A Lot Has Changed Since Iowa Went To The Rose Bowl

January 1, 1991, was the last time the Iowa Hawkeyes played in the Rose Bowl. 25 years to be exact. It's not like Iowa hasn't had great teams since that 1990 season, it's just that the years Iowa was great, the Orange Bowl had the selection ahead of the Rose Bowl. They liked Iowa so much, they selected them twice to play in their game and Pasadena had to look elsewhere.

Well, 25 years later and Iowa is headed back to the Rose Bowl. What has changed since their last visit?

Gas prices around the state averaged around $1.10 a gallon.

Maybe you were getting your Pontiac Trans Sport ready for the trip to Pasadena.

"Home Alone" was one of the top movies at Christmas and you could watch it at the Lindale Theatres... yes, remember the Lindale Theatres???!!! Also, showing at the time was "Dances with Wolves," "Kindergarten Cop," oh.. and another Rocky movie... "Rocky 5."

The Marion Bypass/Hwy 100 from Collins Rd to Hwy 13 was just a thought.

A few of the companies in Cedar Rapids that have had name changes or are no longer here... Teleconnect, Norand Corporation, Square D, & Rockwell Goss.

Some newcomer to country music just had a HUGE hit and everybody wanted it played at their wedding or office party. Who's this Garth Brooks guy and his "Friends In Low Places" song? Also popular on the radio was George Strait, Reba, & Alan Jackson... and some you might have forgotten about like K.T. Oslin, Holly Dunn, & Joe Diffie.

Maybe you weren't quite into country music yet and thought "these parachute pants will never go out of style." Well on the top of the pop charts it was MC Hammer & Vanilla Ice. Glad I never bought any of those pants and stayed with Wranglers like Dale Earnhardt wore and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and George Strait still wear today.

Speaking of Dale Earnhardt, he wrapped up his 4th NASCAR Winston Cup title in 1990. Jeff Gordon got behind the wheel of a NASCAR Busch Series car for the first time that fall. He started 2nd but was involved in a crash early and finished 39th in his #67 Outback Steakhouse Pontiac.

Cell phones??? Mostly used for business at that time. They cost between $300-$500 and usually around a $1 a minute to operate. Texting and ring tones??? That wasn't even thought of yet.

The national minimum wage rate was $3.80.

If you did happen to have a personal computer, you probably were running Windows 3.0. The internet hadn't really started yet.

In Eastern Iowa, you might have gotten your television news from Bruce Aune on KCRG TV-9 or Ron Steele on KWWL Channel 7 and remember Governor Terry Branstad wishing the Hawkeyes well... wait a minute, they're all still here!!!

Okay, a lot has changed since Iowa's trip west 25 years ago, and some things haven't changed. Iowa fans are heading in droves to Pasadena to cheer on the Hawks and hopefully bring back a Rose Bowl trophy. We haven't had one of those since 1959.