September 26, 2008 10:28 AM

Creek grad Iseman lets comic flavor simmer

A year ago Matt Iseman and I worked as a comedy show tag-team, entertaining an audience under a big white tent near Castle Pines.

Iseman, 37, is doing a lot better as a solo act. The former three-sport athlete at Cherry Creek High School is hosting Sports Soup -- a new half-hour show that will air twice a week (8 p.m. MDT) starting Oct. 14 on cable network Versus.

Sports Soup is an athletic spin-off of The Soup, a popular series on Versus' sister network, E!

"Certain things in sports really lend themselves to parody," Iseman said. "Most of the shows on TV now have humor when they approach sports. The difference is, we're not looking to do results, not looking to do stats or opinions.

"All we're looking to do is entertain people, to point out the humor in sports. Basically, point out the absurdities in sports.

"There are certain things in sports you see that are hilarious. That's the set-up. This show just wants to give the punch line."

On Mar. 31, 1993 Iseman was one of three Princeton University pitchers to throw three innings apiece in a no-hitter against Manhattan. That bit of information wasn't in the Sports Soup press release, but Iseman would want viewers to know that he's not just another TV face with no athletic ability.

He's got game -- and jokes. Iseman is scheduled to bring his stand-up act to Wits End Comedy Club in Westminster during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

"We're a little chunkier than the traditional soup," Iseman said. "The guys at The Soup love sports. So why can't that piece on Tyra (Banks) be about T.O. (Terrell Owens) instead?

"I would love for the show to be a place where athletes want to come. The tone of the show is, we're going to make fun of you -- but it's because we love you."

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