I don't know if this is right but I always thought the outcome of a game is already decided at the beginning by the game engine. The "details" are just put together throughout the game to reach that result. So I think that's where the feeling of scripting comes into play. The game is manipulated to get to that result.
THat's true. It's a little more detailed than that, but indeed we are just watching the replay. The thing is, normally (in my opinion), the game is accurate and makes sense...but sometimes "unusual" things happen, and to me it just feels scripted in effort to produce the desired outcome. Fortunately that is the exception, not the rule..but I hate when that happens ;)