NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
NY Giants
Washington Redskins
Philadelphia Eagles

Comment: The Cowboys have some injuries they’ll have to overcome but they have more talent than the Giants. I’m not sure if the Redskins are ready to make a move especially with a new coach, quarterback, defensive scheme, ect… I’m still picking them over the Eagles because I’m just not sure if you their QB is ready and Michael Vick is certainly not a reliable backup.

NFC North
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions

Comment: The Vikings have the defense but their offense has a lot of questions. The Packers are poised to run away with this if Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin cannot perform as they did last season. The Bears are in rebuilding mode (though they’d deny it) and the Lions have gotten better but both teams might as well get comfortable looking up to the Vikings and Packers.

NFC South
NO Saints
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Comment: Nothing much to see here. The Saints are clearly the best team in the division and it’s up to the Falcons and Panthers to stay close. I predict two teams from this division will make the playoff so second place will at least get a Wild Card.

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals
St Louis Rams

Comment: The 49ers are doing some really good things out west. Adding Westbrook to that defense is a good move. The Cardinals are in trouble but at least they are not as bad as the Rams. The Seahawks is the team I am most unsure about because I think they have a shot to win the Division.

The discussion of actions heroes will inevitably turn to the gadgets, cars, and costumes. But there has to be more to a great action hero than what we see on the surface. As much as it about the explosions and butt kicking, it all comes down to the audience connecting with the hero. We connect not only on what we see but what we feel.

The Great Cause

Even if the movie is weak on plot, it still must have something to propel the story forward. An action hero needs a reason to do what he does. Revenge is always a good motivating factor for a karate flick. Another easy storyline is saving girl or the family and was the case with Salt and Jason Bourne, clearing one’s name is twisted setup is a worthy cause. But saving the world is by far the best motivator for a hero – even a reluctant one.

Terminator II was about saving the future. All of the Die Hard movies pitted one man against immeasurable odds to save numerous lives. The best action movies are very good at answering the question “why is he doing what he is doing?”

The “Great Scene”

The payoff is a great action movie truly comes down to just a few great moments; the cool fight scene; the awesome chase scene. It’s the moment they placed in the trailer that made you think, “man, I need to check that out.” In the Fugitive franchise, it all came down to the ‘Great Dives’.

In the first Fugitive Harrison Ford is standing on the edge of a dam with the Marshal on one side and a 200 foot drop on the other. He took the jump. The same scenario occurred in the second Fugitive (U.S. Marshal) only this time rather than turn himself in, Welsey Snipes grabbed a cable and swung onto the top of a moving subway car.

Every action hero needs the scene that elevates him into immortal status.

The Great Sacrifice

Let’s review: There is a call to action that compels our hero. But at that very moment the woman he loves is standing with his son asking him, “Why does it have to be you?” Our hero is anguished because he doesn’t want to hurt her – again. He stares into her eyes then his gaze pans to the eyes of his son. “I don’t have a choice” he responds. She pulls their son close to her, “I do. And if you walk out of that door, we won’t be here when you get back.” Rather than acknowledge that truth our hero just says, “I’ll see you later.” He grabs is bazooka, shotgun and the grenades that were hidden behind the cookies and sets out on the mission to save the world.

It is this sacrifice that makes the hero the hero. The battle against evil is not just about saving the world as we know it but about restoring his life to what it once was. John Connors lowering Arnold to a molten death is

The Great Line

When it comes to action movies, the scripts are often the last priority, and rightfully so. It’s not as if the audience is looking for something from Shakeseare. And this is fine with me as long as there is some focus on the aforementioned elements. But if you want a memorable character then you must give him a memorable line. If what the hero says can be transformed into Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis are very good at this.

Once the hero’s one liner becomes a part of the American lexicon, he is ready for franchise mode: “I’ll be back”, “Hasta la vista, baby”, “Go ahead, make my day”, “Yippee-ki-yay, motherf****r!”

It’s not necessary for me to tell you who said and from what movie because you know it already. And that is why the hero MUST have a one liner if he is to survive beyond one summer release.

Final Act

Don’t get me wrong, an action hero still needs a good script and there is nothing worse than wasting 90 minutes on a movie that should have been better than what it was. Hollywood uses marketing and gimmicks (see 3D) to cover the steamy pile of crap spewing from the screen to make us believe we’re getting something more than a face full of feces. But the great action movies with the great action hero will have the explosions, hot cars and chicks, and will deliver on the elements that really make us care about the character and ignore the fact that we just got ripped off at the concession stand.

The NAACP is struggling with relevancy and is having a hard time attracting younger people to their cause. But the problem is that no one can really define their cause. NAACP leadership has had a hard time communicating exactly what it is that they stand for and their agenda for the African American community.

If the NAACP uses this moment to expand the conversation about this one resolution to include the other resolutions then I think it can be a positive moment. However, if it cannot turn the more important resolutions into actions and policies, then the end result will be nothing more than a mini-advertising campaign.

We Know the Story

Almost every entrepreneur I know understands the importance of networking. They read the motivational books and the listen to the motivational speakers. They’ve acquired the lexicon of their industry and are open to risk. These entrepreneurs operate at high level with business and marketing plans in hand and a keen focus on execution.

Although not as simple as Disney fairytale, it is the part of the story that comes most natural to entrepreneurs. Every business owner knows the story of getting the contract or the customer. They know the importance of selling their products or services and the more successful entrepreneurs have mastered the best practices for their industry.

They understand the importance of networking and partnerships. A restaurant owner wants diners walking through the door and seeks to get them. The website designer is looking to connect with individuals and businesses that need websites. How to attract clients/customers is one of the first questions asked and no entrepreneur worth his/her salt will fail to ask it.

But many do fail at asking the next question: Now that I’ve established this business relationship, how best to manage it? And the answer comes down to the expectations of clients.

What’s Next

Snow White and Prince Charming didn’t spend long hours on the phone discussing their past and their thoughts on what they wanted from a relationship. No one believes that after the wedding a couple goes on to live happily ever after. In the real world we have a process for setting expectations as to what will happen after the nuptials.  It’s called dating. Not everyone pays attention to this thus the 50% divorce rate, but I digress.

There is a cliché that says you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Setting proper expectations is a strategy to ensure that first impression is to your advantage.  In the world of business it is not so much about making a great first impression but managing it.

Manage Expectations

As a website designer, I inform potential client exactly what my firm is capable of and not capable of designing. I also make sure that I communicate my cost structure. Don’t be afraid to reveal the limitations of your product or services. Provide accurate samples of your work. For any business owner providing a service, a portfolio is your best tool.

Listening to your customers is a key component of great customer service. You demonstrate this by always providing a project proposal to the client. This project proposal should have but not limited to the following: Project Overview, Project Scope, Timeline/Benchmarks, Cost Estimates and Pay Schedule and Terms of Agreement.

The goal of the Project Proposal is to reaffirm the expectations for the client and demonstrate that you fully understand their needs and are prepared to meet them. This is how you build the foundation for a positive business relationship. From here, you can begin to apply additional customer service techniques.

There are no fairytale endings in business. Happily ever after is reserved for Disney Princesses and Lifetime movies. If a slogan is what you need to remind you of the importance of customer service, then “what have you done for me lately” is more apropos.