| OBLATE | ___ spheroid (football, to sports writers) (6) |
| JONBOIS | Sports writer who created 17776, a story about the future of football |
| ENTOURAGE | 'HBO's celebration of celebrity opulence,' per Fox Sports writer Damon Martin |
| PASSED | Played a football to a teammate (6) |
| SOCCER | Football, to North Americans |
| PERSIA | County no longer on maps, according to Sports Illustrated article (6) |
| DALLAS | US city which is home to sports teams the Stars, Mavericks, Cowboys, and Rangers (6) |
| SINBIN | Penalty box, to sports fans |
| EVENTS | Things that happen to sports program items |
| ICERUN | Church linking to sport put in fashionable toboggan slide (3,3) |
| TOUPEE | Socially acceptable in top quarters to sport one? |
| TRUMAN | Harry S. ___ 33rd President of the U.S.A. and the last (so far) to sport a beard in office |
| DIVE | In football, to fall on purpose to win a free kick or penalty |
| PASSSPORT | Football, to a certain extent? |
| GAMEPRESERVER | Keeper in football to bottle it perhaps? Right! (4-9) |
| SPLURGE | Encourage Scottish football to start excessive spending (7) |
| PELE | Star of football, to most of the world |
| PASS | Throw the football to a fellow player |
| FORKICKS | Why people play football - to have excitement (3,5) |
| PRESSBOX | Hacks at football to besiege penalty area |
