Lies and Exaggerations

[Daytripper]

Let me just say from the outset that yesterday's Tsunami Appeal cricket match was a fantastic idea and all involved should be congratulated.

However my gripe is with the press releases we have been receiving regarding the match.

Apparantely it was watched in 122 countries by more than 6 billion people. Lets look at the facts. According to the US Census Bureau there are currently 227 countries with a total population of 35 billion people.

So the match was watched in just over half the countries in the world by 1/6 of the population.

The cricket playing nations make up 1.5 billion people. Where did the other 4.5b come from assuming that every single person in all the cricket playing nations watched the match.

ESPN's Sportscenter made not one mention of the match in its hour long wrap last night. Surely if it was this big an event it would have got a mention !!!!

Can't we just be happy that we put on such a great event. Why do networks and publicists have to tell such outright lies ?

 

[- PC -]

Let me just say from the outset that yesterday's Tsunami Appeal cricket match was a fantastic idea and all involved should be congratulated.

However my gripe is with the press releases we have been receiving regarding the match.

Apparantely it was watched in 122 countries by more than 6 billion people. Lets look at the facts. According to the US Census Bureau there are currently 227 countries with a total population of 35 billion people.

So the match was watched in just over half the countries in the world by 1/6 of the population.

The cricket playing nations make up 1.5 billion people. Where did the other 4.5b come from assuming that every single person in all the cricket playing nations watched the match.

ESPN's Sportscenter made not one mention of the match in its hour long wrap last night. Surely if it was this big an event it would have got a mention !!!!

Can't we just be happy that we put on such a great event. Why do networks and publicists have to tell such outright lies ?

Mine is bigger than yours syndrome

 

[otaku]

Apparantely it was watched in 122 countries by more than 6 billion people. Lets look at the facts. According to the US Census Bureau there are currently 227 countries with a total population of 35 billion people.

apparently you are following the title of your thread - lies and exagerations.

a total population of 35 billion? What drugs are you on?

The worlds pop is currently estimated at 6.4 billion.

linky

Where did you get your "facts" from???

 

[Daytripper]

apparently you are following the title of your thread - lies and exagerations.

a total population of 35 billion? What drugs are you on?

The worlds pop is currently estimated at 6.4 billion.

linky

Where did you get your "facts" from???

Otaku, you are right - Bloody excel !!!!!

I got the figures from here : http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbrank.pl

And they were saying 2 billion people watched it, not 12 - oops.

My point still stands - if anything these figures make the exaggeration worse.

 

[Borgsta]

well India itself is believed to have over a billion people. Sri Lanka close to 20 million. UK close to 60 million. Around 30 million in the West Indies and maybe 10 million in Zimbabwe, so yes it is a big exaggeration. I would say maybe 1 billion people watched it.

Sportscenter is a US show who know absolutely nothing about cricket, so im not sure what makes you think it would appear on that show. Im sure it would appear on the 30 min show Sportscenter International.

 

[Daytripper]

well India itself is believed to have over a billion people. Sri Lanka close to 20 million. UK close to 60 million. Around 30 million in the West Indies and maybe 10 million in Zimbabwe, so yes it is a big exaggeration. I would say maybe 1 billion people watched it.

Sportscenter is a US show who know absolutely nothing about cricket, so im not sure what makes you think it would appear on that show. Im sure it would appear on the 30 min show Sportscenter International.

Thats assuming that every single person in those countries watched it.
I would say 50 million people would have watched it - MAX.

Sportscenter concentrates predominately on US events but if the cricket match was as big as we have been told, they would have covered it.

I just wish a journalist would question these audience figures. It would soon put a stop to it. The same rubbish gets told to us with AFL and NRL grand finals.

 

[Borgsta]

50 million max is ridiculous. India has 1 billion people dude, they are a hell of a lot more passionate than Australians for their cricket.

Also sportscenter would not have covered the game even if it was so big. They never show anything. The EPL is big enough to warrent showing, but it only gets shown on sportscenter international.

 

[littleduck]

Let me just say from the outset that yesterday's Tsunami Appeal cricket match was a fantastic idea and all involved should be congratulated.

Hear hear!

Apparantely it was watched in 122 countries by more than 6 billion people.

122 countries and 1 billion people they said, not 6 billion. The worlds population is only about 6 billion. 1 billion would seem to make sense considering the combined populations of Test Cricket playing nations.

The cricket playing nations make up 1.5 billion people.

Exactly.

Seems you were mistaken.

 

[Cap]

It would have been aired in a hell of a lot of countries

also you have to remember that just because there is only 10 test playing nations that doesnt mean others wouldnt be watching a lot of nations play (ie netherlands, canada, UAE, Kenya etc etc)


I'm fairly sure they wouldnt be throwing numbers up at a guess, they probably realise there are sad individuals with too much time on their hands that will want to do the sums

 

[Daytripper]

Hear hear!

122 countries and 1 billion people they said, not 6 billion. The worlds population is only about 6 billion. 1 billion would seem to make sense considering the combined populations of Test Cricket playing nations.

So 1/6 of the worlds population (assuming they all have access to a television set) were watching yesterday and 2/3 of the cricket playing countries. Despite the time difference !!!!

Come on.

Look, I know I'm being pedantic, it just annoys me that they feel they have to make up numbers to try to generate importance.

 

[Borgsta]

the time difference between Australia and India is only 5 and a half hours.

 

[Pessimistic]

Many of them would have been working or sleeping

 

[Qsaint]

well India itself is believed to have over a billion people. Sri Lanka close to 20 million. UK close to 60 million. Around 30 million in the West Indies and maybe 10 million in Zimbabwe, so yes it is a big exaggeration. I would say maybe 1 billion people watched it.

Sportscenter is a US show who know absolutely nothing about cricket, so im not sure what makes you think it would appear on that show. Im sure it would appear on the 30 min show Sportscenter International.

You forgot the Paki's and Bangladesh

 

[otaku]

You forgot the Paki's and Bangladesh

150,000,000 odd in each, isnt it?

 

[skipper kelly]

So 1/6 of the worlds population (assuming they all have access to a television set) were watching yesterday and 2/3 of the cricket playing countries. Despite the time difference !!!!

Come on.

Look, I know I'm being pedantic, it just annoys me that they feel they have to make up numbers to try to generate importance.

but what are you complaining about?

You originally thought it was $6 billion viewers out of $35 bil world pop.

Your initial argument and whinge was based on these incorrect figures. Once your error had been pointed out you continued with the whinge. So irrespective of what figures are mentioned you wont believe them.

 

[funkyfreo]

Have you never watched the cricket before? They ALWAYS say stuff like this - it is not just for this one-off event.

They just figure out which countries it is broadcast in, and just add up all the populations it seems. Next ashes series just listed to them greet their international audience of some billions. Bolony.

 

[PA HOG]

Let me just say from the outset that yesterday's Tsunami Appeal cricket match was a fantastic idea and all involved should be congratulated.

However my gripe is with the press releases we have been receiving regarding the match.




Can't we just be happy that we put on such a great event. Why do networks and publicists have to tell such outright lies ?

Let me agree from the outset that yesterday's Tsunami Appeal cricket match was a fantastic idea and all involved should be congratulated. I expected comments and speeches that would make you ashamed to be Australian but the opposite was the case.


But why are you surprised at the ridiculous figures quoted by the networks. That is par for the course in this country for all major events and has given great amusment to my overseas visitors. Why do they do it?


Do you think they would give you a break-down of the figures if you enquired?

 

[Daytripper]

but what are you complaining about?

You originally thought it was $6 billion viewers out of $35 bil world pop.

Your initial argument and whinge was based on these incorrect figures. Once your error had been pointed out you continued with the whinge. So irrespective of what figures are mentioned you wont believe them.

I admitted I made a mistake. All I want is the truth.

Have you never watched the cricket before? They ALWAYS say stuff like this - it is not just for this one-off event.

They just figure out which countries it is broadcast in, and just add up all the populations it seems. Next ashes series just listed to them greet their international audience of some billions. Bolony.

It seems that way doesn't it. I just don't understand why they do it. The way I look at it is, The media dream up a figure and decide to broadcast it thinking that the public will be too stupid to work out that its nonsense.

Dp other countries media do this as well or is it just restricted to Australia and its continuing efforts to push itself onto the world stage ?

 

[skipper kelly]

I admitted I made a mistake. All I want is the truth.



It seems that way doesn't it. I just don't understand why they do it. The way I look at it is, The media dream up a figure and decide to broadcast it thinking that the public will be too stupid to work out that its nonsense.

Dp other countries media do this as well or is it just restricted to Australia and its continuing efforts to push itself onto the world stage ?

It doesnt really matter.

 

[Cap]

IIt seems that way doesn't it. I just don't understand why they do it. The way I look at it is, The media dream up a figure and decide to broadcast it thinking that the public will be too stupid to work out that its nonsense.

I cant believe you are getting so worked up about this - it's a throw away line FFS, they do it on every station - they even do it on this board (ie 1 million Iraqi civilians dead )