No, cuz then he'll just stand behind me.

[David]

And you can't do a random number on the. Like call them from our cell phone?

[Brett]

No, cuz you'll never get the audio.

[David]

Never answer.

[Brady]

Well, they would. I think it comes up. Does it come up kupd?

[Brett]

No, it just comes up a random number. I. Huh.

[Brady]

All right, it's starting to blink. Maybe there's something I got going on. 100 grand. And if in fact I dial a number just with my little finger, give me a 602, 623 or 480.

[Brett]

Let's give the west side some doom. You know I'm a nice guy.

[Brady]

100 grand. They're gonna lose their mind. I know. Brady, give me a number. For the first number I shall dial two. Beautiful. Brett, give me a last number.

[Brett]

I shall D9.

[Brady]

I guess. I don't know. I gotta write this stuff down. So We've got a 6, 2, 3. It begins with a 2, ends with a 9. All right, I'll fill in the other five.

[Brett]

Good luck.

[David]

The phones will work.

[Brady]

They don't. Oh, wait, there was a button that turned red. Is that a line? What are we doing for. No, don't you. What are we doing for 100 grand? How come I can't hit a button and make it work? But I just answered the phone. We already unplugged it twice. Oh, this dude's calling in again. There's one. We have one line that works out of.

[Brett]

The jackass keeps calling in.

[Brady]

You can pick it up. There's a guy on the line. There's another one calling. And now you can call in. You can't call out. What is going on here?

[David]

We have to dial it out.

[Brady]

Quit calling in. Quit calling in. Everybody stop calling. Cuz you're breaking our phones down. Oh my God. What a technological beast. Alexander Graham Bell had a better setup.

[Brett]

Hello, Watson.

[Brady]

Hell, two people with string and cans has a better setup than this.

[Holmberg]

Hol. Morning sickness. Holmberg's morning sickness.

[Brady]

Oh, my sweet Jesus.

[Brett]

We already unplugged it before.

[Brady]

All right, Brady, I'm going to boost it up a little bit while we're waiting. 250. I have that much confidence that not a soul will know the answer to this question. Not a soul will know what I'm about to ask. Quarter of a million dollars of mine and Hubbard's money. I got to have a 623 chips.

[Brett]

Porsche is going to be going sideways.

[Brady]

In this parking lot. You know, we're on the hook for that. Oh, and I also have to, once I get hold, ask permission for them to be on the air. Oh, cuz we can get in trouble for that. So I'll do that. And remind me, if I. If I don't, what do they get?

[David]

What amount of time do they get to answer the question?

[Brett]

He's got to be quick.

[Brady]

Once I start to realize you're going to your phone, I'm air out. Yeah. So yeah, we'll be quick with that. Wow. It's like a Christmas tree over here all of a sudden. 250,000 ready. I'm that confident.

[Brett]

You're out of your mind.

[Brady]

Maybe a little. But I'm so incredibly confident. No one will know. Well, there phone is broken. I'm serious. You're gonna hear from the people are gonna think that I. That I'm faking that the phones are broken to get out of this. But it's my own creation.

[Brett]

Where the Bob's at?

[Brady]

It's my own creation you're gonna hear from. That bit was horrible. Shall I use my magical fixing stuff powers? No.

[Brett]

No.

[Brady]

Tends to be that I've got a reputation for hitting stuff that's broken and it goes right back to working again.

[Brett]

Come on, Fonzie.

[Brady]

This is all heard a beep. All right. I don't know what's going on. We're gonna fix the phones. I'm gonna do this on the other end of the break. How about that? Does that sound right? Yeah. You don't seem nervous at all. Which means that you're not gonna kiss him. Trust me. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Well, in order to make this work, I have to find somewhere in the budget 250 grand. I think you're pretty nice. You're pretty nice. Knockdown on that Toledo. We're good. We may be down a kidney and a Brady. We're gonna get this room back to even kidneys if I lose this bet. We'll fix that. We'll fix the phones. I'm not screwing around here. All right, we'll try it. Is it working now? Their phone. They're calling in. How come they can call in and we can't call out? Are we trapped?

[Brett]

Yeah.

[Brady]

Is this a Jordan Peele movie?

[David]

Him?

[Brady]

No. I'm going for more. One of the ones people wanted to say like get out. No, the buttons work. I think so.

[Brett]

Way to go, Fonzie.

[Brady]

Nothing David hates when I do it.

[David]

Oh, there's gonna be.

[Brady]

This isn't Arnold.

[Brett]

Yeah, it is.

[David]

You're gonna turn it into an automatic two fifty.

[Brady]

Well, then, good. Then I'll turn that money into a charitable donation to the phones so we don't have to.

[Brett]

We'll give you 100 grand, and we'll put 150 into our phones.

[Brady]

So is it 623 and then you said two to start to start and nine to fit down. There's randomly the middle one. If we ever have a phone that boo boops250. I want to go higher. I started at a million. Just so you know, off the air, and Brady and I were arguing about this. I give a million dollars away. This is easy.

[Brett]

Toledo's dusting off another.

[Mabel]

You're out of your mind. What if they get it?

[Brady]

Great news stories. Stations should be happy to pick that up. Will be national, be a huge story. We'll be like, Mr. Beast.

[Mabel]

Five bucks.

[Brady]

No, hundred thousand. Get a fin ski in.

[David]

We'll start with five and build five.

[Brady]

And, like, ask him. Oh, yeah.

[David]

And then we'll continue.

[Brady]

Come on, man. This is too good not to try. My tummy's spinning.

[Brett]

It should be 250.

[Brady]

I'm really seriously a little nervous that if this goes haywire on me.

[Brett]

You thought the tattoo was bad.

[Brady]

Oh, yeah. I'm not gonna be able to get that tattoo. I won't have any money. I'd have to sell some stuff. Nobody's gonna. Nobody's getting it. I'm convinced it's merc mania, though. You see all the people walking around in their merc jerseys. I mean, the whole city on merc game days. People have the flags on their houses and things you need. That's your neighborhood. You need to move, say, right now. If you've seen a merc flag on anybody. Yeah, just move. Yeah, that. That's akin to having one of them Palestinian flames. You just got terrorists in your hood. All right, let's see. The phones are doing lights. There's lights. Toledo, you've made lights.

[Brett]

We had lights before, too.

[Brady]

Yeah, we've had lights. It's not our first day with lights. Hit a button. Nothing. Oh, it is. You know what I don't have a problem with at home and never did in the 80s. I never had to go, I gotta call you back. I gotta restart the. The phone never was a thing. This was Internet, phones.

[David]

You never had to crank it.

[Brady]

Well, yeah, and that was still. It worked, though. This one. I wish I could find the crank.

[Brett]

Hello, May, can you connect me to 275.

[Mabel]

Please? Call it a hit.

[Brady]

Yeah, I'd like Transylvania 633, 501 Pittsburgh.

[Mabel]

Yeah, please hold or get your party on the other line if you don't find Peter. How's your day today?

[Brady]

I'm fine, thank you.

[Mabel]

We have a little trouble connecting to that line. Would you like to try another line?

[Brady]

No, no, Mabel, I'll wait.

[Mabel]

How are you? How are you doing? Is your health well?

[Brady]

I'm fine, thank you.

[Mabel]

How's that?

[Brady]

She's fine, too. Thank you for asking.

[Mabel]

She still got consumption?

[Brady]

Yes, she's. She's got an 1890s consumption.

[Mabel]

You can't. Stealing an iron lung.

[Brady]

Well, they got to get to that polio virus eventually, but, yes, he is in an iron lung right now.

[Mabel]

I believe we have a connection out. Sir, please. How?

[Brady]

Nothing. You've got two phones in your hands right now, and none of them are working. And he's got a pen.

[David]

He's taking a pen.

[Brady]

All right, well, wait. I'll keep the. I'll keep the numbers that you gave me. The six, two, three was a two and a seven. Two and a nine. Two and a nine.

[Brett]

I think Braden took two.

[Brady]

Yeah. Start with a two, end with a nine. Yeah. Yep. Okay. Of course. People are texting me.

[Brett]

Text this number.

[Brady]

Try this number. See if it works. Oh, yeah.

[Brett]

None of them work.

[Brady]

Can't dial anything. Dial out. Look, meathead, I'm not gonna call you, you moron. All right? We'll take a break. We'll try to get the phones fixed. I'm serious about this. I will do this. People thinking I'm skirting it because they think the phones are broken. I'm using it as an excuse. I'm not. I'll use my. And just hold it up.

[David]

That's what I was saying. But the odds of the person answering.

[Brady]

Yeah, it is true.

[David]

I mean, it's still rolling the dice. You could try it.

[Brett]

Yeah, but does your name come up when somebody calls on caller id?

[Brady]

That's the problem. Ramon Wad probably wouldn't answer that. Johnny Sins calls you. It's 905. We'll take a break. I'll give away $250,000 if you answer my merc mania question of the day. I'm comfortable with this. I want to go higher. I think we can go higher. Hopefully, we got it. Back on it. But if you've got a phone number that starts with the 6, 2, 3, starts with a 2 and ends with a 9. Is that right? Keep thinking.

[Brett]

I think so, yeah. I mean, it doesn't matter.

[Brady]

Not really. I could just keep.

[Brett]

We're just going random.

[Brady]

I'm just gonna smash my fingers up against it. Whatever happens, happens.

[David]

We could try it on the phone. On a cell phone?

[Brett]

Come on. This is ridiculous.

[Brady]

Us. I'll even let people think about it for a day and tell all their friends with six 2 3s, twos and blank, blank, blank, blanks. Nines. Dude, answer your phone tomorrow. They still won't answer my question. I guarantee it. All right, it's 9:06. If Tul don't get him fixed, we'll do it today. Otherwise, Merc mania waits another 24 hours. And you know what? For every day we can't get the phones to work, it's another 50 grand to whoever answers my question correctly. We don't get it done today. Tomorrow. $300,000.

[Holmberg]

Mania.

[Brady]

That's right. I'm that confident you're out of your mind.

[Brett]

I'm that confident you're out of your mind.

[Brady]

And I hope a lady answers. There's my big dream. Is that a woman answers, and she's a little bit rough. Even still, she won't know you reach the core. Yeah, I'm hitting right in the center of the planet Mercury.

[Brett]

You're gonna get Guten Tag on the phone.

[Brady]

Oh, my God. Hey, man. What's going on, Homeberg? You asked me that Merc Mania question, man. Tell you what, man. Chanutra Dooner is gonna have a hell of a game. Probably put up 12 or 13 points, five rebounds, man. MVP. The Neuqua. She's on that team, too. She's like number one or 30. I don't know. It's 907. All right, we'll take a break. I'll see if we get it fixed. It's 98kV. Merc Mania in the house.

[Holmberg]

Arizona's most powerful rock radio station.

[Brady]

He said fully erect. 98. Easy.