The first four stages of grief include (1) denial, (2) anger, (3) bargaining, and (4) depression. Those were the various emotions many Orioles fans have dealt with throughout the 2018 season. As the campaign enters the final grind – 37 games to go as of today – I realized this weekend I’ve entered the fifth stage of grief associated with what will almost certainly be the worst season in the history of the club.
Acceptance. The final stage of grief. As experts on the five stages tell us, acceptance is not being “all right” with what happened, but it does mean “we learn to live with it” and it is the “new norm.