In other words: -

(1) Respecting the referee's decisions and not swearing at the officials and crowding them if a decision goes against the player/team.

(2) Not diving about and feigning injury like the player has just been shot. Sure rugby is more of a contact sport than football but the way some players like Ronaldo and Dida behave is just LAUGHABLE. What do you think would happen if a rugby player fell to the ground, rolled over a few times and started carrying on like some professional footballers in the Premiership do after they are tackled? I tell you what would happen. He would be labelled a pussy and would probably never do it again. The way some professional footballers behave after the slightest touch does make you question whether the professional game can ever be considered a real man's game anymore. I would probably submit that it is not. Did anyone see the England - Australia game last week when a blood stained Andy Gomersall just carried on playing even though he had been smashed to bits? http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/06102007/8/photo/blood-stained-andy-gomersall-action.html
The image says it all.

3) Belting the national anthem out with pride. Compare the England rugby team, when they sing the national anthem with their chests out and genuine pride, with the England football team. Look at the faces of Neville, Rooney, Gerrard et al during the anthem. Most of the time they have their heads down and appear to look totally disinterested and miserable. No passion. Look at the camaraderie and spirit the England rugby players showed before and after the game last Saturday. I cannot recall the last time I saw the England football team huddle round before or after a game and actually look like they were really playing for eachother. I have noticed that the Arsenal squad now have a trademark huddle after games and you can see they have a great togetherness and love for the game. Is it any surprise that they are top of the league?

4) The fact that in rugby you can take you kids to a game without fear of them being privy to bad language and unsavoury songs from surrounding fans. Why is it in rugby you can take a pint into a game but you cannot do the same in football? Is it because football fans in general cannot be trusted with alcohol? Why is it that rugby fans from all over the world socialise and mix together before, during and after the game without there hardly being any incident of reported violence? What is it about football fans in general that makes general integration of fans so undesirable?

5) How to get to finals.

Why is it that ex-players like Jimmy Greaves have come out and said that they would rather watch a game of rugby than football?

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...

Is it because, as Jimmy says, football has gone soft?

Your views.

Btw i made this thread on notse to.

Thanks, now I know what notse is.

On point #2, I'm not too knowledgeable about football, but don't players do that in hopes of drawing a penalty kick? I mean sure, they can be labeled a pussy or whatnot, but a win is a win. Think about the position they're in. And also (and my lack of football knowledge is really showing, perhaps) but I remember a while back some sort of controversy about the penalty kick system being very lopsided and easy to take advantage of. In such a low scoring game, one point matters A LOT.

As for your other points, most of them can be applied to pretty much any sport in the US.

Refs should be stricter on divers. Automatic yellow the first time and a red if they continue. Why FIFA doesn't clamp down on this is anyones guess.