I believe this is the LAT debut for Mr.House who has 14 or so NYT publications since 2009. The theme is rather simple with the second word of each theme fill being a form of 'headgear' but resulting in a phrase that has a very different meaning. No reveal needed. Only 8 three letter fill and some sparkle with CRATERS, LESSONS, ORINOCO, REDOUBT, AD BLOCKER, NAME DROPS
17A. Headgear not for amateurs? : PRO BOWLER (9). A CSO to Boomer.
27A. Headgear for a certain batting champ? : TRIPLE CROWN (11). The man with the most three base hits and a term for someone who leads the league in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. Also a horse racing goal accomplished this year for the first time in 29 years.
47A. Headgear for some skaters? : ROLLER DERBY (11).
64A. Headgear for contract negotiations? : SALARY CAP (9).
Across:
1. Two of its members wrote the music for "Chess" : ABBA. Once again...this MUSICAL has not been a success in the US.
5. Angling trophy : BASS. Is the fish the trophy?
9. Not sour : ON KEY. Friday cluing.
14. Chillax : LOLL.
15. Horn accessory : MUTE. JzB?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f9VlqbXH2I
16. Kitchen feature : RANGE.
19. Qualifying words : I MEAN. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
20. Bunk : HOKUM. Two made up words.
21. License-issuing org. : DMV. Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver licenses.
22. They're not optional : NEEDS.
23. Weak : ANEMIC.
25. Career grand slam leader : AROD. His batting coach last year was Barry Bonds.
33. Princess friend of Dorothy : OZMA. In every book but the first one and in Baum's words, "Her eyes sparkled as two diamonds, and her lips were tinted like a tourmaline. All adown her back floated tresses of ruddy gold, with a slender jeweled circlet confining them at the brow."
37. Gibbon, for one : APE.
38. Dr. Howser of '80s-'90s TV : DOOGIE. I bet most do not associate this series with others created by Bochco and Kelley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrERtikdPus
39. Done __ : DEED. Deal seemed so right.
40. Sierra follower, in the NATO alphabet : TANGO.
42. Stiff : PRIM.
43. Facilitate : ENABLE.
45. Torque symbol, in mechanics : TAU. Please Fermat and Bill G, tell us more.
46. Utah state flower : SEGO.
50. Bologna bone : OSSO. Just the Italian word.
51. Work together : TEAM UP.
56. Spy plane acronym : AWACS. Airborne Warning and Control System,
59. Tolkien race member : ELF.
62. Poor treatment : ABUSE.
63. Breadcrumbs used in Asian cuisine : PANKO. Per wiki Panko is made from bread baked by electrical current, which yields a bread without a crust, and then grinding the bread to create fine slivers of crumb. Come from Japan which learned about bread from Europeans.
66. A lot : OFTEN.
67. Camera that uses 70mm film : IMAX. Where I watched Avatar.
68. Junk, say : SHIP. Asian again, tricky. What you need to KNOW.
69. Shows signs of life : STIRS.
70. A mullet covers it : NAPE. Name the movie?
71. Xperia manufacturer : SONY. They make smart phones and tablets.
Down:
1. __-Bits : ALPHA. A crossword puzzle dream.
2. Element between beryllium and carbon on the periodic table : BORON.
Boring.
3. Chap : BLOKE. Nice Cuppa, Steve...
4. "Help!" is one : ALBUM. Beatles album and movie.
5. German import : BMW. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG English: Bavarian Motor Works.
6. Word sung in early January : AULD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acxnmaVTlZA
7. Watch part : STEM.
8. Spotted wildcat : SERVAL. To me it looks like a leopard raped a bunny and then....
9. River under the Angostura Bridge : ORINOCO. Interesting. LINK.
10. Tries to impress, in a way : NAME DROPS. Like knowing someone famous makes you better; so silly. I remember saying that when I was in the elevator with John Lennon at the Continental Hyatt House...
11. Dummy's place : KNEE. So many come to mind
12. "Good heavens!" : EGAD.
13. Hankerings : YENS.
18. Insult in an Oscar acceptance speech, perhaps : OMIT. Don't forget the make up girl.
24. Significant depressions : CRATERS. Not mood swings.
26. Defensive fortification : REDOUBT. This was NEW to me, the perps brought it home.
28. Bar brew, briefly : IPA. India Pale Ale.
29. Board game using stones : PENTE. Sounds like a derivative GAME.
30. Fiend : OGRE.
31. "SNL" alum with Hader and Samberg : WIIG. Does she pass the Splynter test?
32. Fictional captain : NEMO. 20,000 reasons to remember.
33. River through Frankfurt : ODER. On my list of 4 letter European rivers to remember.
34. Philosopher known for his "Achilles and the Tortoise" paradox : ZENO. It is mostly speculation but he did influence Plato and Aristotle. LINK.
35. Ground grain : MEAL.
36. Pop-up prevention : AD BLOCKER. Nice new fill.
41. Sharp-toothed fish : GAR.
44. Course components : LESSONS.
48. Rubs out : DOESIN.
49. Oenophile's concern : YEAR.
52. Deep space : ABYSS.
53. Oodles of, in slang : MUCHO. Usually with dinero.
54. Bolt like lightning? : USAIN.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A-WBKfnqBHM
55. Raring to go : PEPPY.
56. Mil. mail drops : APOS.
57. Drift, as smoke : WAFT.
58. Fighting : ANTI.
60. Dharma teacher : LAMA.
61. Door in the woods : FLAP.
65. Tin Man's tool : AXE. An ending toast to our own de-icer and my favorite unknown band. LISTEN.
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