“Get your popcorn ready!” Those were the words of Terrell Owens when he joined  the Dallas Cowboys in 2006. Words that Mark and Josh live by every day. When T.O. spoke them into existence, it was both a warning and a promise. The most polarizing personality in sports joined the most polarizing franchise. Everything could go right, or it could fail in spectacular fashion. The only certainty was that it would be impossible to look away.

For the first time in 32 years, the Masters is taking place without Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods. Phil won the tournament in 2006, claiming his second Green Jacket, and setting the stage for a magical year. Everything was lining up perfectly for Phil, until it wasn't. Epic talent. Reckless risk-taking. That was Lefty in 2006. And in many ways, it remains the same today. The azaleas are in bloom, the birds are chirping, and Mark and Josh celebrate all that Phil achieved at Augusta -- while lamenting all that never was.  

Despite an 83-win regular season, the St. Louis shocked the baseball world by winning the World Series in 2006. They even received an authentic, full-sized trophy, even though they were the least successful team to ever claim baseball's top title. So, were the Cardinals lucky, good, or simply smarter than everyone else in the 2006 post-season? It was a little bit of everything. And it was a return to glory for a team and a manager whose legacies had been trending in the wrong direction.

Long before Mark Davidson petitioned the DMV for a "Le Magnifique" vanity license plate, someone else in Pittsburgh claimed that moniker as his own. Unfortunately for Mark, that individual was a lot bigger, wealthier, and more handsome. Mario Lemieux was one of the greatest hockey players of all-time -- and, yes, The Great One himself would agree -- but the stories behind that greatness are even more impressive. Lemieux hung up his skates for good in 2006, leaving behind a legacy that will never be matched -- on and off the ice.  

Clear eyes, full hearts, clean brackets, can't lose! Behold these magical hours of March Madness when every player is a champion and every fan is a genius. But dreams die fast in March -- except when they don't. In 2006, George Mason engineered the most improbable Final Four run in modern history. The under-sized and 11th-seeded Patriots took on the biggest names in college basketball, and by George, they kept on winning. 

A funny thing happened when America's pastime set its sights on global supremacy in 2006. It turns out the rest of the world is pretty good at baseball, too. That was the enduring lesson from the inaugural World Baseball Classic, a surprisingly compelling competition that featured a dominating performance from Japan, questionable strategies from Team USA, and a whole bunch of rules that were really hard to explain. In other words, not much has changed in 20 years. The WBC is quirky, unpredictable, and more fun than you want to admit. Kind of like Josh and Mark.  

"It's Kobe Freakin' Bryant!" Those four words said it all after Bryant scored 81 points vs. the Toronto Raptors on a January night in 2006. But Josh and Mark are contractually obligated to say more than four words every episode -- time to get new lawyers! -- so they dig a little deeper into that historic performance. What unleashed Kobe's superpowers that magical evening? Was it his grandmother in attendance, a carbo-loading meal of pepperoni pizza and grape soda, or the delicious knowledge that one day two trailblazing podcasters would memorialize his achievement?

Imagine a bizarro NBA All-Star world where the game is a nail-biter, the smallest guy wins the Dunk Contest, the biggest guy wins the Three-Point Contest, and superstar musicians clamor to be a part of it. Could that type of sorcery ever happen in our lifetime? Well, all of that DID happen over the course of 24 hours at NBA All-Star Weekend in 2006. In this week's episode, Josh and Mark marvel at the who's who -- or the "Hou's Hou" -- who gathered in Houston for that February spectacle, which featured lots of wins, and a whole lot of misses.

The Take A 20 crew loves awards season, even if they haven't won anything...yet. Speaking of cherished national treasures that never received the critical acclaim they deserve, this week's episode celebrates the 2006 film "Rocky Balboa." The Oscars are a few weeks away, but time stands still for Sylvester Stallone.

Josh Green and Mark Davidson are no strangers to flying tomatoes -- they are usually on the receiving end of those saucy projectiles. But in this episode, the Take A 20 hosts pay tribute to THE "Flying Tomato," Shaun White, the long-locked snowboarding superstar of the the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy. Big air, big hair, big flair! This pomodoro podcast has it all!