Crossword Genius

Sports official may be seen as a poet (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

linesman

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'sports official' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'seen as a poet' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'as' could be 'in' (I've seen this in other clues) and 'in' is found within the answer.
'a' could be 'an' and 'an' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'may be' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for linesman that I've seen before include "park official" , "Football official" , "Official helping referee - telephone repairer" , "Male official with a flag" , "Referee's assistant" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.