As I wrote in an email to FanHouse's bloggers earlier today: Jamie's got a hell of a talent for helping media powerhouses that are ready to put their trust in the editorial judgment of the folks who have usually written independently and for free.
Having successfully done that for AOL, it just makes sense for him to head over to Yahoo! and do it (or something like it) again. He's been the head of FanHouse, but an operation as decentralized as this should keep on going and keep doing excellently without him at the helm. The continued success of FanHouse, and the success of Jamie's new project, should be to the benefit of bloggers generally.
So what's new for FanHouse with Jamie on his way out? I really dislike having such a non-announcement on a Big Announcement Day, but: Nothing else is changing at FanHouse.
It's true that, when DCSportsGuy takes his coffee cup and leaves, the site's Managerial Handsomeness Index will nosedive. But we'll have 100% editorial continuity going forward. By which I mean we'll keep making it up as we go along, with the writers leading the way editorially.
Honestly, I'm looking as hard as I can into my media navel right now, and I can't find anything but good news here, for FanHouse and blogs generally.
If you're a huge fan of Deadspin, or TrueHoop or Shanoff or Darko or EDSBS or With Leather or whoever, that site has brought you some news faster and funnier because Jamie built FanHouse. Your morning coffee probably benefited from FanHouse even if you hardly ever came by the site.
Whatever Jamie starts doing, it's going to keep the benefits coming. If you think the forthcoming YaHaus (or whatever this "sports social media area" is) is the greatest thing since MJD's first post on the Vikings Sex Boat, hallelujah. If you don't, it will still inevitably help to feed ideas to your favorite blog.
Jamie Mottram is, generally speaking, good for America wherever he goes.
