Colin Kaepernick redux

[vic.valiant]

Just so I'm clear on this, taking a knee and wanting police to do their jobs professionally and respectfully is the same as being a Klansman or a Nazi?

And before anyone responds, take a moment to realize that you're pissed at Kaep because you think he doesn't do his job professionally and respectfully.

You said "opinion" I responded to "opinion".

I purposely used "opinions" that would push your buttons regardless of what side of the isle you are one.

I am not equating taking a knee to a Nazi salute and that was clear in my post so you're merely changing the subject so you don't have to address my point.

My point is that I don't watch sports to be exposed to (athletes) ideas on politics, religion or favorite Italian dishes.

I watch sports to escape those things.

Kaepernick and ESPN wouldn't let me and I suspect a lot of people felt the same way.

I am not pissed at Kaepernick because he was unprofessional or an ignorant poser hypocritically playing the righteous deep thinker.

I am not pissed at Kaepernick at all, I and millions of others just turn the channel.

Go Blue!

 

[TheBeav815]

No. People who follow the commands of the cops usually tend not to get shot.

Secondly I'm insinuating why people think Colin's protest is hollow.

Some of those people shot were too dumb to follow the commands of the police.

Not just shot for walking down the street. Like the media portrays and like what happens in low income neighborhoods.

For the burjillionth time, two things:

1) Simple lack of compliance is not the reason everyone gets shot, nor is it a justifiable reason to kill somebody. Not complying =/= trying to kill you.

2) A basic understanding of conflict situations and human psychology tells us that people may not be capable of complying for a variety of reasons, most of which are also NOT that they are trying to kill you.

 

[TheBeav815]

You said "opinion" I responded to "opinion".

I purposely used "opinions" that would push your buttons regardless of what side of the isle you are one.

I am not equating taking a knee to a Nazi salute and that was clear in my post so you're merely changing the subject so you don't have to address my point.

My point is that I don't watch sports to be exposed to (athletes) ideas on politics, religion or favorite Italian dishes.

I watch sports to escape those things.

Kaepernick and ESPN wouldn't let me and I suspect a lot of people felt the same way.

I am not pissed at Kaepernick because he was unprofessional or an ignorant poser hypocritically playing the righteous deep thinker.

I am not pissed at Kaepernick at all, I and millions of others just turn the channel.

Go Blue!

I would tend to agree that I also don't want to know what athletes think about politics, but sometimes (as I offered) I get a Brady interview with his MAGA hat in his locker. So effing what, suck it up. He's a grown man he is allowed to think what he wants and I can still watch him throw a football *OR* I can even root against him if that's my thing.

The same people who say the world is too "PC" and not being able to say what you want is the problem with these kids nowadays are the same ones who want somebody to be PC and not say what they want because it's ruining football for them. If they're gonna be hypocrites, I'm gonna laugh at them.

 

[vic.valiant]

Vote with your remote? If you're tuning out because he's a 2nd or 3rd string guy. In all sincerity suck it up.

ESPN made him a symbol.

I thought he was being disrespectful to the flag my country not a police department.

Thanks for the unsolicited advice but I'll watch who and what I choose for reasons that are my own.

Go Blue!

 

[jeans15]

For the burjillionth time, two things:

1) Simple lack of compliance is not the reason everyone gets shot, nor is it a justifiable reason to kill somebody. Not complying =/= trying to kill you.

2) A basic understanding of conflict situations and human psychology tells us that people may not be capable of complying for a variety of reasons, most of which are also NOT that they are trying to kill you.

True. But how does the officer know that?

99% of us comply just fine. What are they intoxicated in some way. Causing them to be a potential harm to the public.

Cops need to have restraint but there are people who want to shoot and kill a cops.

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

By all means, please offer a better choice of words for how people feel who are sufficiently upset about the actions of a tiny fraction of players that they state publicly they refuse to watch the entire league. Since I'm telling it wrong, you tell it right.

I don't speak for everyone or force them to think like me. That's not how this works. It's how YOU want it to be, but I can only speak for myself. I personally feel like a pro athlete with a huge opportunity to bring attention to things had literally 1000s of other chances to bring attention to the things he now considers such travesties.
I personally stopped watching his team (my favorite since I was old enough to remember) because the flag is something my family does not disrespect. We were taught it is a symbol for those that have given their lives to defend this great melting pot. And yes, we are a patriotic bunch. And before you go nuts, I understand that it is the popular thing to do now to say being patriotic is a bad thing, and what is so wrong with the country. I also know that this somehow makes me somehow racist and hateful. But the beautiful thing about the flag is that you can have that opinion of others, just as I have mine. I have heard claims about fascism so much because the "new" and "correct" way of doing things is no longer that way.

So since I am all of these things labeled above, just leave me to it. You are free to think how you want, but the belittling, talking down, and demanding I do the same... is both unwarranted, and quite frankly the actual definition of fascism.

I will bow out of this one and end with this: Jed York is still a coward and Youngstown still sucks

 

[TheBeav815]

True. But how does the officer know That?

99% of us comply just fine.

That's where I think their training is failing them. There is good stuff out there from people who have been places like Fallujah and they've said, "You're crapping all over the rules of how to de-escalate, what the hell are these guys doing?"

I'm of the belief that it endangers cops to allow the worst of them to screw up, go viral, and then get bailed out. How are people supposed to trust and respect them when they see that? Being trusted and respected is vital to their safety.

Like if video kept showing up of kids at Burger King wiping chicken sandwiches on their balls and then serving them and Burger King was like, "They're on paid leave while we look into it." Then ultimately they got no punishment and were still working at Burger King, would you go there and order a chicken sandwich or not?

It's a science, there are proven methods for policing. It's not like we're the only place in the world that has police. There are better, more effective ways than discharging your service weapon as soon as somebody doesn't listen or you see a dog that weighs over 20 pounds.

And like I've said over and over, if somebody is attacking a cop, nobody complains if the cops beat them or shoot them. But when a guy does everything right, tells a cop he's legally carrying, sits there in his car doing nothing, then gets pumped full of slugs in front of his daughter and her mother...that's not ok. That's a murder. He did what you're supposed to do...why's he dead?

For the safety of police, you can't embrace that or dismiss it. It has to be addressed.

 

[TheBeav815]

I don't speak for everyone or force them to think like me. That's not how this works. It's how YOU want it to be, but I can only speak for myself. I personally feel like a pro athlete with a huge opportunity to bring attention to things had literally 1000s of other chances to bring attention to the things he now considers such travesties.
I personally stopped watching his team (my favorite since I was old enough to remember) because the flag is something my family does not disrespect. We were taught it is a symbol for those that have given their lives to defend this great melting pot. And yes, we are a patriotic bunch. And before you go nuts, I understand that it is the popular thing to do now to say being patriotic is a bad thing, and what is so wrong with the country. I also know that this somehow makes me somehow racist and hateful. But the beautiful thing about the flag is that you can have that opinion of others, just as I have mine. I have heard claims about fascism so much because the "new" and "correct" way of doing things is no longer that way.

So since I am all of these things labeled above, just leave me to it. You are free to think how you want, but the belittling, talking down, and demanding I do the same... is both unwarranted, and quite frankly the actual definition of fascism.

I will bow out of this one and end with this: Jed York is still a coward and Youngstown still sucks

I can just stop replying. You're doing such a great job putting words in my mouth that you don't even need my responses, you can just have the whole conversation with yourself.

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

I can just stop replying. You're doing such a great job putting words in my mouth that you don't even need my responses, you can just have the whole conversation with yourself.

Sound familiar?
Funny how when someone has you pegged for exactly what you have said in the past, your replies get really short.

 

[TheBeav815]

Sound familiar?

Sure. See ya next time.

 

[inWV]

That's where I think their training is failing them. There is good stuff out there from people who have been places like Fallujah and they've said, "You're crapping all over the rules of how to de-escalate, what the hell are these guys doing?"

I'm of the belief that it endangers cops to allow the worst of them to screw up, go viral, and then get bailed out. How are people supposed to trust and respect them when they see that? Being trusted and respected is vital to their safety.

Like if video kept showing up of kids at Burger King wiping chicken sandwiches on their balls and then serving them and Burger King was like, "They're on paid leave while we look into it." Then ultimately they got no punishment and were still working at Burger King, would you go there and order a chicken sandwich or not?

It's a science, there are proven methods for policing. It's not like we're the only place in the world that has police. There are better, more effective ways than discharging your service weapon as soon as somebody doesn't listen or you see a dog that weighs over 20 pounds.

And like I've said over and over, if somebody is attacking a cop, nobody complains if the cops beat them or shoot them. But when a guy does everything right, tells a cop he's legally carrying, sits there in his car doing nothing, then gets pumped full of slugs in front of his daughter and her mother...that's not ok. That's a murder. He did what you're supposed to do...why's he dead?

For the safety of police, you can't embrace that or dismiss it. It has to be addressed.

Well said. Don't really know what to do with those that are of the opinion that in the cases of citizen/police interactions where the citizen ends up dead or severely injured, the police are always right. That has the odor of an authoritarian society. Libertarianism for me, not for thee.

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

Sure. See ya next time.

Aww come on. Don't you feel like labeling people today, or telling them exactly what they should or should not be thinking/doing?

 

[tone1017]

My main takeaway from this thread is the season can't start soon enough.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

My main takeaway from this thread is the season can't start soon enough.

I also came away with the OPINION that people really don't mind the CK subject, the just want it discussed with people who think like they do.

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

I guess I don't understand why NFL owners should be forced to take the juice that isn't worth the squeeze? Nobody is stopping this joker from applying for a job outside of the entertainment business.

 

[Mack In Motion]

When I was in college I rented a house with 4 other guys.

We had a huge party one weekend. Some dude who was a friend of a friend who was wasted took a dump in the corner of our kitchen real late, I think the excuse was that someone was in the bathroom.

We made sure the "friend" who brought him over knew wasn't welcome back next party.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

I guess I don't understand why NFL owners should be forced to take the juice that isn't worth the squeeze? Nobody is stopping this joker from applying for a job outside of the entertainment business.

But they aren't being forced to take the juice. I don't think they should have to sign anyone they don't want to, but why not be honest and say why they don't want to sign him? Instead of having Ozzie Newsome come out and say the owner isn't blocking the signing when he clearly is. The coach and the GM have both said they were in favor, who the hell else is blocking it?

 

[TheBeav815]

When I was in college I rented a house with 4 other guys.

We had a huge party one weekend. Some dude who was a friend of a friend who was wasted took a dump in the corner of our kitchen real late, I think the excuse was that someone was in the bathroom.

We made sure the "friend" who brought him over knew wasn't welcome back next party.

I don't wanna take away from a great poop-in-the-kitchen story, but that is once again something that is an example of a crime, whereas CK did not commit a crime.

 

[TheBeav815]

Aww come on. Don't you feel like labeling people today, or telling them exactly what they should or should not be thinking/doing?

What label exactly goes with people who hate when they believe others are forcing them to think/act a certain way by pointing out they don't need to try forcing an athlete to think/act a certain way by "voting with their remote?"

 

[Skerz4Life50]

I don't wanna take away from a great poop-in-the-kitchen story, but that is once again something that is an example of a crime, whereas CK did not commit a crime.

IMO, whether or not you agree, there are many Americans who feel like CK taking a knee during the national anthem is similar to taking a poop in America's kitchen

 

[Mack In Motion]

I don't wanna take away from a great poop-in-the-kitchen story, but that is once again something that is an example of a crime, whereas CK did not commit a crime.

Didn't take anything away from it. In fact, describing it as a "crime" added to it perfectly.

 

[TheBeav815]

IMO, whether or not you agree, there are many Americans who feel like CK taking a knee during the national anthem is similar to taking a poop in America's kitchen

With the rather important exception that what he's doing is actually protected 1st Amendment freedom of expression, which is sort of a big deal in this country. So it's in fact incredibly important to note that it is not a crime...which is why it's not accurate to compare it to actual crimes.

Nobody ever seems to respond to the part where multiple active duty personnel have stated that they support CKs right to do what he did and they consider it precisely what they fight for.

I can't say I've seen any of them say they signed up for the pre-kickoff flyovers.

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

With the rather important exception that what he's doing is actually protected 1st Amendment freedom of expression, which is sort of a big deal in this country. So it's in fact incredibly important to note that it is not a crime...which is why it's not accurate to compare it to actual crimes.

Nobody ever seems to respond to the part where multiple active duty personnel have stated that they support CKs right to do what he did and they consider it precisely what they fight for.

I can't say I've seen any of them say they signed up for the pre-kickoff flyovers.

So why again should any owner employ him if said owner believes he's going to make less money by employing him?

 

[Enrozes]

But they aren't being forced to take the juice. I don't think they should have to sign anyone they don't want to, but why not be honest and say why they don't want to sign him? Instead of having Ozzie Newsome come out and say the owner isn't blocking the signing when he clearly is. The coach and the GM have both said they were in favor, who the hell else is blocking it?

Yep. CK has the right to take a knee. Fans have the right to criticize him for it, and teams have the right to blackball him for it. In turn, other fans have the right to call the team owners cowards for blackballing him.

Maybe if people's feelings weren't so easily hurt by someone taking a knee, this wouldn't be such a big deal. So sensitive

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

With the rather important exception that what he's doing is actually protected 1st Amendment freedom of expression, which is sort of a big deal in this country. So it's in fact incredibly important to note that it is not a crime...which is why it's not accurate to compare it to actual crimes.

Nobody ever seems to respond to the part where multiple active duty personnel have stated that they support CKs right to do what he did and they consider it precisely what they fight for.

I can't say I've seen any of them say they signed up for the pre-kickoff flyovers.

I have never once said it was a crime, or he did not have the right

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

Jay Cutler...what a moron. All he had to do last year was take a knee a few times before games and the whole world would be clamoring for teams to give him a chance.

Err..wait...err...oppression...err..racism...err...but the cops..err...haircut...err...sh!tty QB with terrible attitude that fans don't want representing their team.

 

[TheBeav815]

So why again should any owner employ him if said owner believes he's going to make less money by employing him?

That's a tough link to establish that it directly loses money to employ him. You can sell me the distraction angle, you can sell me the lockerroom drama angle. Revenue is a reach.

Their revenue isn't based directly on ratings, I'm fairly certain they get a straight payout from being televised regardless of how the game rates. And the HUGE confounding variable there is that the 49ers effing suck. And I know effing sucky teams, I'm a Bears fan. It's not like they went to the NFC Championship and also he was a distraction. They're God-awful and also he's a distraction.

So you're gonna see their ratings drop and their attendance dip in SF just like they are in CHI, because that's what bad football does. Then you get one poll (surprised you Trump guys are suddenly so big on polls again) that says people didn't watch because of protests. That's fine but their TV ratings don't directly and instantly correlate to their revenue.

I would have to know what the revenue sharing policy is in the NFL, but basically every game every week is televised.

Also, don't lose context. NFL ratings might have been down compared to past NFL ratings, but they still dominate. Take a look at the top 50 sporting events and tell me if anything jumps out at you...

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/photo/2016/07/15/50-most-watched-sporting-events-2016-so-far

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

That's a tough link to establish that it directly loses money to employ him. You can sell me the distraction angle, you can sell me the lockerroom drama angle. Revenue is a reach.

Their revenue isn't based directly on ratings, I'm fairly certain they get a straight payout from being televised regardless of how the game rates. And the HUGE confounding variable there is that the 49ers effing suck. And I know effing sucky teams, I'm a Bears fan. It's not like they went to the NFC Championship and also he was a distraction. They're God-awful and also he's a distraction.

So you're gonna see their ratings drop and their attendance dip in SF just like they are in CHI, because that's what bad football does. Then you get one poll (surprised you Trump guys are suddenly so big on polls again) that says people didn't watch because of protests. That's fine but their TV ratings don't directly and instantly correlate to their revenue.

I would have to know what the revenue sharing policy is in the NFL, but basically every game every week is televised.

Also, don't lose context. NFL ratings might have been down compared to past NFL ratings, but they still dominate. Take a look at the top 50 sporting events and tell me if anything jumps out at you...

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/photo/2016/07/15/50-most-watched-sporting-events-2016-so-far

Now that is YOU contemplating whether or not they might lose money, not them. And I will certainly defer to the million(billion)aires on this one.

 

[Tuco Salamanca]

It isn't necessarily just TV ratings and advertising streams the individual owners are worried about. Look at all of the corporate sponsorships that are littered all over every stadium. If those guys start to pull out, that is the issue for the individual owner.

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

That's a tough link to establish that it directly loses money to employ him. You can sell me the distraction angle, you can sell me the lockerroom drama angle. Revenue is a reach.

Their revenue isn't based directly on ratings, I'm fairly certain they get a straight payout from being televised regardless of how the game rates. And the HUGE confounding variable there is that the 49ers effing suck. And I know effing sucky teams, I'm a Bears fan. It's not like they went to the NFC Championship and also he was a distraction. They're God-awful and also he's a distraction.

So you're gonna see their ratings drop and their attendance dip in SF just like they are in CHI, because that's what bad football does. Then you get one poll (surprised you Trump guys are suddenly so big on polls again) that says people didn't watch because of protests. That's fine but their TV ratings don't directly and instantly correlate to their revenue.

I would have to know what the revenue sharing policy is in the NFL, but basically every game every week is televised.

Also, don't lose context. NFL ratings might have been down compared to past NFL ratings, but they still dominate. Take a look at the top 50 sporting events and tell me if anything jumps out at you...

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/photo/2016/07/15/50-most-watched-sporting-events-2016-so-far

Lol. Wtf does the stupid president have to do with any of the things Kaepernick has done?
You sound like the Boston Globe and their headline "Eclipse to only be viewable almost exclusively for places that voted for Trump"

 

[Mack In Motion]

Not sure anyone is committing a crime. Wasn't a crime for him to kneel. Isn't a crime to not hire him. Isn't a crime to say he shouldn't be hired. Isn't a crime to say he should be.

 

[TheBeav815]

Jay Cutler...what a moron. All he had to do last year was take a knee a few times before games and the whole world would be clamoring for teams to give him a chance.

Err..wait...err...oppression...err..racism...err...but the cops..err...haircut...err...sh!tty QB with terrible attitude that fans don't want representing their team.

With Cutler I suspect he wanted to sign for a lot of money and a starting job or hang 'em up and he got his answer after shopping around.

 

[TheBeav815]

Lol. Wtf does the stupid president have to do with any of the things Kaepernick has done?
You sound like the Boston Globe and their headline "Eclipse to only be viewable almost exclusively for places that voted for Trump"

You don't enjoy political humor? I'm so sorry. This must be a bland time for you.

 

[huskerfan830]

ESPN made him a symbol.

I thought he was being disrespectful to the flag my country not a police department.

Thanks for the unsolicited advice but I'll watch who and what I choose for reasons that are my own.

Go Blue!

NFL or ESPN, because in your prior post I believe you cited the NFL and those that will vote with their remote. Well here's another unsolicited statement on an open forum,the NFL loves this stuff to an extent. You can check the numbers to prove me wrong, but I would give a hard wager that 49er game viewership went up when Gabbert got benched and Kaep played. Went from crap to controversial crap, which is a lot more entertaining for our rubberneck society. So with that continue to vote with your remote (that's cool), but the NFL (perhaps ESPN) masses aren't concerned with potential reduced viewership for a guy holding a clipboard. A response is solicited if deemed worthy.

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

You don't enjoy political humor? I'm so sorry. This must be a bland time for you.

Oh I forgot. When you say or do something stupid it's a "joke". Carry on telling everyone not to judge or tell people what to think.

 

[TheBeav815]

Oh I forgot. When you say or do something stupid it's a "joke". Carry on telling everyone not to judge or tell people what to think.

Do you honestly need me to break down for you the backstory of how popular it was among certain voters to crap on polls after the election and how popular it still is to crap on the approval rating polls? Keep up, huh? You don't have to think it's funny but I was thought you'd at least understand the reference.

Let's look at the NFL viewership poll in question, shall we? They surveyed about 9,200 people.

In simple terms, if you put 9,200 people in an NFL stadium, you'd say there was "nobody" at that game because it would be mostly empty seats. So not exactly a massive poll.

Now of those people they broke it into "football fans." Actually 29% of them said their viewership increased. 10% said it went down. So more increase than decrease in their sample which is contrary to the story of "The NFL is dying OMFG."

16% said they went to fewer games. How many went to more games? 24%. Again, doesn't fit the narrative.

Now let's look at WHY the people who decreased did so. They combined the people who watched fewer games on TV and the people who went to fewer games together, then asked them why.

The % breakdowns they give only add up to 96 so Iet's assume rounding accounts for that. So why did they stop watching?

66% say some reason other than anthem protests

30% say anthem protest.

Headline: ANTHEM PROTESTS MAIN CAUSE OF TANKING NFL RATINGS!!!!

Misleading or nah? If you ask the question, "Did you stop watching because of anthem protests or something else" suddenly "something else" wins in a landslide. But if you pick nits about which single reason came in first, it looks like this:

30% - Anthem protests

24% - Game delays/penalties/reviews

18% - Too many commercials

18% - Election coverage

18% - Domestic violence/crime/image objections

6% - Cord cutters

If you combine Game delays, penalties, and commercials into "things that interrupt/slow down the game" guess what? That's 42% and your #1 reason those people stopped watching.

And if you really want to scratch your head, 27% of people say they watched/went to fewer hockey games because of anthem protests. I am not familiar with any such protests happening. Which hints at the possibility that respondents just don't know wtf they're talking about. Which, if you've ever parsed survey results, you always get several of those.

 

[anon_umk0ifu6vj6zi]

Do you honestly need me to break down for you the backstory of how popular it was among certain voters to crap on polls after the election and how popular it still is to crap on the approval rating polls? Keep up, huh? You don't have to think it's funny but I was thought you'd at least understand the reference.

Let's look at the NFL viewership poll in question, shall we? They surveyed about 9,200 people.

In simple terms, if you put 9,200 people in an NFL stadium, you'd say there was "nobody" at that game because it would be mostly empty seats. So not exactly a massive poll.

Now of those people they broke it into "football fans." Actually 29% of them said their viewership increased. 10% said it went down. So more increase than decrease in their sample which is contrary to the story of "The NFL is dying OMFG."

16% said they went to fewer games. How many went to more games? 24%. Again, doesn't fit the narrative.

Now let's look at WHY the people who decreased did so. They combined the people who watched fewer games on TV and the people who went to fewer games together, then asked them why.

The % breakdowns they give only add up to 96 so Iet's assume rounding accounts for that. So why did they stop watching?

66% say some reason other than anthem protests

30% say anthem protest.

Headline: ANTHEM PROTESTS MAIN CAUSE OF TANKING NFL RATINGS!!!!

Misleading or nah? If you ask the question, "Did you stop watching because of anthem protests or something else" suddenly "something else" wins in a landslide. But if you pick nits about which single reason came in first, it looks like this:

30% - Anthem protests

24% - Game delays/penalties/reviews

18% - Too many commercials

18% - Election coverage

18% - Domestic violence/crime/image objections

6% - Cord cutters

And if you really want to scratch your head, 27% of people say they watched/went to fewer hockey games because of anthem protests. I am not familiar with any such protests happening. Which hints at the possibility that respondents just don't know wtf they're talking about. Which, if you've ever parsed survey results, you always get several of those.

Good effort. I didn't read more than about 10 words, because ot has absolutely zero to do with Kaepernick, his actions, and his decision to voluntarily opt out of a contract in an organization that held him up as a hero.

 

[TheBeav815]

Good effort. I didn't read more than about 10 words, because ot has absolutely zero to do with Kaepernick, his actions, and his decision to voluntarily opt out of a contract in an organization that held him up as a hero.

Congratulations on being too cool to get tripped up with facts about the story that brought this whole subject back up in the first place. Your trophy should arrive within 5-10 business days.

 

[Enrozes]

9600 is a pretty hefty sample, actually, but I agree with the rest of your points.

I find it hard to believe there are a significant number of actual football fans refusing to watch because of "domestic violence/crime/image objections."

They really should have had "my team sucks this year" as an option.

 

[TheBeav815]

9600 is a pretty hefty sample, actually, but I agree with the rest of your points.

I find it hard to believe there are a significant number of actual football fans refusing to watch because of "domestic violence/crime/image objections."

They really should have had "my team sucks this year" as an option.

In terms of a sample size it's decent. But a lot of people have no idea what the process of polling, stats, and extrapolation is. So they see an article and think somehow millions of people weighed in on why the ratings were down, and such is not the case.

Were it truly representative, there should have been more people who said their viewership decreased. Hence the reason I went to the trouble to put the number in relative terms.