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David Mumpower: David Mumpower: Something I chronicled in a Daily Box Office column that still fascinates me is how few bombs there have been this summer. The whole is worse than the sum of the parts in this regard. Over 85% of the movies since the first weekend of May are either already profitable or close enough that they will eventually finish in the black. The problem is not the lackluster performance of most films inasmuch as it's the opportunity cost of lost revenue that was left on the table due to many inferior products.

The aggravating part is that the unimaginative sequels that dominated so much of the summer were largely unaffected. Branding mattered more this season than it has for years now. That statement is especially true overseas, where consumers seem focused on the comfortable, known characters rather than new ones for the most part.

One other thing I will remember about this summer for a long time is the befuddling performance of How to Train Your Dragon 2. We have a standard behavior we have tracked for years, and a part of that involves the improvement of successors to beloved films. This project proved to be an anomaly, and I feel like we as a group have spent more hours trying to determine the how and why of that than we have on almost any other project this summer, Guardians of the Galaxy excluded. I just don't get why that film underachieved, and I don't think I ever will.

Kim Hollis: With the NFL returning this weekend, who do you have in the Super Bowl?

Bruce Hall: Broncos/Seahawks rematch, although if it were played today the result would likely be the same as in February.

The difference is that Seattle looks like a championship team out of the gate. The Broncos had trouble closing out an inferior Colts team, but the Broncos are clearly a different team than last year. They're more talented, but had a lot of roster turnover. They're already the best team in the AFC, it'll just take them a few games to look like they are.

Or maybe it'll be San Diego and Tampa Bay in the Ugly Jersey Bowl. Who knows?

Jason Barney: I’ll take Patriots vs Seahawks.

Reagen Sulewski: I think Denver over New Orleans.

Tim Briody: While there's a couple of solid contenders in the NFC, I really like how much of a roll Seattle is on right now. And in the AFC, the only team that looks any good is Denver. A rematch would be the first in 20 years but that's what I see right now, with Seattle winning again.

John Hamann: You have to ask? Seattle vs someone with Seattle winning! Maybe v Miami?

David Mumpower: What I enjoy about this exercise is that we discover where various BOP staff members ever grew up or live now. Nobody ever picks a couple of teams that they don’t root for. On a not even a little bit unrelated note, I predict Denver versus Atlanta with Peyton Manning’s team winning followed by him riding off into the sunset.

Kim Hollis: I think I'll go with Philadelphia vs. Cincinnati.

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