NCAA pay case nearly didn't happen

• A judge ruled that some college athletes can start getting paid up to $5,000


• Lawsuit was aimed at NCAA ban on paying athletes for use of their images


• A lucky connection to a top class-action lawyer was key to the case


• Still to come: A lawsuit to eliminate all payment caps

(CNN) -- College football is changing.

About half of the players who put on pads and helmets this weekend will have the opportunity to make money from their sport before they graduate.

This summer, a federal judge in California ruled that for the first time in college sports, athletes who generate millions of dollars for their universities and for corporate sponsors may start cashing in.

Judge Claudia Wilkins found that the NCAA's ban on athletes being paid for the use of their images and likenesses was a violation of antitrust laws.

This means that starting in 2016, universities can choose to pay college football and basketball players up to $5,000 per year for the use of their images.

The ruling came as a result of a lawsuit filed by former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon.

O'Bannon was sitting at a friend's house watching himself in a video game when the wheels began to turn: Why, he wondered, is my image being used years after I'm out of college to make money for someone else?

And it all did start that way — sort of.

O'Bannon will certainly be remembered as one of the first big-name athletes to risk standing up to the NCAA and having an opinion.

But the proverbial stars were certainly aligned.

Around the same time that O'Bannon got upset about his avatar, the man who practically invented branding athletes was at his own turning point.

Sonny Vaccaro had launched his career by suggesting to Nike executives that they start paying athletes to wear their gear. He put the first Nike shoes on Michael Jordan, and became the godfather of athlete endorsements.

Anyone who's ever caught a glimpse of a sporting event on TV knows that teams secure big endorsement deals on everything from socks and sweatbands to the cups that members of the press drink on the sidelines.

But Vaccaro also saw the inequities in college sports, where universities and the NCAA were banking millions off the backs of kids who were struggling to pay for laundry.

He was telling anyone who'd listen.

One of those people was a friend who happened to be a lawyer with a loose connection to one of the best class-action lawyers in the country, Michael Hausfeld.

Hausfeld has a tremendous courtroom record. He's taken on Swiss banks who stole from Holocaust victims and manufacturers of genetically engineered foods. He's even won some notable sports cases.

But he's the first to admit he knows absolutely nothing about sports. During the trial against the NCAA, Hausfeld acknowledged to co-counsel that he wasn't familiar with Tanya Harding or Johnny Manziel.

But Hausfeld saw merit in Vaccaro's inequity argument, and he took on O'Bannon's case.

"It's the irony of this case, the odds of it happening. It almost didn't happen," Vaccaro said. "This is, to me, the most important thing I've ever done in my life. I've helped this case move forward. If I don't run into Michael Hausfeld, it probably never happens."

NCAA on the defensive

Over its five-year journey through federal court in Oakland, California, the suit had a huge impact on public opinion of the NCAA. Even before it got to a courtroom, it put the organization on the defense.

The case quickly changed from being a grievance about video games to a broad indictment of the association that regulates college athletes.

At trial, there were witnesses talking about academic fraud, corporate sponsorships, internal disputes within the NCAA, and even health and safety.

"It's really the time for college athletes to get their due."

Ramogi Huma, a NCAA reformist

But the judge, in her ruling, said that other criticisms of the NCAA are better suited for public policy forums, not the courts.

Those "cannot be remedied based on the antitrust causes of action in this lawsuit," her order said. "It is likely that the challenged restraints, as well as other perceived inequities in college athletics and higher education generally, could be better addressed as a policy matter by reforms other than those available as a remedy for the antitrust violation found here."

Shortly after the suit was filed, EA Sports, which was also named in the lawsuit, stopped making the game that O'Bannon was watching when he got angry, and ended up agreeing to a multi-million-dollar settlement payment. The NCAA partially settled, too, admitting it was wrong on the video games, but stood strong in defiance of paying athletes for other likeness issues.

NCAA under fire: 5 things to know

'College athletes needed a voice'

In 2013, the case got a huge boost when six current athletes were added as plaintiffs, expanding it to the television contracts that make millions for universities and the NCAA.

Ramogi Huma, a NCAA reformist who has been behind so many of the major movements, had the contacts needed to find current athletes brave enough to take on the NCAA.

By this time, Huma had been fighting the NCAA for nearly 20 years as the president of the National College Players Association (NCPA).

Huma started his organization in 1997 while he was still a linebacker for UCLA.

He was a second-string player, and the starter was Donnie Edwards.

"He had a big impact on me. I looked up to him," Huma said. "How hard he worked and how effective he was on the field."

In 1995, Huma says that Edwards gave an interview to a radio program and mentioned that he sometimes couldn't afford to buy all the food he needed to maintain his playing weight. The NCAA found out that he later accepted a bag of groceries left on his door step. He lost his eligibility.

"At the time, they were actually selling his jersey in stores and it just really made me feel like college athletes needed a voice," Huma said. That was the birth of the NCPA.

"All of us could relate," Huma said. "We felt powerless we didn't have a voice; we couldn't stand up for him or for ourselves."

For years, the NCPA was a David up against a Goliath. The attention that the O'Bannon case brought helped change that.

"The dialogue that took place as the lawsuit continued on was very important," Huma said. "People are coming out of the trance and seeing college sports for what it is."

The NCPA now has 17,000 current and former Division I athletes.

The organization has been part of the three of the biggest pushes for change — the O'Bannon case, the attempt by Northwestern football players to unionize, and the next big NCAA lawsuit that will go to court, which seeks to remove any salary caps for college athletes.

These movements have undoubtedly pushed the NCAA to step up its own change.

Public pressure on the NCAA led to a vote to add players to the board and give more autonomy to the five power conferences. A long-awaited increase in a cost-of-living stipend was approved, too.

"It's really the time for college athletes to get their due," Huma said. "It's been a long road for a lot of these guys but it's been an important one. They are going to change the lives of a lot of people coming after them."

Will schools choose to participate?

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the O'Bannon ruling.

O'Bannon lawyer William Isaacson said it's still unclear whether athletes would be able to sell their images and likeness on their own by signing contracts with, say Nike, or other corporate sponsors.

Huma doesn't believe so. He said an athlete would still be in trouble for accepting cash for his autograph.

What's also not clear is if any of this will affect college athletes in the non-revenue generating sports -- everything besides men's basketball and football. Wilkens' ruling only addresses those two sports.

All of that will likely play out in time. The NCAA is appealing, but the judge ruled that appeal will not affect her ruling to start allowing schools to pay at the beginning of the 2016 football season.

There's also a question of whether schools will choose to participate.

The ruling does not require universities to pay a dime. It simply gives them the option. That could quickly lead to bidding wars in recruiting.

During the trial, Jim Delaney, commissioner of the Big Ten, said he didn't think schools in his conference would choose to pay athletes.

So what would happen if other conferences did? Would they no longer play each other?

During the trial, the NCAA proposed that paying players would destroy college sports and force some Division 1 schools to move to Division 3.

Judge: Tradition, not amateurism, is the real draw

In a way, the ruling is a partial win for the NCAA. Capping payments at $5,000 per year is far from the million-dollar contracts of the pros.

The NCAA argued that fans would be turned off if players are paid -- that the draw for them is the amateurism and an even playing field. There are polls that say more than half of college fans don't think players should be paid.

The judge rejected that, saying fans come for tradition, not amateurism. O'Bannon's lawyers say her move of setting a $5,000 cap was smart.

"This is a very reasonable step forward but a significant step forward," O'Bannon lawyer Isaacson told CNN. "One of the things the judge is saying here ... is some sharing is OK. It won't affect amateurism, won't affect the popularity of the sport. She made a very reasonable and significant and measured decision."

Ironically, that $5,000 figure came from one of the NCAA's own witnesses, who on the stand said that a million-dollar contract for a college player would bother him, but $5,000 would not.

The cap will prevent million-dollar contracts for athletes. At least for now.

'It makes me feel good'

Wilkens now takes on an even bigger lawsuit this fall. High-powered sports attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who negotiated a free market for the NFL and NBA, is now seeking to do so in college sports.

His lawsuit vs. the NCAA wants to eliminate all payment caps, which could easily lead to payments of more than $5,000 — and salaries that aren't held in trust until after an athlete leaves school.

But for now, the advocates, like Huma and Vacarro, and the athletes who they stand for, are pretty satisfied.

Tyrone Prothro, the former Alabama football player who won an ESPY for a breathtaking catch, then three months later shattered his leg and all prospects of playing pro ball, was a key plaintiff in the suit. His story of struggling financially a decade after leaving school was the essence of what the plaintiffs were fighting for in court.

"I know I'm not able to benefit from it but just to see there's going to be a change," Prothro said. "It makes me feel good to know that I'm a part of the change that helped change things for players."

Paying college athletes would hurt traditions, NCAA chief testifies

Homicide ruled in NYPD custody case

People participate in a demonstration against the death of Eric Garner after he was taken into police custody in Staten Island.

• Medical examiner's office: Death of Ronald Singleton, who died in police custody, is ruled a homicide


• His death occurred four days before controversial choke-hold death of Eric Garner on Staten Island


• Garner's death police sparked national outrage and calls for a federal civil rights investigation

New York (CNN) -- The death last month of a man who struggled with police while being taken into custody in Manhattan has been ruled a homicide, the medical examiner's officer said.

Ronald Singleton, 45, died in police custody on July 13, four days before a man in Staten Island died after police put him in a choke hold, a case that sparked national outrage. The Staten Island death also was declared a homicide, and is under investigation.

In the statement Friday, the medical examiner's office declared the manner of death in the Singleton case as homicide caused by the "physical restraint by police during excited delirium due to acute phencyclidine (PCP) intoxication," said Julie Bolcer, spokeswoman for the medical examiner.

Singleton, who was African-American, was taken into police custody after a yellow cab driver flagged down a police officer near St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan, police said in a statement. The cab driver claimed the passenger was "acting overly irate and irrational, cursing and screaming and causing alarm," according to the statement.

Singleton got out of the taxi and "became combative with the officer, trying to fight with him," the police statement said.

The officer called for help and other officers responded along with members of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit.

Singleton was placed in a "protective body wrap by the ESU officers," the police statement said.

An ambulance was taking Singleton to a hospital when he went into cardiac arrest, the statement said. Singleton was dead on arrival at Roosevelt Hospital.

The NYPD said it was cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney's office investigation of the death.

The medical examiner's office said factors such as "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease" and obesity contributed to Singleton's death, according to Bolcer.

The case went unnoticed by national media, unlike the death of Eric Garner four days later. He died after being put in a choke hold by a NYPD officer while being arrested for selling cigarettes illegally.

Garner's death sparked protests and calls for federal civil rights charges against the officer who took down the 43-year-old, 350-pound man with an illegal choke hold.

A cell phone video of the incident shows Garner waving both hands in the air and telling the officers not to touch him. Seconds later, an officer behind Garner grabs him in a choke hold and pulls him to the sidewalk, then rolls him over onto his stomach.

"I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" Garner is heard saying repeatedly, his cries muffled into the pavement.

The cause of Garner's death was "compression of neck (choke hold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police," according to Bolcer. The death was ruled a homicide.

Garner's death occurred just weeks before Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot to death by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9.

Both cases fueled protests and thrust into the forefront the issue of law enforcement's use of deadly force against people who are unarmed.

6 die in N.C. mobile home fire

• A mobile home fire kills six in North Carolina


• No signs of foul play, but investigation is ongoing


• The victims have not yet been identified

(CNN) -- Firefighters in Clinton, North Carolina, discovered six bodies inside what remained of a mobile home that burned early Saturday morning.

There was no immediate sign of foul play, the Sampson County Sheriff's Office said, but investigators are processing the location as a potential crime scene until the cause of the blaze is determined and autopsies are completed.

The single-wide mobile home caught fire around 1 a.m..

The victims have not yet been identified, the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office, local fire marshal's office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating.

Clinton is about 25 miles east of Fayetteville.

Brewery's 99-packs sell out in 1 day

• Austin Beerworks releases a 99-pack of one of its beers


• The pack costs $99 and weighs more than 80 pounds


• The brewery sells out of the multipack on the first day

(CNN) -- Texas brewery Austin Beerworks is doing its part to "keep Austin weird" by releasing the first 99-pack of beer to consumers.

To celebrate the "anytime" of their Peacemaker Anytime Ale, the craft brewer decided to release the multipack.

"Since you can drink it anytime, you're going to want to have more than a few on hand," the brewery said in a video on its website.

Extra helpings:

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What started as a viral sensation turned out to be no joke: The brewery sold out of all 20 of the 99-packs for $99 on the first day. The packs measure approximately 7 feet long and weigh in at more 80 pounds.

Because of the overnight success, the brewery is going to produce another run of the 99-packs soon, according to its Facebook page.

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Part of Texas abortion law struck down

• The law required abortion clinics to become hospital-level surgical centers


• A federal judge rules that requirement "imposes an undue burden" on women


• Lawsuit was brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of clinics


• State officials file a notice to appeal the judge's ruling

(CNN) -- A federal judge ruled Friday it is unconstitutional to force abortion clinics to become surgical centers in the state of Texas, effectively throwing out a key component of an anti-abortion law that would have forced the closure of a number of facilities.

In making the ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel wrote that forcing the clinics to meet the same standards as hospital-level surgical centers "imposes an undue burden on the right of women throughout Texas to seek a previability abortion."

That part of the Texas law was scheduled to take effect on Monday; critics of the law say it would have required the closing of a majority of 19 abortion clinics.

The Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Medical Board filed a notice of appeal.

Wendy Davis' Texas-sized battle

Palin: Clinton will rethink abortion

Court strikes down abortion buffer zones

The controversial law, which was signed by Gov. Rick Perry last year, is considered one of the most restrictive in the country.

The Center for Reproductive Rights brought the lawsuit on behalf of some of the clinics, and it called the federal judge's ruling a victory.

"The court has made clear that women's well-being is not advanced by laws attacking access to essential health care, and that rights protected by the U.S. Constitution may not be denied through laws that make them impossible to exercise," said Nancy Northrup, president and chief executive officer of the Center for Reproductive Rights.

"Texas women still face serious threats to their rights, health, and ability to obtain safe, high-quality reproductive health care from reputable doctors in their communities. But at least for the moment, today's victory is vital in preventing politicians' scorched-earth assaults on women's health care from causing even more harm than they already have."

The state law also banned abortions past 20 weeks of gestation, tightened usage guidelines for the drug RU486, and it requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic at which they're providing such services.

Last year, Yeakel overturned the requirement that doctors have admitting privileges, but a federal appeals court reversed the decision.

The 20-week ban provision took effect last year, while enforcement of the remainder of the law is slated to take effect in September.

CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton contributed to this report.

Study: Junk food 'addicts' are real

• Bacteria that is unique to you travels with you when you move


• High-salt diets hurt patients with multiple sclerosis


• Coffee can prevent bone loss in your smile

(CNN) -- Here's a roundup of five medical studies published this week that might give you new insights into your health, mind and body. Remember, correlation is not causation -- so if a study finds a connection between two things, it doesn't mean that one causes the other.

Junk food does more than make you fat

We all know that junk food isn't good for you. There's a reason they call it "junk," right? But a new study suggests that eating food full of chemicals and high in fat, sodium and sugar may also reduce your interest in eating healthier foods.

The new study published in Frontiers in Psychology involved two groups of rats that were appropriately called Chow and Cafeteria.

Scientists fed both groups typical rat food, but the group called Cafeteria also got additional access to highly processed human foods. Their diet included cookies, cakes, dim sum and meat pies.

Yum. Or so the rats thought -- so much so that after two weeks scientists noticed the rats that were eating the junk food lost their desire to eat anything else. Essentially they were junk food addicts; their bodies stopped responding to the normal impulse to seek a more balanced diet.

This was a rat study, not a human one, but it did suggest to scientists that eating a diet rich in processed and fatty foods may do more harm than adding pounds.

To learn more: Science 2.0

Is coffee good or bad for you?

Drinking coffee can help your smile

A coffee run typically makes any office worker happy. But now there's another reason to smile about that morning cup o' joe.

A study published in the Journal of Periodontology found that men who drank coffee had a small but significant reduction in the number of teeth with periodontal bone loss.

The study looked at 1,152 men who were a part of the Veterans Affairs Dental Longitudinal Study and who had a checkup between 1968 and 1998.

Scientists say they would like to look at a broader population to see if the effects are the same in women.

To learn more: Medical Daily

Review: Childhood vaccines are safe

More parents are getting their children vaccinated

While there is still a part of the population that worries about the damage vaccines might do, the majority of parents are having their children immunized, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The health center's study found that over 90% of parents are taking their babies in for shots to protect them against polio, hepatitis B, chickenpox and measles, mumps and rubella.

There is, of course, still room for improvement.

The CDC would love all children to get vaccinated. There has also been a drop in the number of parents who are getting their children follow-up boosters and vaccines in the second year of their child's life. That second round typically includes a shot that protects children from tetanus, whooping cough and diphtheria, called the DTaP vaccine.

Measles has made a comeback in the United States. There have also been several outbreaks of whooping cough in the last few years. Some studies have found the incidents of these outbreaks are higher in areas where people have not had their children vaccinated.

Vaccines are essential to protecting children from life-threatening diseases and to protect the rest of the population from disease outbreaks. The CDC estimates vaccines will prevent 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths during the lifetime of those born between 1994 and 2013.

To learn more: CDC

When you move, your germs do, too

Your signature on a document is unique. So is your bacterial signature.

Yes, the little microscopic bits that are on your body are so present that scientists find they move with you.

A new study in the journal Science shows that every single room in your house is brimming with the bacteria that is unique to you and your family. Every single place you touch -- a doorknob, a window, the knob on the stove -- is covered with the stuff.

The research comes from scientists who are part of the Home Microbiome Project. They sequenced the bacteria from seven families and studied them over six weeks. Even when a family moved into a new house, scientists found their unique signature 24 hours later.

For people who worry about germs in hotel rooms, they may not need to any more. Scientists find that your bacteria essentially colonizes whatever room you are in.

To learn more: Time

Salt is bad for people with multiple sclerosis

People with multiple sclerosis who eat a diet high in salt may face more complications than those who don't, according to the latest edition of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

The study observed 70 patients with MS over two years and found the patients who ate a lot of food with salt were 3.4 times more likely to develop a new lesion than those who consumed low-salt diets.

The results suggest those who are suffering from MS should find ways to lower the amount of sodium in their diet.

To learn more: Journal of neurology

Uzi instructor's family sympathizes

• "My heart goes out to the little girl," Charles Vacca's ex-wife says in a television interview


• Vacca was shot and killed Monday while showing a girl how to fire a submachine gun


• Vacca's daughter Ashley says she plans to write a letter to the girl and her family


• The shooting occurred at a gun range in Arizona that caters to tourists

(CNN) -- The grieving family of the Arizona instructor accidentally shot and killed by a girl learning to fire an Uzi expressed sympathy for the 9-year-old in a nationally televised interview Friday.

Charles Vacca was shot in the head Monday as he showed the New Jersey girl how to fire the Israeli-made 9mm submachine gun. As she pulled the trigger, the gun jumped out of her left hand toward Vacca, who was standing beside her. The shooting was captured on video.

"We just want to make sure they understand that we know it was a tragic accident and that it's something that we're all going to have to live with," Vacca's 19-year-old daughter, Ashley, told NBC's "Today" show.

9-year-old kills instructor with Uzi

"My heart goes out to the little girl, and I feel sorry for her and for her family," Vacca's ex-wife, Anamarie, told the network.

The deadly incident occurred at a gun range in Arizona that caters to Las Vegas tourists, many of whom drive an hour from the gambling center to fire high-powered weapons.

Ashley said she planned to write a letter to the girl and her family.

"He was a good person, but we know they are as well," she told the network.

Another daughter, Elizabeth, said: "I wanted to make sure they didn't spend a big portion of their life surrounding it around this one incident."

Opinion: Why is a 9-year-old firing an Uzi?

Chief Deputy Mohave County Attorney Jace Zack told CNN on Wednesday that prosecutors didn't foresee criminal charges.

The Mohave County Sheriff's Office said the girl was with her parents.

Authorities said the death was being handled as an industrial accident, with state occupational safety and health officials investigating. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also was notified.

An autopsy on Vacca was completed, but the cause and manner of death were pending, said Colleen Pitre, a representative of the medical examiner's office. She would not say how many times Vacca was shot.

Cell phone video released by authorities Tuesday shows the moments before the fatal shots were fired, CNN affiliate KLAS reported.

In the video, Vacca and the girl are at an outdoor range. The wind blows a target in the distance. Vacca shows the child how to hold the gun and then helps her establish her grip and her stance. She fires one round, and dirt flies above the target. Vacca adjusts the Uzi, places his right hand on her back and his left under her right arm.

She fires several rounds in rapid succession, and the gun kicks to the left as she loses control. The video ends before the fatal head shot. In releasing the video, authorities did not identify who made it.

Experts say an Uzi can fire five rounds one-third of a second.

Bullets and Burgers, the shooting range where the accident happened, is part of a tourism niche offering packages costing up to $1,000 to shoot different high-powered weapons. The range offers bachelorette parties, birthday celebrations and wedding events. It is one of at least a dozen gun ranges in the Las Vegas area catering to tourists from around the world.

The Bullets and Burgers website says children between the ages of 8 and 17 can shoot a weapon if accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Gun experts contacted by CNN said young children should be taught to shoot with single-shot firearms rather than submachine guns. They also said that safe learning is connected to the ability and experience of the instructor.

In the interview on "Today," Ashley, the victim's daughter, said: "We really do want the prayers to be going out to the family of the little girl. Our thoughts and our prayers are with them. We don't want their life to revolve around this."

Kids and guns: What's your parenting style?

CNN's Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

Summer movies: Winners and losers

It wasn't the greatest summer for Hollywood -- box office was down 25% from last year's record -- but it could have been worse if it weren't for "Guardians of the Galaxy," the summer's top hit (which will likely be the year's top grosser by Labor Day). It has made $257 million and been beloved by critics as well, with a RottenTomatoes.com approval rating of 92%. With winter's "Lego Movie" also to his credit, star Chris Pratt, pictured, has emerged as 2014's top new star. (Box office as of 8/27.)

"Transformers: Age of Extinction" was scorched by critics -- 18% on the Tomatometer -- and had the poorest domestic showing ($244 million) of any "Transformers" film. But director Michael Bay is still laughing all the way to the bank: The film has made $821 million overseas and set a record in China.

Star vehicles were a tough sell this summer, but Angelina Jolie's "Maleficent," despite middling reviews, emerged as a solid hit, with $238 million domestically.

"22 Jump Street" proved that sequels didn't have to be the same old-same old -- mainly by making fun of the fact that it was, indeed, the same old-same old. The Jonah Hill-Channing Tatum vehicle earned $190 million (on a $50 million budget) and scored 84% on the Tomatometer.

Young adult adaptations continued their hot streak, with "The Fault in Our Stars," based on the popular novel, making $124 million. Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort were praised for their performances; the film rates 80% on the Tomatometer.

Perhaps the year's most talked-about film is "Boyhood," Richard Linklater's story of a boy (Ellar Coltrane, right, with Lorelai Linklater and Ethan Hawke) growing up. It was filmed over the course of 12 years, so Coltrane really did grow up during production. The film has 99% critical approval and has made $16 million at the box office on a tiny budget. It has been touted as an Oscar hopeful.

Despite solid reviews -- 90% approval at Rotten Tomatoes -- Tom Cruise's "Edge of Tomorrow" flopped domestically, with barely a $100 million gross on a $178 million budget. Overseas, Cruise fared better; the film has made $264 million outside the United States.

Moviegoers gave thumbs down to "Hercules," a sword-and-sandals film based on the Greek myth (and a Steve Moore comic). It made $70 million, despite the presence of star Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and director Brett Ratner.

Director Clint Eastwood's "Jersey Boys" must have seemed like a sure-fire project, with its roots in both a hit Broadway musical and the songs of the Four Seasons. But the film, starring, from left, Vincent Piazza, Erich Bergen, John Lloyd Young and Michael Lomenda, got mediocre reviews and made just $47 million.

Two years ago, Seth MacFarlane's "Ted" was a huge hit, making $218 million domestically and more than double that overall. But "A Million Ways to Die in the West," directed, written by and starring MacFarlane, right, flopped, making just $43 million and scoring a dismal 33% on the Tomatometer.

The sizzling performance of Chadwick Boseman, center, as James Brown wasn't enough to make "Get on Up" into a hit. It's grossed $29 million on a $30 million budget.

The third time wasn't even close to the charm for "The Expendables 3," which rounded up its all-star action cast and grossed less than $30 million. (It has done even worse overseas.)

The critics usually hate Adam Sandler movies. Audiences, however, love them. Not so with "Blended," which made $46 million on a $40 million budget. However, overseas it has made $77 million, so if there's a "Blended 2," you'll know who it's for.

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• No movie topped $300 million, but there were no "Lone Ranger"-level flops, either


• Stars weren't big drivers to films; concepts were


• Chinese market made "Transformers" a blockbuster

(CNN) -- Was it the end of the world at the summer box office?

There certainly was plenty of destruction to go around. Not only were several cities destroyed, including San Francisco ("Godzilla") and Chicago ("Transformers: Age of Extinction"), there was also the kind of destruction Hollywood hates: that of their receipts.

Summer ticket sales, as of the last week in August, were down 15% over summer 2013, according to The New York Times, quoting movie business tabulator Rentrak. For movies released in the May-August window, grosses were down a whopping 25% -- $3.67 billion this year vs. $4.85 billion last year, according to boxofficemojo.com.

Nonetheless, with the exceptions of "Guardians of the Galaxy" and a handful of others, there was an "eh" feeling to much of what hit the multiplex between May and August of this year. CGI carnage, gross-out comedy, comic-book saviors: Haven't we seen this movie before?

Consider this: 2014 was the first summer since 2001 in which there was no movie that topped $300 million domestically. Studios like to tout $200 million as a blockbuster benchmark, but $300 million is real high-flying territory: "The Avengers," the "Iron Man" films, "The Dark Knight," films with what they call "legs," that create return business and draw in some lukewarm moviegoers. (To be fair, "Guardians" may still get there.)

As Forbes' Scott Mendelson notes, there were various reasons for the down summer, and not all of them were bad: Some planned films were rescheduled, and others were aimed as much at overseas markets as at the United States. (The mediocre "Amazing Spider-Man 2" barely cracked $200 million in the United States but earned another $500 million in international markets.) Still, the results provide a great deal of food for thought.

Here are a few points to ponder:

1. Don't reach for the stars.

Tom Cruise ("Edge of Tomorrow"), Adam Sandler ("Blended") and Melissa McCarthy ("Tammy") couldn't carry their respective movies to blockbuster territory. Only Angelina Jolie ("Maleficent") succeeded, with Scarlett Johansson ("Lucy") getting an honorable mention. However, it might be worth it to keep an eye on Shailene Woodley, the up-and-coming light of "The Fault in Our Stars." Sure, the film was based on a beloved book, but the film's success caught many observers by surprise -- and Woodley was at the center of it all. With her previous turn in the equally successful "Divergent," she's coming on strong.

2. Blow it up good!

As mentioned, destruction was high on Hollywood's list, especially when Michael Bay is involved. The Bay-directed "Transformers" stomped on the planet again, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (produced by Bay) did some damage and "Godzilla" visited San Francisco. But more than destruction, apocalypse was in the air: witness "Edge of Tomorrow," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "The Purge: Anarchy." And we go to the movies to escape from real life?

3. Comedy was not pretty.

Only two movies topped $100 million domestically among comedies this summer: "Neighbors," with the sneaky, shambling Seth Rogen, and "22 Jump Street." The latter was an interesting twist on the sequel, a follow-up that knew it was a follow-up and took every opportunity to make that the source of the comedy. (In going along for the ride, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube were excellent self-parodies.) But "Tammy" tanked, "A Million Ways to Die in the West" found one more way to go and "Sex Tape" was erased. You know what they say: Dying is easy, comedy is hard.

4. Look to the East.

Who needs the USA? "Transformers" had a relatively mediocre turnout in America, grossing less than $250 million -- good enough to become the No. 2 film of the summer, but only No. 4 among the four "Transformers" films. On the other hand, overseas the film picked up $821 million -- including more than $300 million in China, becoming that country's highest-grossing film of all time. That was no accident: China is the second biggest film market in the world, and Hollywood is catering to it more and more.

5. Time is your friend.

Perhaps the most talked-about film of the summer -- at least in markets where it has played -- is "Boyhood," Richard Linklater's ode to one child's growing up. Linklater took a risk in deciding to follow his protagonist, played by Ellar Coltrane, and his other actors for 12 years, trusting that a film shot over that time would come together. It worked beautifully, with a 99% critics' approval on RottenTomatoes.com and early Oscar talk. In the past, watching someone age in a film was a sociological curiosity: witness Michael Apted's "Up" films, which have revisited a group of students every seven years. Now that we're in the YouTube age, in which every part of our lives is put on video, it'll be interesting to see if Linklater's concept becomes more normalized.

Will floating bikes take off?

• New technology makes levitation a reality for home furnishings, vehicles, and... rocks?


• Magnetic levitation technology is already allowing Japanese trains to travel at over 500km/h


• Advances in superconduction could soon take maglev technology to the next level

Make, Create, Innovate is a science and technology series that tells the stories behind the inventions and technological breakthroughs that are reshaping our world.

(CNN) -- Ger Jansen is puzzling about how to fit a windshield. His problem is not installing it in a car, but hanging the glass in thin air and keeping it hovering for a prolonged display.

This is a fairly typical challenge for the Dutch engineer, who along with his daughter Angela runs Crealev, a leading levitation design firm. The mysterious art of floating has been largely confined to ultra-specialist industry applications and magician tricks, but the Jansens have developed a repertoire for any occasion; from lifting a model's top hat for a fashion shoot to a giant rock in a striking art display. They have given sneakers air for Nike, and produced a range of self-suspending lamps for the home.

These are all given flight by patented modules that induce magnetic levitation. The kit is comprised of two parts: a magnetic disc that can be integrated into the chosen object, and a base containing sensors that pin it in space. The latest and most heavy-duty module can support up to 10 kilograms to a height of nine centimeters, but bespoke services are available for unlimited height and weight.

Who doesn't want floating furniture, flying cars, and real-life jet packs? Discover the incredible advances being made in levitation technology -- including Vinyl touch: a blend of old-school and high tech in the experimental record player.

Dutch design firm Crealev is responsible for a range of levitating products, including the hovering record player (previous), and this spectacular lamp.

After Mattel released its Back to the Future Hoverboard (which didn't hover at all), Crealev attempted to save the day with a working version. Unfortunately, you can't ride it.

The team has even made rocks levitate.

California company Om/One is also entering the world of floating interior design -- creating the world's first floating speaker.

Dr. Ludwig Schultz' superconducting levitating vehicle could be coming to an airport near you.

Floating (just slightly) above the rails of Japan's notoriously speedy train network, the new L0 series magnetic levitation trains don't need conventional wheels to reach speeds of over 500 km/h (310 mph).

Central Japan Railway plans to launch the new maglev service between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027, but some fearless passengers have already tested the service out -- hitting 500km/h in June of last year.

Tel Aviv is set to built a raised network of personal cars that run along elevated magnetic tracks, the BBC reports. The 500 meter SkyTran loop will support two-person vehicles, which can reach speeds of up to 70km/h (43mph).

Volkswagen China released a video to announce they had successfully created a flying car and show of its incredible new features. Except it was just a computer-generated fantasy.

The (obviously) computer generated vehicle showed how magnetic levitation technology could one day lead to hover cars. Rivals Toyota agree, saying they would may build a hover car.

The "Martin Jetpack" -- brainchild of New Zealand inventor Glenn Martin -- could soon be the first commercially available jetpack.

The product of 30 years work was first tested by Glenn's wife Vanessa and, Martin tells CNN, could cost consumers just $150,000.

Kickstarter is currently awash with hovering projects, including an already-funded project from Chris Malloy, whose slick looking hoverbike could be coming your way soon.

Malloy is not selling the bike (yet) but you can get your hands on these one-third-size drones with robot passengers now.

Hoping to meet its tough quarter-million dollar target is the OverDrive "high performance roadable aircraft" (that's flying car to you and me.)

Right now, it's all looking a bit rough around the edges, but the team insists it's deadly serious about creating a flying vehicle you can park on your driveway.

Richard Haberkern thinks ultrasonic levitation could be the key to finally building that hoverboard promised by Marty McFly almost 30 years ago.

California's Aerofex has built a proof-of-concept hover bike, which flies using two ducted fans.

The company is now working towards creating a model reminiscent of the speeder bike from "Return of the Jedi," which can rise to a maximum of 15 feet (4.6 meters).

Levitation: It's on the rise!

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Levitation: It's on the rise!

People don't want something to just float but also to interact with it.

Ger Jansen, founder of levitation design firm Crealev

"Our customers drive us by requesting more demanding solutions," says Jansen. "For the higher and heavier loads we have to combine the largest levitation modules."

The company is also developing programming to make the magnets smarter, more responsive and capable of more sophisticated movement.

"People don't want something to just float but also to interact with it. What should happen then is that sensors around the object move depending on the movement of people, so the object is more intelligent."

Jansen is flooded with requests to make every conceivable item levitate. One popular option for illusionists and thrill-seekers is to make a human float, which he is pursuing with some reservations.

"You could have magnets inserted into clothes but it would not feel like resting on the clouds ... If you have these magnets working together it's a giant force. It can hurt the skin. There need to be safety precautions."

The Chairless Chair, an invisible chair that you can wear

The Jansens are not alone as there is a growing market of levitating applications for consumers. A Californian company has released a set of floating speakers, promising a unique experience for the listener. Czech designers have produced a computer mouse buoyed by magnetic levitation, designed to alleviate carpal tunnel syndrome.

But the limiting factor of magnetic levitation is requiring a base to float over, effectively requiring that objects are stationary. This largely puts paid to the hoverboard dream inspired by "Back to the Future" -- another of the Jansens' most common requests -- and explains why transport seems the best placed industry to make use of the technique.

Until recently, "Maglev" trains were expected to revolutionize public transport, promising increased speeds over 300mph. But the high cost and energy consumption has slowed their growth and today only China and Japan operate such a system.

That could change with the advent of superconductor-powered vehicles, able to generate greater magnetic force with lower power consumption. High concept projects such as China's 'Super Maglev' would use this system for supersonic transport, and it could even support space missions.

Dr. Ludwig Schultz of Dresden' Institute for Metallic Materials works with maglev vehicles and feels superconduction offers significant advantages.

I would like to draw huge levitated graphics in stadiums or concerts

Yoichi Ochiai, Lead Researcher, University of Tokyo

"It gives you much more freedom. The energy storage is more efficient, and there are no moving parts. It can be extremely fast with frictionless motion."

Schultz has developed his own superconducting levitating vehicle -- the "Supratrans," a lightweight buggy that hovers above tracks, held in place with a self-stabilizing mechanism. He imagines it being used for rapid transfers in airports, although one research area looks at creating routes and vehicles for private use.

The spaceship reinvented for new frontiers

The applications from superconductors need not be limited to transport, says Schultz. He has consulted on projects to float a 60-ton stage, and to enhance gravity in space, among other ambitious plans.

Another levitation breakthrough has come at the micro level, and by a different method. This year, Japanese scientists used acoustic levitation to manipulate small objects with three-dimensional capability for the first time. Researchers created a "moveable ultrasonic focal point" that allowed them unprecedented control with sound waves.

Experts hailed the potential impact for molecular analysis for chemistry and medicine, but lead researcher Yoichi Ochiai of the University of Tokyo also foresees wider applications: "I would like to draw huge levitated graphics in stadiums or concerts," he said. "Or for use in our daily lives such as floating interactions at home and small object levitation."

In many cases, levitation technologies have yet to find meaningful functions, either serving novelty purposes or yet to break out of the research stage. But the possibilities are multiplying, and the applications are becoming established in fields such as entertainment and transport.

If the spread continues, magicians may need to learn some new tricks.

The Chairless Chair, an invisible chair that you can wear

The spaceship reinvented for new frontiers

Lighting on the wall: World's most spectacular video projections