It's hard to belive that Howie Long was not a first round pick in his draft class, but everyone once in awhile an NFL great slips through the cracks and goes unnoticed and until its too late for teams in need of Hall of Fame caliber talent. Representing the state of Massachussetts will be the Somerville-bred defensive end, Howard Matthew Moses Long. The 6'5 defensive lineman played his collegiate ball at Villanova University where he dominated not only on the football field , but in the boxing ring as well. In his first season at the school, Long recorded 99 tackles and later became the Northern Collegiate Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
Howie Long was drafted 48th overall in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders were he would spend his entire football career. In that time, Long became the most unguardable defensive end in the game, notching 84 sacks, recovering 10 fumbles, and catching two interceptions. He helped the Raiders win their last NFL Super Bowl during the team's tenure in Los Angeles in 1984. With eight Pro Bowl invites and three All-Pro First Team selections, Long was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 2000. These days Long has taken his talents to Fox Sports where he is one of the most technical analysts in football broadcasting.
For the past few years, we've been seeing more and more food halls dominate the retail industry. The craze has swept Los Angeles and New York by storm and is now making its way to Miami. In Magic City alone, ten of these food parks have opened just recently. The mania is even set to triple in size by the year 2020.
Now more than ever, more people have been adopting a vegan lifestyle. A survey in the United Kingdom reveals that 3.5 million residents have turned vegan, while 20 percent have at least tried the concept. People are now wanting to cut down on meat, and the food industry is giving in to the demand. Even wineries have started stocking up on vegan wines.
Due to increased awareness and desire to help the environment, companies have become more committed to eco-friendly food packaging. Previously, companies didnt care much about producing a ton of waste; but now, efforts to reuse, reduce, and recycle are much more apparent. For instance, PepsiCo has committed to creating completely recyclable packaging by the year 2025.
Who would have thought that young millennials would be into rum? These barrel-aged, small-batch rums are the latest trend in booze, and now even British companies such as Essexs English Spirit are joining in. The spirit is one of the most popular and versatile forms of alcohol, whether it be sweet or strong, dark or white, neat with ice or served with coke.
Nowadays, people have become more accepting of imperfection; when it comes to fresh produce that is. Imperfect Produce is just one of the grocery delivery companies that serve physically flawed fruits and vegetables. This effort is geared toward reducing waste, and the disfigured foods are often turned into hummus, crisps, and juices.
Various Asian restaurants have been popping up recently, and Sri Lankan cuisine is slowly making its way to the western palate. Sri Lankan dishes such as kottu roti, pol sambol, coconut relish, and hoppers, are being introduced to the market, and people are loving it. Unlike before, the Sri Lankan flavor is finally being recognized as an individual cuisine, separate from Indian food.