Wire-to-wire is a term used in competitive events and sports for a champion who maintained the lead during an entire competition. The term originated from horse racing where a wire would stretch across the start and finish line thus the euphemism describes a horse that lead from wire to wire or start to finish.[1] [2]

Australian-rules football

Only seven teams have completed a wire-to-wire premiership season in the Australian Football League (formerly called the Victorian Football League from 1897 to 1989): Fitzroy in 1904, Collingwood in 1915, Essendon in 1923 and 2000, Geelong in 1953, West Coast in 1991, and Port Adelaide in 2020.[3][4]

Baseball

Only five teams have completed wire-to-wire seasons in Major League Baseball, occupying top position of the standings for every day of their season and winning the World Series, with those teams being the 1927 New York Yankees, 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, 1984 Detroit Tigers, 1990 Cincinnati Reds and the 2005 Chicago White Sox. The 1997 Baltimore Orioles are the only team to have completed a wire-to-wire season and not win the World Series.

In the KBO League, the SSG Landers accomplished this feat by occupying the top position for every day of the 2022 season and then subsequently winning the Korean Series. This was the first time ever a baseball team has completed a wire-to-wire season in Korea.[5]

Basketball

Per the Elias Sports Bureau three National Basketball Association teams have completed wire-to-wire victories to clinch an NBA title since 1970 - the 1982 Los Angeles Lakers, the 1986 Boston Celtics, and the 2020 Lakers.[6]

Golf

The term is used in golf referencing a player who wins a title while holding the lowest aggregate score at the close of each round.[7][8][9] The Masters Tournament has only had five winners complete a wire-to-wire tournament, those players being Craig Wood in 1941, Arnold Palmer in 1960, Jack Nicklaus in 1972, Raymond Floyd in 1976 and Jordan Spieth in 2015.[1]

College football

In 2004, USC was the wire-to-wire AP poll No. 1.[10] The 2005 Orange Bowl was the first bowl game matchup of wire-to-wire No. 1 vs. wire-to-wire No. 2 (Oklahoma dropped to No. 3 in the final post-bowl poll after their loss.)[10]

Horse racing

Since 1875 the Kentucky Derby has only had 23 winners complete a wire-to-wire run with Authentic completing this feat in 2020.[1][11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mather, Victor (April 13, 2015). "Jordan Spieth, Count Fleet and the 1927 Yankees: Wire-to-Wire Champions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  2. ↑ Oser, Christine (June 27, 2020). "Mean Mary Extends Win Streak in New York Stakes". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  3. ↑ Rucci, Michelangelo (September 14, 2020). "Rucci's Monday Review: History in the making". Port Adelaide Football Club. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  4. ↑ Laughton, Max (September 21, 2020). "Port Adelaide go wire-to-wire and finish on top for first time since 2004... when they won the flag". Fox Sports. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  5. ↑ Yoo, Jee Ho (Nov 8, 2022). "Landers cap off historic KBO season with Korean Series title". yna.co.kr. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20221108010300315
  6. ↑ "Los Angeles Lakers lean on defense in dominant Game 6 win vs. Miami Heat, claim first NBA title in a decade". Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  7. ↑ Ferguson, Doug (April 10, 2016). "Danny Willett wins Masters after Jordan Spieth's shocking stumble". PGA of America. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  8. ↑ Ferguson, Doug (March 20, 2016). "Day closes out wire-to-wire victory at Bay Hill". Golf Channel. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ Park, Do-Hyoung (April 6, 2016). "Women's golf leads from wire to wire in dominant Silverado Showdown showing". Stanford Daily. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  10. 1 2 "NO. 1 VS. NO. 2". Orlando Sentinel. January 5, 2005. Retrieved January 10, 2024. Until Tuesday's Orange Bowl, there never had been a postseason matchup of teams that went wire to wire as Nos. 1 and 2 in The Associated Press college football poll.
  11. ↑ "Authentic stuns Tiz the Law in wire-to-wire Kentucky Derby win". ABC News. September 6, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.


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