[Gary]

That time in your life when you know that your sporting career is finished. It happened to me way back in '97 at the tender age of 36 I knew I was coming to the end of my footballing life but I thought that maybe one more year but it would be my decision. Four games into an 18 game season I turned to chase the ball when it bounced between me and an opponent and in the next second I was on the ground grabbing at the back of my knee.
Monday afternoon at the club doctors office.
The doctor told me "Your knee is gone."
"There's no point in pretending you can carry on"
"Your ligament is; broken in two."
"There's just one thing I can recommend for you."
And he's telling me over and over and over again my friend
I'm going to need a complete knee reconstruction

[sschweiger]

Gary, I fully sympathize & empathize! We thought that my next door neighbor would become a college All-American basketball player, and, perhaps, even an NBAer! A superb natural talent! Could do everything! As a high school freshman, he STARTED on a team of seniors and juniors! And, one game near the end of his frosh season, he injured his knee, and that was that! Never played another second of bball! All those dreams -- gone! He was never the same human being! Very sad!

[Gary]

While the tale of my knee did end my footy career with a dislocated knee rather than a ligament issue, the second part in the doctors office is a parody. Does anyone remember Eve Of Destruction?

[johnofphilly]

I suspected as much from your tone, Gary - and, yes - Barry McGuire
(a recent pic of him revealed a bit of a crackpot with a shaved head).