What's the lesson media companies should learn from ESPN's short dalliance with BARSTOOL SPORTS? Maybe it's to enter into relationships with clear intentions and a gameplan. ESPN had to know what it was getting in Barstool and the reaction it would get. Was bailing after one episode caving to PR or a sign of unpreparedness? Did ESPN PRESIDENT JOHN SKIPPER's breakup statement indicate the latter? This probably won't be the last time ESPN tries to align itself with outside talent. DESUS & MERO will contribute to its NBA coverage. ESPN is trying to get cooler, skew younger, shoehorn in credibility it doesn't have inside its walls. No shame in that. Legacy media networks, even nimble ones, have to figure out something to stay current. If you can't beat the digital companies taking bites out of your audience, try to feed them yourself. Barstool is the home of the id-driven sports fan. Has always been. Don't be surprised if there are objections. Should ESPN have weathered the storm and stuck with Barstool? Maybe ESPN miscalculated the risks and benefits. Has it learned anything from its JEMELE HILL situation? Spell out boundaries for talent and how much you're willing to endure. These shouldn't be reflexive decisions. It's hard living life tweet-to-tweet. Maybe ESPN wanted to make its in-house talent feel empowered. Their reaction to Hill's suspension wasn't universally supportive. ESPN talent led the drive against Barstool. What is it worth to keep everyone happy? Bringing in new, young audiences and different demos means taking chances. Does ESPN want to take chances? How far does it want to go? The short-lived BARSTOOL VAN TALK era serves Barstool. It gives it the momentary glitz of an ESPN partnership, and allows it to keep its outsider's edge. Its reputation hasn't budged. Barstool is crass and controversial and can't be ignored. Will losing an ESPN partnership slow it down or fuel it? Can it continue to grow into a force or will Barstool have to change for its own good? SportsSET: "Is Barstool Only for the Boys?"... Sunday is the last sports equinox this year. All four major US sports playing on the same day. The 18th in history, though the second in two weeks. These are rarities. The first wasn't until 1971, and we went 16 years without one from 1985 to 2001. It's why you have an IPAD and a few second screens... RIP ROBERT GUILLAUME. Didn't get to see him in SOAP or BENSON; he'll always be ISAAC JAFFE to me. He was a bedrock of SPORTS NIGHT, which still stands up as one of AARON SORKIN's better works. Jaffe was an archetype for JED BARTLETT and CHARLIE SKINNER later on. Read NPR's remembrance of Guillaume and go watch Sports Night... We're living in an era when GMs are king and managers like DUSTY BAKER and JOE GIRARDI are replaceable. Managers used to be the ones running the chessboard, now they're the pieces... When life almost imitates CHAPPELLE SHOW.