Take A 20
Episodes
45 episodes
The 'Canes Win the Cup: "King Without A Crown"
Hartford Whalers fan trigger warning! The Carolina Hurricanes, who relocated to Raleigh from Hartford in 1997, won their first and only Stanley Cup in 2006, legitimizing the NHL’s commitment to building in the Sun Belt. After canceling th...
A Disgraceful Tour De France: "Ridin'"
The 2006 Tour de France began with the biggest doping scandal in the history of sports. And it only got worse from there. The first race without 7-time champion Lance Armstrong was supposed to be a shining moment for a new generation of riders....
A Big Win (and Loss) for Moneyball: "If I Can't Change Your Mind"
Believe it or not, the Celtics are not the only team who consistently underperforms in the post-season. The Oakland A's were similarly snakebit in the 2000's, often failing to capitalize on regular season success. In 2006, the A's finally won a...
Roger Federer's Dominant 2006 Season: "Serve Your Soul"
It’s officially clay court season, which is as close as Mark and Josh get to red bottom shoes. Unlike our plebeian podcasters, Roger Federer was always comfortable with luxury brands. In 2006, the man who personified elegance and grace elevated...
The Heat Win the 2006 NBA Finals: "I Know You Want Me"
The NBA Playoffs are underway, the underdogs are barking, and Mark and Josh are not even thinking about pushing the panic button for the Knicks or Celtics (no, seriously, things are totally fine!). It was panic time for the Miami Heat in the 20...
Terrell Owens Joins the Cowboys: "You Never Met a Motherf***** Quite Like Me"
“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 pola...
Phil Wins the 2006 Masters: "A Blessing and a Curse"
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 f...
The St. Louis Cardinals Win the 2006 World Series: "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right"
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 tit...
Mario Lemieux Retires: "Pittsburgh Sound"
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 L...
George Mason Reaches the Final Four: "Who Knew?"
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 2006 World Baseball Classic: "Eyes on the Prize"
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...
Kobe Bryant Scores 81 Points: "Ain't No Other Man"
"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 n...
The 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend: "Platinum Starz"
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...
Rocky Balboa: "Hollywood"
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 Os...
The 2006 Winter Olympics: "Crazy"
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 snow...
Super Bowl XL: Who Says You Can't Go Home
It's Super Bowl week, and Take A 20 looks back at an extremely rare football phenomenon: the New England Patriots NOT advancing to the Big Game. Shocking, we know. But it actually happened in 2006, when the plucky Pittsburgh Steelers rode The B...
The 2006 BCS National Championship: "Nothing Left to Lose"
It's as if we never left! Josh Green and Mark Davidson return from their extended hiatus to kickoff a brand new season of Take A 20. Throughout this season, we will focus on 2006, and this debut episode re-examines one of the greatest college f...
ESPN Then vs. Now: "Lose Yourself"
In 2003, ESPN had it all: the NBA returned to the network, the "embrace debate" era was booming, poker became a TV sensation, and they almost hired an exceptionally gifted sports anchor named Josh Green. Ultimately, ESPN chose NOT to hire Josh,...
The 2003 ALCS (Aaron Boone Walk-off Homerun): "The First Cut is the Deepest"
It's a special Rosh Hashanah episode of Take A 20! The boys return from their summer hiatus to ring in the new year with legendary broadcasting voice Gary Thorne. Gary was on the mic for the 2003 ALCS between the Red Sox and Yankees, and he rel...
John Gagliardi, College Football's All-Time Wins Leader: "Such Great Heights"
John Gagliardi won more football games – 489 – than any college coach, ever. Gagliardi set the wins record in 2003, which was his 51st season as the head coach at St. John’s College of Minnesota. Gagliardi was famous for his list of “No’s," ...
The Steve Bartman Incident: "Man of the Hour"
Take A 20 is taking the "L" to the North Side of Chicago. And speaking of "L’s," we are embracing the pain to discuss the Chicago Cubs and everything that went wrong on October 14, 2003. To this day, one word comes to mind when you mention the ...
The 2003 NBA Draft: "In Da Club"
Take A 20 makes its triumphant return for Season 4! We are deep in our bag(gy suits) to break down the 2003 NBA Draft, which featured LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and countless fashion violations. Ben Osborne, former e...
Brady's First Super Bowl: "A Moment Like This"
It's a first for Take A 20: a surprise ending! In this episode, we talk about Tom Brady’s very first Super Bowl in 2002. And his very first retirement -- and unretirement -- 20 years later. Boston Globe sport columnist Chris Gasper joins us to ...
Allen Iverson "Talkin' About Practice": "Don't Let Me Get Me"
Josh Green and Mark Davidson are rolling deep into Season 3 of Take A 20. And speaking of #3, we are “Talking About Practice.” That’s the phrase that Allen Iverson passionately repeated 22 times 20 years ago. It’s one of the most famous press c...
The 2002 Olympic Men's Hockey Gold Medal Game: "Complicated"
Welcome to Season 3 of Take A 20! All season long, Mark Davidson and Josh Green will take you back to 2002. And we begin by going for gold. It's the 2002 Olympic Men's Hockey Gold Medal Game between Team USA and those darn Canadians. It was a m...