Vive La France! 
Happy coincidence:
Hoops shot that misses everything AIRBALL
Desperation gridiron pass HAILMARY [considering the theme, “Ave Maria” might have been the clue]
Each of the four French terms contains the letter V, as does Brett FAVRE (French origin] --- no other V’s appear and they are infrequent in Xwords.
Fading star HAS BEEN [his star already faded]
RATING:
Three grins = Excellent: Loved it; Two grins = Good: Enjoyed it; One grin = Satisfactory: A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Unsatisfying: No fun
