Getting back to the original post, I do believe it depends on who is playing. As an example: The NFL loves the Pats in prime time because:
A. NE fans will watch
B. Other fans will watch because they hate the Patriots.
I at times believe the NFL makes crap up to make them a bigger villain just to keep people watching them. And for a long time as the White Hat they had Indy and P Manning (then it went to the Broncos) I am not sure who the ultimate GOOD guy is now. But I think you get my drift, I don't think they rig games but they influence people's opinions about teams to get them to watch more than just their home team