Originally Posted by
Spudulika
From personal experience I've heard more bitching and moaning on the football pitch than rugby and GAA combined. Not to say it's not there in other codes, just that it's part and parcel of the sport. Rugby is better policed (often policed from within sides) while GAA has it's moments but is generally more at ease with itself. One of the worst sports I've ever known for non-stop bitchfesting is ice hockey. Constant stream of abuse from benches, mouthing on the ice and it's not just in N America, it's around Europe too. Yet it seems to escape the same punishment as, say, football gets.
I'd love to see refs give out straight reds for players who swear at officials in football. A stream of red cards would quickly happen, followed by a general copping on and clampdown by sponsors and tv people.