Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Arizona

Episode: 12-03-25 - Listeners Chime In w/Their Being Roofied Or Blacked Out Stories - Shaq Said On Podcast He Was Once In A Relationship w/A Woman Who Abused Him And We Find It Hard To Believe
Date: December 3, 2025
Host(s): John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo, Larry
Station: 98KUPD | Hubbard Radio

Episode Overview

This episode of "Holmberg's Morning Sickness" features lively banter about two big themes: wild and sometimes harrowing stories from listeners about being roofied or blacking out while drinking, and reactions to Shaquille O'Neal's recent comments about being in an abusive relationship with a woman. The hosts mix personal stories, listener emails, and comedic skepticism, especially regarding the plausibility of Shaq as the face of male domestic abuse.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Animal Rescue & Emotional Morning Starts

• The episode starts with John receiving a text about a dog set to be euthanized due to allergies, which leads to a side discussion about animal rescue, feelings of responsibility, and dark realities intruding on their morning comedy vibe.
  • [01:19] John: “I wake up to this. Will somebody go fix this? Please go in the humane side and go get that done. Just all of them, Please, just. Will someone adopt all of them? I've done my part. I'm trying.”

2. Listeners’ Blackout & Roofie Stories

• John and the crew discuss bizarre, often funny but sometimes disturbing listener stories involving possible roofie incidents or drinking blackout experiences.
• Holmberg’s own confusion about a night of mixing vodka sodas and Jameson, leading him to wonder if he was simply drunk or actually roofied.
  • [03:54] John: “This guy said he got poisoned and woke up in another state. It was just a hangover. Yeah. Could you imagine?”
• Brett and Brady chime in about “different drunks”—tequila, whiskey, or just bad mixes—versus the experience of being drugged.
  • [05:31] John: “There's different drunks. ...Yeah, this wasn't drunk. This was something else. This was a... What's going on?... That's different than like drunk.”
• Listeners email in with their own stories, including friends roofying each other as a prank in the '90s:
  • [08:19] John (reading a listener email): “Back in the late 90s... my older brother was real into drugs... would hit bars and secretly roofie each other just to mess with the other guy... Those stories are funny.”
• The hosts agree that true roofie blackouts feel notably different from regular drunkenness.

3. Drunk Escapades vs. Sober Observations

• The crew trade stories about drunken adventures, with Holmberg and Brett insisting they make for the best stories, while Brady, the token “sober guy,” is mocked for lacking these tales.
  • [07:03] John: “Unexpectedly waking up in another state, that's different. And the only way that happens is if you're roofied. You very rarely get so drunk just on drinking that you are...in another state.”
  • [07:58] John: “That's a good drunk story. ...Roofies are different.”
  • [11:27] John: “The fastest way to not want to drink is to be sober around people who are. ...But we're in the mix. It's good times.”

4. Shaquille O’Neal’s Claims of Domestic Abuse

• The tone shifts as the group discusses viral clips of Shaq claiming he was abused by a former girlfriend. The hosts dissect the idea from comedic and skeptical angles.
  • [16:29] John: “I do remember yesterday watching that...Shaquille O’Neal talked about abusive relationships and that he was in one. And he said his girlfriend, when he was younger, used to beat him up a lot. ...Come on.”
  • [17:41] John: “When he’s the spokesperson for abused men, nobody’s feeling bad at all. ...He said he was candid about being fearful of his military Father. That made sense... But he said he had a woman particularly scary in his youth... Says the most physically dominant giant in the league was once physically dominated by a girl about a third his size. No, he wasn’t. He just didn’t hit her back.”
• Holberg, Brady, and Larry riff on what would constitute a “legitimate” case of a giant superstar like Shaq being afraid or needing help; the consensus is that the image is so absurd it can only be the subject of jokes.
  • [17:57] Larry (joking as Shaq): “I want to be the face of male domestic violence.”
• The subject veers to other famous athletes or big men, including a discussion of which woman—if any—could plausibly pose a physical threat to Shaq, devolving into jokes about celebrities like Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, and fictional tough women.
  • [27:54] John: “Chick hit you and you just leave. ...You shouldn’t be afraid of your girlfriend...Ronda Rousey had her whole face redecorated by a kick... She’s a very average fighter.”

5. Double Standards in Male vs. Female Domestic Abuse

• The crew addresses the uncomfortable truth that male victims of domestic violence—especially when the physical mismatch is extreme—get laughed at rather than sympathized with.
  • [34:29] John: “All I'm saying is. I know ...it's harder. And you can laugh about it, which means it's not that big a deal. Now flip that around to two women trying that same exact thing...Suddenly, it’s not funny. But when dudes get beat up. Hilarious.”
• Personal anecdotes, including Dick Toledo’s experience with an aggressive ex-wife, further illustrate how quickly such stories become jokes among men.
  • [34:56] John: “Toledo’s ex wife, remember when she...I asked him, she ever hit you? Because she used to get real loud. He just started crying, and then you and I started laughing and we went back to lunch.”

6. Listener Interactions & Email Bag

• Multiple listener emails are read on the air, ranging from jokes about self-roofying to stories of being attacked by partners or even stabbed (one man simply wrapped a stab wound and went about his business).
• Running jokes continue about "Big Mike," the stereotypical masculine woman, and a revolving-door list of women who might be a plausible threat to someone Shaq's size.
  • [39:34] John (reading): “I dated a crazy Italian chick who stabbed me in the hand. I wrapped it in a clean shirt and went about my day.”

7. Comic Relief, Callbacks & Closing

• The laughs continue as the hosts riff on unlikely male domestic violence shelters, the idea that “mental abuse” is actually the bigger threat for men (via Dateline references), and the comedic image of Shaq hiding from his tiny, fuming girlfriend.
  • [35:10] John: “You want to know how I know your business is going under is if you opened up a domestic violence shelter for men. It’s not gonna happen.”
• John circles back to his party blackout/roofie doubts, ending on an off-color but tongue-in-cheek note about not being attractive enough to have suffered any ill effects from being roofied.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:54] John Holmberg: “This guy said he got poisoned and woke up in another state. It was just a hangover. Yeah. Could you imagine?”
• [05:31] John Holmberg: “This wasn’t drunk. This was something else. This was a... What's going on?... That's different than like drunk.”
• [08:19] John Holmberg (reading a listener email): “...they would hit bars and secretly roofie each other just to mess with the other guy. ...those stories are funny.”
• [16:29] John Holmberg: “Shaquille O’Neal talked about abusive relationships and that he was in one... She used to beat me up a lot. ...Come on.”
• [17:57] Larry (joking as Shaq): “I want to be the face of male domestic violence.”
• [27:54] John Holmberg: “Chick hit you and you just leave. ...You shouldn’t be afraid of your girlfriend...Ronda Rousey had her whole face redecorated by a kick...”
• [34:29] John Holmberg: “All I'm saying is. I know ...it's harder. And you can laugh about it, which means it's not that big a deal. Now flip that around to two women trying that same exact thing...Suddenly, it’s not funny. But when dudes get beat up. Hilarious.”
• [35:10] John Holmberg: “You want to know how I know your business is going under is if you opened up a domestic violence shelter for men. It’s not gonna happen.”
• [39:34] John (reader email): “I dated a crazy Italian chick who stabbed me in the hand. I wrapped it in a clean shirt and went about my day.”

Segment Timestamps

• [01:19-02:41] – Animal rescue guilt-trip and comedic relief
• [03:15-11:27] – Listener blackout/roofie stories, personal hangover experiences, and fun vs. sober perspectives
• [12:24-15:57] – More blackout stories and weed mishaps, why people love drunk tales
• [16:17-32:17] – Shaq’s abuse claims, male domestic violence skepticism, comedic hypotheticals
• [34:29-36:09] – Double standards, laughing at men in abusive scenarios, mental/domestic abuse on TV
• [37:46-39:40] – More listener stories, physical harm shrugged off, and final jabs at shelter for men
• [40:01-44:10] – Music requests, closing comments, joking about not being a target for abuse (“unattractive even for Father Dale”)

Tone and Style

The tone is unmistakably irreverent, raw, and comedic—characteristic of the HMS show. The hosts weave genuine listener engagement with personal storytelling and relentless jokes, occasionally bordering on the inappropriate. Serious topics like drugging and abuse are filtered through a lens of shock humor, but the episode still provokes conversation about social double standards regarding male vulnerability and domestic violence.

For Listeners Who Missed It

If you missed this episode, expect sharp-tongued banter, no-holds-barred listener engagement, and some surprisingly frank takes on common social issues. Blacking out and “getting roofied” are played for laughs but also serve as a jumping-off point for discussing drinking culture and the limitations of empathy for male victims. Meanwhile, the group’s bemused take on Shaq’s abuse claims highlights the ongoing challenges in addressing male vulnerability with seriousness—even amongst themselves.

Listener discretion is advised: Explicit language, dark humor, and mature topics abound throughout the episode.