RE: As an exercise: Try to explain why a team that looses would gain "enthusiasm" just because they didn't really try to win and try to relate that to reality?
OK, I can explain that for you. I play for a team, we have two games coming up. One, we know we are going to get beat no matter how hard we try, the second is against our local rivals and we feel we must win. But we know that our fans want us to win both games. This worries us - because we don't want to get booed or spend a week being told how unlucky we were after trying our hardest and still losing. That's soul destroying. Instead, our clever coach manages our expectations, and the crowd's via the local media by saying, we are big underdogs for the game ahead but next week we play Local Rival. Next week, I want you all to leave it all out there on the court. Next week, is a war. This week, do your best but they are big favourites, so don't risk injury.
In football, for instance, we see English Premier League managers all the time saying that the other team are big favourites etc. and that it's "important that we win the games against the teams around us in the table".
I think you are all missing the point in relating to TIE - if you TIE at home and lose to a team you are expected to beat, you should pay in decreased home attendence for the next game. If you CT at home and win a close game then it should boost your attendence for the next home game. Anyway, that's another discussion.