How the Hell is my Final Four Perfect?

It’s been about two weeks since you’ve heard from me. I stand by what I said from the start: The last thing I want to do is force this thing.

But I’m back. And just a heads up, this week’s newsletter is a sappy one. 

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After turning 28 last weekend and running through the emotions of another birthday, it’s nice to be typing out my thoughts. Because I think every birthday comes with a bit of excitement and anxiety.

The excitement comes from looking at how far you’ve come since last year’s birthday, but the anxiety stems from not being where you may have imagined yourself. 

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this.

I’m often guilty of having an “if, then” mindset when it comes to happiness. I’ll think along the lines of, “If I get this job or that apartment, then I’ll be happy,” which is a terrible mentality.

Holden — one of my best friends — hit me with a quote yesterday that resonated with me and shifted my perspective a bit. It was something like…

“Happiness is looking forward to or craving something you already have.”

While I certainly struggle with anxiety around what my longer-term future looks like (i.e. finding a girl, buying a house and my career), I’m lucky to be very happy right now, which helps me get over the anxiety. 

I mean, today literally consisted of several career highlights for me. First and foremost, I somehow perfectly predicted the Final Four despite not knowing shit about college basketball. It was pretty cool getting a bump from Big Cat on Twitter.

The moment I really had to pinch myself, though, was when I chatted 1-on-1 with Sidney Crosby.

I always attend the visiting team’s morning skate at MSG, but there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to talk to the player of my choosing. Every guy is different. Some don’t mind talking to the media, while others like to be left alone on gameday. But Crosby couldn’t have been nicer. 

I walked up to Sid, shook his hand and asked if he remembered me from our skate before the season. 

Of course — like the polite guy he is — No. 87 said, “Oh yeah man, of course, how are you?”

He was probably just being nice, but if he actually remembered me that would be pretty cool. 

I asked him if he had two minutes for a few questions — which is the protocol for my stories for DailyFaceoff.com — and Sid was kind enough to give me about five minutes of his time. He didn’t bullshit me either. He gave me thought-out responses.

As I write this, I’m still struggling to grasp that I just walked up to Sidney Crosby in the Penguins’ locker room and sat with him for a conversation.

It was pretty surreal. 

Anyway, I can’t believe April is already here. The best time of year is upon us.

Talk to you next week.

With love, 

Jonny

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