“I am convinced that the in certain games referees are told to try and let certain teams win.”
I agree. I made the conclusion that umpires and refs choose winners before the game in 1997 when the Marlins won the World Series over silly calls. My hunch is that some owners bribe the refs. My hunch is supported by the fact that Pete Rose is punished for using money to change the score and Barry Bonds is rewarded for using drugs to change the score. Rams won on a lame call. Whatever. Just go with the flow and enjoy the show.
I don’t think it is the owners, I think it is the league itself. As for baseball there are plenty of opportunities to call a ball a strike or a strike a ball. I also remember watching a Brewer game where a challenge was called on a homerun. The ball clearly struck above the yellow line on the outfield wall and it was overturned.