This article is about MLB, but it applies equally to the NBA and to some extent to the NFL. What happens to fan interest in pro-sports if fans conclude the leagues are mostly engaged in an exhibition, and not competition?

"The AL Central is the home of the Cleveland Indians, one of a handful of major-league baseball teams of which it could reasonably be said that they are planning to win baseball games this season—92 in all, by FanGraphs’ reckoning. They ought to win the AL Central handily. It’s just that they would like very much to win it a little less handily.

The Indians spent the offseason trying to trade away their best pieces, among them Corey Kluber, who has been as good as any pitcher in baseball over the past few seasons. FiveThirtyEight’s Neil Paine called it a “have-your-tank-and-beat-them-too” model. "

Here's the link to the 538 article: "https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-indians-are-contenders-but-could-they-get-away-with-a-little-tanking/