2009 was a good year to be an Iowa or Iowa State football fan.
Both teams had impressive seasons, with Iowa starting 9-0 and earning a spot in the prestigious BCS Orange Bowl Tuesday against Georgia Tech.
The Cyclones improved to 6-6 in the team's first year under new coach Paul Rhodes (after a dismal 2-10 last year). That earned ISU an invite to the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., Thursday.
"This season was such a different animal," said Chris Williams, 25, the publisher of cyclonefanatic.com. Williams traveled to Tempe to cover the game. "There are so many positives; the program is set up for a long-term run of success, which they haven't been able to say for a long time. Winning is nice, but I think the way it got done was refreshing."
The Insight Bowl was Williams' second bowl game (he went to the Houston Bowl in 2005), and he said bowl games are a totally different experience than a regular season game.
"I think the coolest part about a bowl game is having a bunch of people you see in Ames all the time, but hanging out with those same people in a warm climate, away from Ames," Williams said. "The sense of unity and school spirit is intense. Singing the fight song in Arizona will be the coolest thing."
Kyle Bonnstetter, 36, is heading to Miami with three buddies he regularly tailgates with and Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. They're flying into Miami on Saturday to take in the city.
"We're planning to catch the Miami/Steelers game," Bonnstetter said. "We'll be at the Hawk Huddle on Monday and taking in all the festivities that go with a bowl game."
Can't make it to Miami this year? Here's the lineup of local bars where you can enjoy the game (listed in alphabetical order within each city/suburb).
Des Moines
Johnny's Hall of Fame, 302 Court Ave. $6 domestic pitchers and $4 appetizers.
People's Court, 216 Court Ave. Game shown on 180 square-foot movie screen, with full concert sound. Doors open at 5 p.m. with tailgating in Backstage Bar with flippy cup, bags and beer pong.
Star Bar, 2811 Ingersoll Ave. Game will be on two large flat-screen TVs. The restaurant will also bring in additional TVs to put throughout the restaurant. Sound will be on the entire game, including pre-game, halftime and post-game (depending on the outcome).
Trophy's Sports Bar, 2701 Douglas Ave. $6 domestic pitchers, $12 domestic buckets, 49-cent naked wings, $15 towers of beer, $2 off large meat lovers or taco pizzas.
Zimm's Food & Spirits, 3124 Ingersoll Ave. Two-for-one UV and well drinks until 8 p.m., $2 Long Islands after that.
Clive
Brickhouse American Grille, 1301 N.W. 114th St., Clive. 99-cent domestic draws and 20-cent wings all night. Drawing for $100 gift card.
Rookies Sports Bar & Grill, 2180 N.W. 156th St., Clive. $15 buckets of domestic beer and $3.50 Bloody Marys. "Season Pass" members get $3 23-ounce beers.
Trostel's Dish, 12851 University Ave., Clive. Party starts at 5:30 p.m. with two 65-inch TVs, light snacks until kickoff, first drink free. Reservations are recommended, (515) 221-3474. $10 per person.
Urbandale
The Game, 3719 86th St., Urbandale. $10 domestic buckets, $1 hot dogs and brats, $2 Hawkeye shots.
Mickey Finn's, 7020 Douglas Ave., Urbandale. $4 pitchers, $10 buckets, 50 cents off all other drinks and free food during.
West Des Moines
Chicken Coop, 1960 Grand Ave., West Des Moines. $3 tallboys and domestic bottles and $7.50 domestic pitchers.
The Longest Yard, 122 Fifth St., West Des Moines. $2.50 domestic bottles, $2 domestic draws and $1 off all appetizers.
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, 4805 University Ave., West Des Moines. $2 White Tail Pale and Naked Oat Stout pints all day.
Windsor Heights
Front Row, 6555 University Ave., Windsor Heights. Orange Bowl: $3 tallboys of Bud, Bud Light and Bud Select, free food at halftime.
Ames
Olde Main Brewing Co., 316 Main St., Ames. $4 pitchers.
