And even if it doesn't make rationalist sense, isn't it understandable why academics wouldn't like being "one-upped" so badly, and so would suppress "too good" results for the wrong reasons?

It's conceivable. But anyone who went into academia for the money is Doing It Wrong, so I tend to give academics the benefit of the doubt that they're enthusiastic about pursuing the betterment of their respective fields.

[It] sounds about as plausible to me as the idea that most viruses are created by Norton to keep them in business.

ETA: hmm... awkward wording. "It" above refers to the preceding hypothesis about academics acting in bad faith.