In the late 1960s there used to be a massive day long Johnny-on-the-Pony fest at the bottom of the stairs next to Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. It was a pick up game with several ponies lined up next to one another, probably 100 players or more at a time on any given Saturday.

Fans would be lined up along the wall at the top of the stairs looking down at the action and cheering whenever the pony filled with riders and one more runner came leaping aboard. It was truly an authentic New York experience.

At 125 pounds, I was an observer at these “semi-pro” games, but enjoyed playing in school. No one seemed to notice or care that so many of our activities were perilous. We continued to shoot half paper clips at each other with rubber band launchers after Mario gained a glass eye. Nowadays you can’t even find a set of metal monkey bars set on a rough concrete pad. Man those hurt.