The price stars pay for the love of sport

“POP!” is the sound which can often be heard by both the victim and those nearby when the anterior cruciate ligament buried deeply inside the knee snaps under stress or collision.

When the knee is attached to a star hurler like Henry Shefflin only weeks before the All-Ireland final then that “Pop!” is heard throughout the country.

We hear so much nowadays about ligaments. We know so little about them except that their “Pops!” have such an impact on the sports we follow. Sunday’s All-Ireland final build-up is focused on the interior of King Henry’s knee.