HOT SPOT(S): Steve is live on ESPN

Those ESPN folks sure know how to promo. Whether it's superstar athletes wandering the office cubicles in Bristol, Conn., or Steve the human stopwatch hyping next Monday's new daytime SportsCenter debut, they put more creativity into promoting their shows than -- well, into their shows. Which, if you think about it, is good, since it seems the promos run a lot more frequently.

Steve's pops up live all the time, like during last night's rain-soaked Cubs baseball game, when he was in the makeup room making a mess of himself. Or before that, in the ESPN cafeteria (swank!) grabbing a banana. Or singing Werewolves of London karaoke to sideline reporter Erin Andrews from a local bar. Or home in bed, still breaking news.

They really are live, as if you couldn't tell, when Steve updates us on the Manny trade, or the game score, or how empty his office mailbox is.

Steve, whose last name is Braband, and who actually is an ESPN intern, has an endaring awkwardness. He makes mistakes. He's One of Us (though I doubt he's the one Joan Osborne was singing about).

I'm starting to wish that the show Steve is hyping -- daytime's new live SportsCenter, airing 9 a.m.-3 p.m. ET weekdays -- wasn't going to actually arrive next week, since it seems that means Steve is out of a job, or at least this job. And I'm gonna miss him. Surely he's got better things to do. But I don't.

You can watch Steve's handiwork here, and check out his schedule of on-air appearances, and read his stream of consciousness blog. You can even email Steve. I suspect his inbox is a little less lonely now.