Holmberg's Morning Sickness | Dec 8, 2025 – Full Show Recap
Podcast: Holmberg's Morning Sickness (98KUPD, Arizona)
Episode: 12-08-25 – Full Show – Monday
Date: December 8, 2025
Host(s): John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo
Special Guests: Byron (MMP Guns)
Overview
This episode is a classic, irreverent ride through sports, local events, odd news, and biting social commentary, all filtered through Holmberg and his co-hosts’ signature blend of sarcasm, raunch, and real talk. The team tears into everything from suburban parties and the state of college football, to a viral Cinnabon scandal and racial tension, medical oddities, and end-of-year reflections. As always, expect edgy humor and no-holds-barred opinions.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Nightmare of Suburbia: Queen Creek Christmas Parties
- [01:20-05:38]
- John laments having to drive to Queen Creek for a friend's Christmas party, humorously decrying the distance and the impracticality of inviting out-of-towners.
- Recounts the allure of Shane's house: a golf simulator and a "Golden Tee" arcade game, which turns into a tangent about buying toys as an adult.
- Quote (Holmberg, 03:10):
“You live too far away from people to ever have gatherings…great house, great people, had a blast. And then I realized, oh, yeah, I'm in Queen Creek and I've got to go home. So an hour later…brutal.”
2. College Football's Meaningless Championships
- [05:39–11:54]
- The hosts dissect the decline of college football’s traditional stakes—arguing playoffs have rendered rivalry games and championships insignificant.
- Heated debate about resting starters, the irrelevance of bowl games, and “playing not to lose.”
- John mocks Rutgers fans and laments Ohio State/Indiana “meaningless” matches.
- Quote (Holmberg, 06:50):
“College football has screwed up everything. Nothing means anything…your rivalry games…used to be a death blow; now it’s like, oh well.”
3. NFL Gripes & Lamar Jackson's "Sperm Hat"
- [12:09–16:44]
- John revels in Lamar Jackson's emotional outbursts, roasting his attire (“sperm hat”) and looks, launching into a comedic rant about ugly athletes in sports history.
- Edges the line with recurring jokes about Jackson’s press briefings and personality.
- Quote (Holmberg, 15:34):
“If you can make Lamar Jackson cry, I’m happy.”
4. Arizona Cardinals, Bidwills, and The Curse of Ownership
- [16:44–25:32]
- Dissects the Arizona Cardinals’ ongoing futility, lays ultimate blame at the Bidwell family’s feet, compares them to infamous NFL owners (Cowboys, Raiders).
- Talks about disastrous ticket price increases and the futility of coaching changes without ownership change.
- Quote (Holmberg, 24:40):
“It’s the name Bidwell. That’s it. Because if he went away, I think the team would—well, they can’t be worse.”
5. Medical Oddities: “Heads” Syndrome
- [26:59–36:16]
- John recounts a bizarre story of a woman with “hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome” whose head was almost detached her entire life.
- Spur-of-the-moment riffs about the syndrome’s acronym (“HEDS” = "heads"), and a comedic fantasy about Lamar Jackson suffering the same fate played for laughs.
6. Organ Donation Mishaps (and Rabies Paranoia)
- [40:36–53:48]
- A story about a kidney transplant recipient dying of rabies sparks a long, darkly funny conversation about the realities and ethics of organ transplantation.
- Brady shares tales about his own brushes with animal adoption and the risk of rabies, including keeping a raccoon as a child.
7. Cinnabon Scandal – Racism & Viral Outrage
- [54:10–73:23; main thread continues in 104:04–109:47]
- The team discusses a viral story where a Cinnabon employee in Wisconsin was fired for repeatedly using racial slurs toward Somali customers, yet managed to amass over $100,000 in GoFundMe donations from supporters.
- The crew trades jokes, incredulity, and some social commentary on race, internet outrage, and the enduring lure of Cinnabon (“so good, you’ll eat it even after a racist slur”).
- Extended, recurring riff: “Cinnabon is so good, you’d eat it even after being called the N-word.”
- Touches on the weirdness of GoFundMe grifting and donor comments.
8. Environmentalism (with a Side of Littering)
- [75:46–81:35]
- John rails against “start-stop” car engine technology meant to save the environment, arguing it’s pointless compared to global pollution, especially from countries like India and China.
- Vows to begin “littering like India” until car feature is abandoned.
9. Pop Culture, Kidney Trades, and Christmas Party Disasters
- [87:31+; 95:12+; 99:55+]
- Recap of Christmas party hi-jinx and debauchery of radio industry parties “before #MeToo” and COVID "ruined" the fun.
- Miscellaneous “Baseless Fun Facts” (e.g.: Domino’s record pizza day, global population boom).
- Jokes about kidney donors, rabies risk, and the randomness of transplant success.
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On driving to Queen Creek for a party
Holmberg (03:10): “You live too far away from people to ever have gatherings…great house, great people, had a blast. And then I realized, oh, yeah, I'm in Queen Creek and I've got to go home.” -
On college football's lost meaning:
Holmberg (06:50): “College football has screwed up everything…Nothing means anything.” -
On Lamar Jackson's fashion sense:
Holmberg (15:34): “If you can make Lamar Jackson cry, I'm happy.” -
On Cinnabon drama:
Holmberg (54:10): “That's how good Cinnabon is. Even a Black person getting called the N-word five or six times didn't give it back.” -
On environmental policy:
Holmberg (80:12): “I’m going to take my garbage over to the canal by my house, just pour it in…No more car stop-start until they solve India.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment / Topic | Start | End | | ------------------------------------------------------- | -------- | -------- | | Suburbia and Queen Creek diatribe | 01:19 | 05:38 | | College football’s playoff issues | 05:39 | 11:56 | | NFL talk, Lamar Jackson, “ugly athlete” tangent | 12:09 | 16:44 | | Arizona Cardinals failure and Bidwell rants | 16:44 | 25:32 | | Medical oddity – “Heads” disease | 26:59 | 36:16 | | Kidney transplants and rabies/inheritance stories | 40:36 | 53:48 | | Cinnabon racism scandal / viral video and GoFundMe | 54:10 | 73:23 | | Environmental/littering pledge | 75:46 | 81:35 | | Radio Christmas party stories & baseless facts | 87:31+ | 102:04+ | | Extended Cinnabon fundraiser/racism fallout | 104:04 | 109:47 |
Tone & Language
The conversation is loud, edgy, and filled with crude, often biting humor. The hosts toggle between candid confessions, high-energy banter, and pointed rants on absurdity and frustration with the world at large—from sports to politics to everyday annoyances. Listeners should expect irreverence, rapid subject shifts, and politically incorrect language, especially when tackling sensitive subjects.
Final Thoughts
This episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness serves up everything that makes the show Arizona’s top morning radio—sharp wit, locker-room laughs, and a readiness to offend in the name of comedy. The “Cinnabon incident" and subsequent viral fallout provides a thematic through-line, showing how America’s culture wars can play out even at a mall bakery. Toss in the usual sports rants, personal stories, and some wild medical trivia, and you’ve got another wild, unpredictable Monday with Holmberg’s crew.
For more, listen live on 98KUPD weekdays from 5:30am–10:00am or stream episodes at 98kupd.com.
