It’s nothing like wrestling. They have a script, and predetermined winners. The NFL (and MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, CART...) are pushing boundaries, often times too far. The whole nature of the penalty system in sports creates a system where breaking rules is good, it’s part of the game, often necessary. Look at NBA teams behind in the 4th, foul a guy, send him to the line, hope he misses, then you get the ball. It’s considered a good way to keep the team ahead from milking the shot clock, but on its strictest level that’s cheating, they broke a rule. NHL announcers will talk about good penalties to take, better to go short handed for 2 minutes than to give the other team’s best scorer a breakaway.
Cheating is a built in assumption in sports. The question really comes in on just how big a cheat you’re doing, and is it one the viewing audience has come to accept as part of the game. A guy who takes a lot of holding calls might get called sloppy, under skilled, or under coached, but nobody says he’s a cheater. A guy that holds a lot but doesn’t get caught get’s called wily, sly, or a smart veteran player, but again never a cheater. And yet, really, they both are. But we expect that cheating, it’s been a part of the game since before we started watching, so nobody whips out the C word.
WWF had "suspension of disbelief" going for it. Thoroughly entertaining. The NFL is walking a fine line.
NBA. My brother swears the Jordan ‘early retirement’ was actually a 2-year suspension for gambling, just done behind the scenes to save face for MJ and the NBA as a league.