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The 20th Anniversary Of The Most Important Friends Episode Of All Time

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Photo: Getty / Stringer.
I can't tell you where I was last Monday, but I know exactly what I was doing on January 28, 1996. After glumly heading in for an afternoon shift at the local movie theater in Irving, TX, I was mercifully cut loose by my kind manager — there wasn't anyone in town who wasn't going to be glued to their TV screens that night, anyway. I raced to my aunt's Super Bowl party, ate my weight in queso, and nearly lost my voice cheering on the Dallas Cowboys as they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Sun Devil Stadium.
To me, the Cowboys weren't just football stars; they were neighbors. I lived in Valley Ranch, where the Cowboys trained. Texas Stadium was in my hometown of Irving — at least until Jerry Jones tore it down and built a new stadium a good 45 minutes away. Now we're just known for being awful to Ahmed. Troy Aikman lived next door as a rookie. Emmitt Smith and Nate Newton jogged past my house. Michael Irvin would stop in the 7-Eleven down the street wearing a full-length fur coat.
That Super Bowl XXX victory, which capped the 'Boys dominance throughout the '90s, feels more sacred now given that the team hasn't come remotely close to repeating it, particularly this past season. The only thing that makes the memory of that night even sweeter? What happened after the game. Imagine being a teenager watching your hometown team win it all, then being treated to a super-sized episode of your favorite sitcom, Friends. Could it BE any more awesome?
Yes, today marks the 20th anniversary of "The One After the Superbowl," a two-part, post-Super Bowl episode with a typo (boo) and a slew of celebrity guest stars (yay!). It is the most watched episode of Friends. Yes, it pops up in reruns and I can always catch it on Netflix, but nothing will replace that first viewing, that night, in the glow of one last championship win. You really missed out, baby millennials.
For those who need a refresher, here's what happens.
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