Bowling Bracketology: Stars Battle in Tournament-Style Fan Vote to Earn Coveted Spot in Bowling's Celebrity Hall of Fame

ARLINGTON, Texas, March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame is again giving the voting power to fans across the world to decide the 2012 inductees into its Celebrity Hall of Fame. This year's lineup of nominees features musicians, professional athletes, media personalities and movie stars who share a common passion – an enthusiasm for the great sport of bowling.

Throughout the month of March, fans can vote daily at www.gobowling.com in a bracket-style competition that pits star against star. Voters will receive a downloadable coupon for a "buy one get one free" game of bowling for each vote they cast.

Each week will feature a round of matchups with one celebrity moving on to the next round until only two celebrities are left to face off against one another. The final will take place during the first week in April and the winner will be announced the following week.

Additionally, paying tribute to two film icons who have helped popularize bowing on the silver screen, fans will also be empowered to vote Jeff Bridges ("The Big Lebowski") or Bill Murray ("Kingpin") into the Hall of Fame as legacy nominations.

The 2012 nominees include: two-time Hall of Fame runner-up Justin Bieber; pop stars Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Drake; NBA superstar and recreational bowler LeBron James; pro football sensation Tim Tebow; and racing legend Jeff Gordon. The list of nominees is further rounded out by popular "Today" show TV personalities, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb; professional wrestling legend and former amateur bowler, Hulk Hogan; and "Jersey Shore" reality star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi.

"The 2012 field of nominees for the bowling Hall of Fame all share one thing in common – an appreciation for bowling, the greatest game in the world.  From A-list celebrities and movie stars to sports legends and national TV personalities, these individuals come from all walks of life and demonstrate the widespread appeal of bowling, which crosses all age, geographic and psychographic boundaries," said Steve Johnson, executive director of the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA). 

Added Johnson, "Once again, we've put the power into the hands of the fans, giving them the chance to help their favorite celebrities achieve bowling immortality. But this year we've heightened the excitement and anticipation by reformatting the Hall of Fame voting competition into a bracket-style tournament, allowing for fun and exciting matchups never seen before."

Voting for the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame will begin on March 12th online at www.gobowling.com to determine which star will join the ranks of Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Jerome Bettis as the latest star to make their mark in bowling history. 

"The Celebrity Hall of Fame competition is now an annual tradition that draws participation from thousands of bowling enthusiasts worldwide, allowing fans across the globe to help impact bowling history," said Keith Hamilton, chairman of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.  "We've seen tremendous fan engagement and the voting has gone down to the wire for two years in a row.  With some of the biggest stars in the world competing in a bracket-style challenge, we're expecting another heated competition with more 'nail-biter' moments in 2012."

The complete list of nominees with bowling-themed biographical information is below, along with their respective matchups.

PRELIMINARY ROUND

Kathie Lee and Hoda - What do "Today" show co-hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb have in common with more than 70 million Americans? They love to bowl. The morning show queens have been known to share their bowling lane hijinks with their viewers, including giving fans an inside look at their bowling skills through an on-air segment with their moms in 2011 that featured professional bowler Chris Barnes as their coach. 

VERSUS

Snooki – Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, the pint-sized breakout reality star who catapulted into the pop culture spotlight on MTV's "Jersey Shore" is a big time bowling fan. In season one, Snooki hit the lanes with her "Jersey Shore" cast mates, declaring, "I love bowling, so I want to, like, school all these kids." She has actively tweeted about her time on the lanes, encouraging her fans to do the same.

Britney Spears – Spears has been a pop culture icon and trendsetter since she broke onto the pop music scene more than 15 years ago. Through the years, Britney has been a staple at the top of the charts and at her favorite bowling centers, where she has been photographed hitting the lanes with her children. 

VERSUS

Hulk Hogan – Before Hulk Hogan was body slamming opponents and inspiring millions of children to eat their vegetables and take their vitamins, Hulkamania was running wild on the bowling lanes. In 1966, Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea) won the Tampa City Junior Doubles Bowling Title with future professional bowler Vic Pettit in 1966.

QUARTER FINALS 1

Justin Bieber – "The Biebs" enters the 2012 Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame contest as the odds-on favorite, placing second in two hot competitions in 2010 and 2011 where he was edged out by Hall of Fame inductees Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. Bieber, a bowling enthusiast (his smash single "Baby" was filmed in a bowling center), and his fans look to secure his spot in the annals of bowling history. Will the third time be the charm for Justin?

VERSUS

Winner of Preliminary Round (Kathie Lee & Hoda vs. Snooki)

QUARTER FINALS 2

Tim Tebow – Tebowmania swept the professional sports landscape by storm in 2011 thanks to his late game heroics and last-second victories. Tebow also inspired a viral cultural phenomenon dubbed "Tebowing" mimicking his touchdown celebration. "Tebowing" found its way onto the bowling lanes and inspired the "Tebowling" trend. Following a strike or bowling victory, bowlers throughout the nation can be spotted paying homage to Tebow with re-enactments of his touchdown celebration.

VERSUS

LeBron James – "King James" is not only one of the best basketball players in the world, but he's also a bowling enthusiast who had bowling lanes installed in his multi-million dollar home. As a wink to LeBron's affinity towards bowling, the 2011 ESPN The Magazine fiction issue featured a satirical feature where LeBron's next "Decision" featured a career change to join the PBA Tour.

QUARTER FINALS 3

Jeff Gordon – NASCAR superstar, and perhaps the most well-known name in his sport, not only races cars, but races down the lanes at bowling centers every year to support his charity, the Gordon Celebrity Bowl. The event has raised $1.5 million in support of Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis throughout the event's eight-year history. He also holds a "Pins for Pediatrics" raffle at the event to help raise additional funds.

VERSUS

Christina Aguilera – In 2011, Grammy award-winner and pop culture icon Christina Aguilera and her co-hosts of the hit TV series '"The Voice" – Blake Shelton and Adam Levine – took to the Spare Room in Los Angeles for a bowling party to celebrate her 31st birthday. Aguilera, Shelton and Levine were just as competitive with one another on the lanes as they are on their show!

QUARTER FINALS 4

Drake – Multiplatinum recording artist Drake, has soared to the top of the music charts as a solo artist and in collaborations with some of music's biggest names, including 2011 nominee and celebrity bowling enthusiast Lil Wayne and 2012 favorite nominee Justin Bieber. Drake's nomination comes for his collaboration with the Biebs for his music video "Baby" which was set in a bowling center.

VERSUS

Winner of Preliminary Round (Britney Spears vs. Hulk Hogan)

LEGACY NOMINATION

Jeff Bridges – Oscar award-winning actor Jeff Bridges reinvented "cool" when he starred as "The Dude" in the 1998 critically-acclaimed bowling film "The Big Lebowski." The movie has since become a cult classic amongst bowling fans and has spurned an annual "Lebowskifest" circuit nationwide.

VERSUS

Bill Murray – Like fine wine, some things just get better with age, none being truer than comic genius Bill Murray's performance as the infamous Ernie McCracken in the 1996 comedy "King Pin."  Since his role as the flamboyant McCracken, Murray has been a bowling icon with the popularity of his character living on through millions of internet views.

For more information on the Hall of Fame induction process or to set up a bracket and cast a vote, visit www.gobowling.com

About Bowling Proprietors' Association of America

The Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA), founded in 1932, serves as the voice of the bowling industry.  Headquartered in Arlington, TX at the International Bowling Campus, the BPAA provides it's more than 4,000 member centers with group purchasing programs, business and educational seminars, legislative representation and proactively promotes the association and bowling industry.  The BPAA's mission is to enhance the profitability of its member centers and raise the profile of bowling, America's top-ranked participatory sport.  For additional information please visit www.bpaa.com or call 1-800-343-1329

International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame

Located at the International Bowling Campus in Arlington, TX, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame collects, preserves and researches bowling's history, provides a suitable home for bowling's major halls of fame, and makes the museum's information and collection available to interested parties globally for education, promotion and entertainment.

SOURCE Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA)