Cryptic crossword No 997

Not done one of yours in a while Lamppost but this was full of lovely stuff and I thoroughly enjoyed the solve, particularly 7a (neat), 8a (smooth and fun), 10a (satisfying), 13a (clever), 22a (smooth), 25a (very clean, delightful fodder), 26a (fun), 28a (nice), 2d (satisfying assembly), 3d (neat), 5d (fun), 19d (nice) and 23d (cute) - thanks for the puzzle :)

Well, they really should have won, that's all I can say. It's a good job I didn't bet on it.

Great fun, Lamppost, from start to finish. Beaten by 27a which is a nho but everything else solved and parsed satisfactorily. Some witty, some clever, some both: nice mix. Favourites include 10a, 11a, 12a, 17a, 25a, 28a, 2d, 4d (nice spot), 19d and 24d. Spoilers in reply. Thanks. PM

Ha, nice puzzle Lampost. Like others, I found this really entertaining, though no longer know anything about American Football (though loved it for a while as a youngster). And while I fancied I knew something about the theme, clearly I had gaps. Enjoyed the educational notes. Laughs for 7a 8a 13a (PDM!) 17a and 19d. Thanks. Good fun!