If the Olympic Committee really is serious about increasing TV revenues…

Got those brackets done yet?

No, not the NCAAs. The US Pole Dance Championships.

The US Pole Dance Federation, better known to acronym lovers as the USPDF, was hosting the first annual US Pole Dance Championship. Twelve female contestants, chosen from more than 50 applicants, would be competing for the honor of representing the United States at Miss Pole Dance Australia 2009 and for a spot on the cover of next month’s Pole2Pole Magazine.

Ha. Trick question. Too late – they’re already done. If you didn’t have Janyne Butterfly winning it all, well, sorry.

Dressed in a white two-piece outfit and veil, Butterfly lived up to her name. She defied gravity. At times, one arm supported the entire weight of her outstretched body. Her moves were elegant, her transitions seamless. By the time Butterfly capped off her performance with her signature “flag move” — think of her as the flag on a flagpole — the capacity crowd was on its feet.

And while the judges took 10 minutes to give the appearance of a formal debate, everyone knew the winner had already been decided. Jenyne Butterfly was the 2009 US Pole Dance Champion.

The USPDF will tell you that pole dancing isn’t stripping – it’s a serious way to stay fit and increase athleticism. They’ll get no argument from me.

In fact, haven’t I heard that Olympic viewership has been down lately? We may have a solution.