Soccer has music in-game all the time, it's just supplied by the fans singing or the intensely annoying vuvuzuela beehive that makes listening to the World Cup intolerable. I sat next to the Brazil section at US-Brazil in Palo Alto for the World Cup and they were singing, dancing, playing percussion all game. For some of them it was more about the party in the stands than the game on the field. And that's my criticism of your point, not all soccer fans are all about the game only. Some are there for the atmosphere and live in that vibe. The only difference NBA v soccer is the fans supply the music in soccer. Why is that an important difference if your goal is focus on the game only? Referees. Soccer has less volume of calls, less judgment calls. Judgment is involved in making the call of course, but it's perfunctory. Offsides is pretty basic compared to charge/blocking. Also have a larger field and more space to see a play develop. You can't compare the two. Though I would love to see yellow cards and red cards in the NBA, it would be a hoot. Red card Sheed and watch him go nuts. We'd see cards torn, refs decked, fun stuff. Flopping. It's worse in soccer. Hard tackle and the guy writhes on the field like someone needs to get an ambulance out there right now. Player sees the ref isn't buying it and miraculously Ambulance Man is back up and ready to play. The NBA has Paul Pierce pulling that. Soccer has a busload of bad actors. As a Warriors season ticket holder I can tell you that the entertainment can work, but more during time outs than in-game, the Flying Dubs (dunks off trampoline) always fire the crowd up. Usually at Oracle the fans start a chant and then the music kicks in to support it, not the reverse. I get your point that the NBA in-game can tend to manufacture atmosphere and in soccer it's more organic since the fans are passionate, unified and drunk. But a single focus just on the game isn't true for either sport.