Plus, there are ways other than money to "get to" somebody. Blackmail, threats to loved ones, and more.

I always thought that Earnhardt Jr. winning the 2004 Daytona 500 exactly six years to the day after Sr. won his one & only 500 was a bit fishy. NASCAR has always been more about the 'show' than about actual racing and you couldn't have given the fans a bigger thrill than that. Just slightly larger holes in Jr's restrictor plate would've been enough to do it. Earnhardt himself might've not even been in on it...just a few of the top brass and tech people could've made it happen.

If modern sporting contests were to be 'fixed', this would be the way to do it. And it's not even necessary to throw the win to a team that clearly should've lost...just controlling the points spread would be enough. The 'right' team still wins, huge amounts of betting money are shifted one way or another and fans are none the wiser.