Kathie Lee Gifford & Hoda Kotb and Britney Spears Named Preliminary Round Winners in the Race for the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame

ARLINGTON, Texas, March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The third annual race for the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame completed its preliminary round of this year's bracket-style competition with winners Kathie Lee Gifford & Hoda Kotb and Britney Spears moving on to the second round. The fate of this year's celebrity nominees, which includes bowling enthusiasts ranging from iconic entertainers to all-star athletes, is in the hands of the fans. Through April 10, fans are invited to cast their votes daily on www.gobowling.com to determine which star will be named the 2012 inductee into the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame. Voters will receive a downloadable coupon, entitling them to a "buy one get one free" game of bowling for each vote they cast.

Votes are continuing to roll in as fans show support for their favorite bowling movie icon – Jeff Bridges ("The Big Lebowski") or Bill Murray ("Kingpin") – one of whom will be enshrined into bowling history as winner of the "legacy" competition. The "legacy" battle began at the kick-off to week one of the annual Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame contest, and will be open for voting throughout the duration of the race.

As the runner-up for two consecutive years, Justin Bieber is again in the running for a spot in the Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame. In his third-year attempt, he will be matched up in the second week of the competition against Kathie Lee Gifford & Hoda Kotb. Is the third time a charm for the Biebs? It's up to voters to decide.

Britney Spears will face off with fellow multiplatinum music superstar, Drake. No expense will be spared as these two heavy-hitters compete to see who will move up to the next round of Celebrity Bowling Bracketology, and who will land in the gutter.

The full list of week two matchups, including the "legacy" competition, is below:

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

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. 

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.

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 went bowling to celebrate her recent 31^st birthday. Aguilera, Shelton and Levine were just as competitive with one another on the lanes as they are on their show!

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

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. 

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 Celebrity Bowling Hall of Fame induction process or to cast a vote for today, visit www.gobowling.com.

About BPAA

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.

About 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