Cork doff their caps to Mister Economy

Hurling pauses, if only to catch its breath. 

Nearly five weeks ago, the championship revved into high gear via that terrific Cork-Tipperary Munster quarter-final.

Aficionados thought they knew what would happen this summer, more or less. Then prospects altered before our eyes, game after game. Three of the All-Ireland semi-finalists from both 2015 and 2016 skidded into the qualifiers.