Three-peat

Three-peat is a portmanteau of the words three and repeat, which has been trademarked for commercial use by retired basketball coach Pat Riley; the active trademarks in force are registered under numbers 1552980, 1878690, and 1886018. (A fourth registration, #1977620, expired in 2003.) It is used either as a verb or noun used in American sports to refer to winning a third championship in a row.

Origin and trademark

In a comedic context, the same play on words, additionally incorporating the name "Pete", is known to have been used as early as 1930 on the radio program "Empire Builders". The episode of that program broadcast on December 29, 1930, featured a trio of singers dubbed "The Three Visiting Firemen: Pete, Re-Pete, and Three-Pete".^[1]

The OED credits an Illinois high school senior, Sharif Ford, with the earliest published use of the word in the March 8, 1989 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ford's quote uses the term in a sporting context and serves to provide a clear etymology as well:

The Lincoln High Tigers say they want to "three-peat". "You know, kind of like repeat, except doing it for the third time," senior Sharif Ford said.

However, Riles & Co., the corporate entity of National Basketball Association (NBA) coach Pat Riley, submitted in November 1988 a trademark application for the use of three-peat on shirts, jackets and hats. At the time, the phrase was being used by members and fans of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, of whom Riley was the head coach, regarding the Lakers' quest that season to obtain what would have been a third successive NBA championship. According to Riley, it was Laker player Byron Scott who coined the term in reference to the team's goal for that season.

In 1989, Riles & Co. successfully registered the trademark under U.S. Registration Number 1552980. The Lakers did not win a third consecutive NBA championship in 1989, but the Chicago Bulls did in 1993, and Riles & Co. collected royalties from sports apparel makers who licensed the phrase for use on merchandise commemorating that accomplishment.

Riles & Co. subsequently obtained additional registrations expanding the trademark to cover many other kinds of merchandise in addition to apparel. The company then went on to reap additional profits by again licensing the phrase to merchandisers when the Bulls again won three consecutive NBA championships from 1996 through 1998, as well as when the New York Yankees won three straight World Series championships from 1998 through 2000 and when the Lakers won three straight NBA championships from 2000 through 2002.

The trademark registration for three-peat has been challenged over the years by those who argue that the term has become too generic in its usage for the trademark to continue to be applicable. However, such arguments have yet to succeed, with the registration continuing to be upheld by the United States Patent and Trademark Office as recently as 2001, in the case of Christopher Wade v. Riles & Co.

In 2005, a group of individuals attempted to trademark the phrase Three-Pete in anticipation of the (ultimately unsuccessful) attempt that year by the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) football team to win a third consecutive national championship. The change in spelling was a reference to the team's head coach, Pete Carroll. However, the Patent Office ruled that the change in spelling was not dissimilar enough from Riles & Co.'s three-peat, and denied the registration. Later that year, U.S.C. fan Kyle Bunch began selling his own "Three-Pete" t-shirts. He discontinued sales once he was notified that he was infringing upon the Riles & Co. trademark.

As of late 2007, the trademark "Three Peat" is still active for shirts, jackets, caps, etc., and for commemorative mugs, plates, etc., and also for posters, bumper sticker, etc. The similar "3 Peat" is a trademark for blankets and other bedding. Some of the Riles & Co. trademarks are no longer in effect, e.g. keychains.

Occurrences of three-peats

There have been numerous instances of teams winning three or more consecutive championships in the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and Australian Football League most of which occurred prior to the advent of the term three-peat.

United States: Professional Sports

All-America Football Conference

• 1946–49 Cleveland Browns (four-peat)

Major League Baseball

World Series

• 1936–39 New York Yankees (four-peat)
• 1949–53 New York Yankees (five-peat)
• 1972–74 Oakland Athletics
• 1998–00 New York Yankees

Individual championships

Batting average

National League

• 1906-09 Honus Wagner (four-peat)
• 1920-25 Rogers Hornsby (six-peat)
• 1950-52 Stan Musial
• 1987-89 Tony Gwynn
• 1994-97 Tony Gwynn (four-peat)

American League

• 1901-04 Nap Lajoie (four-peat, disputed)
• 1907-09 Ty Cobb
• 1911-15 Ty Cobb (five-peat, disputed if was part also of a larger, joint 1907-15 nine-peat)
• 1917-19 Ty Cobb
• 1972-75 Rod Carew (four-peat)
• 1985-88 Wade Boggs (four-peat)
• 2011-13 Miguel Cabrera (running)

Home runs

National League

• 1913-15 Gavvy Cravath
• 1917-19 Gavvy Cravath (1917 championship tied with Dave Robertson)
• 1926-28 Hack Wilson (1927 championship tied with Cy Williams, 1928 tied with Jim Bottomley)
• 1931-33 Chuck Klein (1932 championship tied with Mel Ott)
• 1936-38 Mel Ott (1937 championship tied with Joe Medwick)
• 1946-52 Ralph Kiner (seven-peat: 1947 and 1948 championships tied with Johnny Mize, 1952 championship tied with Hank Sauer)
• 1974-76 Mike Schmidt

American League

• 1904-07 Harry Davis (four-peat)
• 1911-14 Frank Baker (four-peat: 1912 championship tied with Tris Speaker)
• 1918-21 Babe Ruth (four-peat: 1919 championship tied with Tilly Walker)
• 1926-31 Babe Ruth (six-peat: 1931 championship tied with Lou Gehrig)
• 1962-64 Harmon Killebrew
• 1997-99 Ken Griffey, Jr.
• 2001-03 Alex Rodriguez

Runs batted in

National League

• 1880-82 Cap Anson
• 1884-86 Cap Anson
• 1920-22 Rogers Hornsby (1920 championship tied with George Kelly)
• 1936-38 Joe Medwick
• 1976-78 George Foster

American League

• 1907-09 Ty Cobb
• 1919-21 Babe Ruth
• 1990-92 Cecil Fielder

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship

• 1976–78 Cale Yarborough
• 2006–10 Jimmie Johnson (five-peat)

National Basketball Association (NBA Finals)

• 1952–54 Minneapolis Lakers
• 1959–66 Boston Celtics (eight-peat)
• 1991–93 Chicago Bulls
• 1996–98 Chicago Bulls
• 2000–02 Los Angeles Lakers

National Football League (Pre-Super Bowl NFL champions)

• 1929–31 Green Bay Packers
• 1965–67 Green Bay Packers

National Hockey League (Stanley Cup)

• 1947–49 Toronto Maple Leafs
• 1956–60 Montreal Canadiens (five-peat)
• 1962–64 Toronto Maple Leafs
• 1976–79 Montreal Canadiens (four-peat)
• 1980–83 New York Islanders (four-peat)

United States: Collegiate Sports

NACDA Director's Cup (overall collegiate athletics)

• 1995–2012 Stanford (NCAA Division I) (seventeen-peat, ongoing)
• 1997–2001 Simon Fraser (NAIA) (four-peat)
• 1999–2011 Williams (NCAA Division III) (thirteen-peat)
• 2000–03 UC Davis (NCAA Division II) (four-peat)
• 2004–11 Grand Valley State (NCAA Division II) (eight-peat, ongoing)
• 2005–11 Azusa Pacific (NAIA) (seven-peat, ongoing)

NAIA National Football Championship

• 2002–2005 Carroll College Fighting Saints

NCAA Division I Baseball

• 1970–1974 USC (five-peat)

NCAA Division I Football

Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)^[2]

• 1934–1936 Minnesota

Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)^[3]

• 2005–2007 Appalachian State University
• 2011–2013 North Dakota State University

NCAA Division I Men's Basketball

• 1967–1973 UCLA (seven-peat)

NCAA Division I Men's Water Polo

• 2008–2012 USC (five-peat, ongoing)

NCAA Division I Women's Basketball

• 1996–1998 Tennessee
• 2002–2004 Connecticut

NCAA Division II Football Championship^[4]

• 1993–1995 North Alabama

NCAA Division III Football^[5]

• 1983–1986 Augustana College (Illinois) (four-peat)
• 1996–1998 Mount Union
• 2000–2002 Mount Union
• 2009–2011 Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks

U.S. National Collegiate Club Rugby championships

• 1980–1983 California (four-peat)
• 1991–2002 California (twelve-peat)
• 2004–2008 California (five-peat)

Other Countries

Argentina

First Division (association football)

• 1949-51 Racing Club
• 1955-57 River Plate
• Metro 1979-Metro 1980 River Plate
• Apertrua 1996-Apertura 1997 River Plate

Australia

Victorian Football League/Australian Football League

• 1906–08 Carlton
• 1929–32 Collingwood (four-peat)
• 1939–41 Melbourne
• 1955–57 Melbourne
• 2001–03 Brisbane Lions

New South Wales Rugby Football League/Australian Rugby League/National Rugby League

• 1911–13 Eastern Suburbs
• 1915–17 Balmain
• 1925–29 South Sydney (five-peat)
• 1935–37 Eastern Suburbs
• 1953–55 South Sydney
• 1956–66 St. George (eleven-peat)
• 1981–83 Parramatta Eels

Belgium

Belgian Pro League

• 1900–03 Racing de Bruxelles (four-peat)
• 1904–07 R Union Saint-Gilloise (four-peat)
• 1924–26 K Beerschot VAC
• 1933–35 R Union Saint-Gilloise SR
• 1949–51 RSC Anderlechtois
• 1954–56 RSC Anderlechtois
• 1964–68 RSC Anderlechtois (five-peat)
• 1969–71 R Standard Liege
• 1976–78 Club Brugge KV
• 1985–87 RSC Anderlechtois
• 1993–95 R.S.C. Anderlecht

Canada

Canadian Football League (Grey Cup):

• 1909–11 Toronto Varsity Blues
• 1922–24 Queen's University
• 1945–47 Toronto Argonauts
• 1954–56 Edmonton Eskimos
• 1978–82 Edmonton Eskimos (five-peat)

Chile

First Division (Association football):

• 1933-35 Magallanes
• 1989-91 Colo-Colo
• Apertura 2006-Clausura 2007 Colo-Colo (four-peat)
• Apertura 2011-Apertura 2012 Universidad de Chile

Costa Rica

Costa Rica, American Football 1st Div.:

• 2010–12 Santa Ana Bulldogs

Denmark

Danish Superliga

• 2009–11 F.C. Copenhagen

Finland

Veikkausliiga

• 1998–2000 FC Haka
• 2009–11 HJK

France

Ligue 1

• 1902–04 Roubaix
• 1967–70 Saint-Étienne (four-peat)
• 1974–76 Saint-Étienne
• 1989–92 Marseille (four-peat)
• 2002–08 Lyon (seven-peat)

Germany

Basketball Bundesliga

• 1970–1972 TuS 04 Leverkusen
• 1990–1996 TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen (seven-peat)
• 1997–2003 ALBA Berlin (seven-peat)
• 2010–2012 Brose Baskets (also won the German Cup in 2010, 2011 and 2012, ongoing)

Fußball-Bundesliga

• 1972–74 Bayern Munich
• 1975–77 Borussia Mönchengladbach
• 1985–87 Bayern Munich
• 1999–2001 Bayern Munich

DDR-Oberliga

• 1976–78 SG Dynamo Dresden
• 1979–88 Berliner FC Dynamo (ten-peat)

Italy

Italian Football Championship

• 1898–1900 Genoa
• 1902–04 Genoa
• 1911–13 Pro Vercelli

Serie A

• 1931–35 Juventus (five-peat)
• 1943, 1946–49 Torino (five-peat)
• 1992–94 Milan
• 2006–10 Internazionale (five-peat)

Netherlands

Eredivisie

• 1897–99 RAP Amsterdam
• 1900–03 HVV (four-peat)
• 1911–13 Sparta
• 1966–68 Ajax
• 1986–89 PSV (four-peat)
• 1994–96 Ajax
• 2005–08 PSV (four-peat)
• 2011–13 Ajax

Norway

Tippeligaen

• 1972–75 Viking (four-peat)
• 1992–2004 Rosenborg (thirteen-peat)

Portugal

Primeira Liga

• 1936–38 Benfica
• 1947–49 Sporting CP
• 1951–54 Sporting CP (four-peat)
• 1963–65 Benfica
• 1967–69 Benfica
• 1971–73 Benfica
• 1975–77 Benfica
• 1995–99 Porto (five-peat)
• 2006–09 Porto (four-peat)

Spain

La Liga

• 1961–65 Real Madrid (five-peat)
• 1967–69 Real Madrid
• 1978–80 Real Madrid
• 1986–90 Real Madrid (five-peat)
• 1991–94 Barcelona (four-peat)
• 2009–11 Barcelona

Sweden

Allsvenskan

• 1945–48 IFK Norrköping (four-peat)
• 1949–51 Malmö FF
• 1985–89 Malmö FF (five-peat)
• 1993–96 IFK Göteborg (four-peat)

United Kingdom

English rugby union

• 1991–94 Bath (four-peat)
• 1999–01 Leicester Tigers (four-peat)
• 2003–05 London Wasps

Football League First Division

• 1924–26 Huddersfield Town
• 1933–35 Arsenal
• 1982–84 Liverpool

Premier League

• 1999–2001 Manchester United
• 2007–09 Manchester United

USSR

Soviet Top League

• 1966–68 Dynamo Kyiv

Yugoslavia

Yugoslav First League

• 1933, 1935–36 BSK Beograd
• 1961–63 Partizan
• 1968–70 Crvena Zvezda
• 1990–92 Crvena Zvezda

International

Champ Car World Series auto racing

• 2004–2007 Sebastien Bourdais (four-peat)

CONCACAF U.S. Open Cup

• 1965–67 Greek American Atlas
• 2009–11 Seattle Sounders FC

Cricket Ranji Trophy

• 1958–1972 Bombay (fifteen-peat)
• 1974–1976 Bombay

Cricket World Cup

• 1999–2007 Australia

Formula One Champion

• 1954–57 Juan Manuel Fangio (four-peat)
• 2000–04 Michael Schumacher (five-peat)
• 2010–13 Sebastian Vettel

Winter X Games SuperPipe

• 2008–2013 Shaun White (six-peat)

Tennis

Davis Cup

• 1903-06 British Isles (four-peat)
• 1907-11 Australasia (four-peat)^[6]
• 1920-26 United States (seven-peat)
• 1927-32 France (six-peat)
• 1933-36 Great Britain (four-peat)
• 1946-49 United States (four-peat)
• 1950-53 Australia (four-peat)
• 1955-57 Australia
• 1959-62 Australia (four-peat)
• 1964-67 Australia (four-peat)
• 1968-72 United States (five-peat)

Fed Cup

• 1976-82 United States (seven-peat)
• 1983-85 Czechoslovakia
• 1993-95 Spain

Australian Open

Men's Singles

• 1931-33 Jack Crawford
• 1963-67 Roy Emerson (five-peat)
• 2011-13 Novak Djokovic

Women's Singles

• 1928-30 Daphne Akhurst Cozens
• 1946-48 Nancye Wynne Bolton^[7]
• 1960-66 Margaret Court (seven-peat)
• 1969-71 Margaret Court
• 1974-76 Evonne Goolagong Cawley
• 1988-90 Steffi Graf
• 1991-93 Monica Seles
• 1997-99 Martina Hingis

Men's Doubles

• 1936-40 Adrian Quist (five-peat: his partners were Don Turnbull in 1936-37 tournaments, and John Bromwich until 1940)^[8]
• 1938-40 John Bromwich (his partner was Adrian Quist, see above)^[8]
• 1946-50 John Bromwich and Adrian Quist (five-peat)^[8]
• 1959-61 Rod Laver and Bob Mark
• 2009-11 Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan

Women's Doubles

• 1923-25 Sylvia Lance Harper (her partners were Esna Boyd Robertson in the 1923 tournament, and Daphne Akhurst Cozens in 1924-25)
• 1936-40 Thelma Coyne Long and Nancye Wynne Bolton (five-peat)
• 1947-49 Thelma Coyne Long and Nancye Wynne Bolton
• 1954-56 Mary Bevis Hawton (her partners were Beryl Penrose in 1954-55, and Thelma Coyne Long in the 1956 tournament)
• 1961-63 Margaret Court (her partners were Mary Carter Reitano in the 1961 tournament, and Robyn Ebbern in 1962-63)
• 1969-71 Margaret Court (her partners were Judy Tegart Dalton in 1969-70, and Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the 1971 tournament)
• 1974-76 Evonne Goolagong Cawley (her partners were Peggy Michel in 1974-75, and Helen Gourlay in the 1976 tournament)
• 1976-12/1977 Helen Gourlay (her partners were Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976 and December 1977 (see above), and Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat in January 1977)^[9]
• 1982-89 Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver (seven-peat^[10])
• 1997-99 Martina Hingis (her partners were Natasha Zvereva in the 1997 tournament, Mirjana Lučić in 1998, and Anna Kournikova in 1999)

French Open

Men's Singles

• 1894-96 André Vacherot
• 1897-1900 Paul Aymé (four-peat)
• 1907-09 Max Decugis
• 1912-14 Max Decugis
• 1978-81 Björn Borg (four-peat)
• 2005-08 Rafael Nadal (four-peat)
• 2010-13 Rafael Nadal (four-peat, running)

Women's Singles

• 1897-99 Adine Masson
• 1904-06 Kate Gillou
• 1909-12 Jeanne Matthey (four-peat)
• 1920-23 Suzanne Lenglen (four-peat)
• 1928-30 Helen Wills
• 1935-37 Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling
• 1990-92 Monica Seles
• 2005-07 Justine Henin

Men's Doubles

• 1961-65 Roy Emerson (six-peat: his partners were Neal Fraser in 1960 and 1962, Rod Laver in the 1961 tournament, Manuel Santana in 1963, Ken Fletcher in 1964, and Fred Stolle in 1965)

Women's Doubles

• 1909-12 Jeanne Matthey and Daisy Speranza (four-peat)
• 1920-23 Suzanne Lenglen (four-peat: her partners were Elisabeth d'Aryen in the 1920 tournament, Geramine Pigueron in 1921-22, and Didi Vasto in 1923)
• 1932-34 Elizabeth Ryan (her partners were Helen Wills in the 1932 tournament, and Simone Mathieu in 1933-34)
• 1936-39 Simone Mathieu (four-peat: her partners were Billie Yorke in 1936-38, and Jadwiga Jedrzejowska in the 1939 tournament)
• 1936-38 Billie Yorke (her partner was Simone Mathieu, see above)
• 1950-53 Doris Hart and Shirley Fry Irvin (four-peat)
• 1961-63 Renée Schuurman (her partners were Sandra Reynolds in 1961-62, and Ann Jones in the 1963 tournament)
• 1964-66 Margaret Court (her partners were Lesley Turner Bowrey in 1964-65, and Judy Tegart in the 1966 tournament)
• 1967-71 François Dürr (five-peat: her partners were Gail Chanfreau in 1967 and 1970–71, and Ann Jones in 1967-68)^[11]
• 1984-88 Martina Navratilova (five-peat: her partners were Pam Shriver in 1984-85 and 1987–88, and Andrea Temesvári in the 1986 tournament)
• 1991-95 Gigi Fernández (five-peat: her partners were Jana Novotná in the 1991 tournament, and Natasha Zvereva in 1992-95)
• 1992-95 Natasha Zvereva (four-peat: her partner was Gigi Fernández, see above)

Wimbledon

Gentlemen's Singles

• 1881-86 William Renshaw (six-peat)
• 1897-1900 Reginald Doherty (four-peat)
• 1902-06 Lawrence Doherty (five-peat)
• 1910-13 Anthony Wilding (four-peat)
• 1934-36 Fred Perry
• 1976-80 Björn Borg (five-peat)
• 1993-95 Pete Sampras
• 1997-2000 Pete Sampras (four-peat)
• 2003-07 Roger Federer (five-peat)

Ladies' Singles

• 1891-93 Lottie Dod
• 1919-23 Suzanne Lenglen (five-peat)
• 1927-30 Helen Wills (four-peat)
• 1948-50 Louise Brough
• 1952-54 Maureen Connolly
• 1966-68 Billie Jean King^[11]
• 1982-87 Martina Navratilova (six-peat)
• 1991-93 Steffi Graf

Gentlemen's Doubles

• 1884-86 William Renshaw and Ernest Renshaw
• 1894-96 Wilfred Baddeley and Herbert Baddeley
• 1897-1901 Lawrence Doherty and Reginald Doherty (five-peat)
• 1903-05 Lawrence Doherty and Reginald Doherty
• 1921-22 Randolph Lycett (his partners were Max Woosnam in the 1921 tournament, James Anderson in 1922, and Leslie Godfree)
• 1929-31 John Van Ryn (his partners were Wilmer Allison in 1929-30, and George Lott in the 1931 tournament)
• 1968-70 John Newcombe and Tony Roche
• 1993-97 Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde (five-peat)
• 2002-04 Todd Woodbridge and Jonas Björkman

Ladies' Doubles

• 1919-23 Suzanne Lenglen and Elizabeth Ryan (five-peat)
• 1925-27 Elizabeth Ryan (her partners were Suzanne Lenglen in the 1925 tournament, Mary Browne in 1926, and Helen Wills in 1927)
• 1948-50 Louise Brough and Margaret Osborne duPont
• 1951-53 Shirley Fry Irvin and Doris Hart
• 1956-58 Althea Gibson (her partners were Angela Buxton in the 1956 tournament, Darlene Hard in 1957, and Maria Bueno in 1958)
• 1970-73 Billie Jean King (four-peat: her partners were Rosemary Casals in 1970-71 and 1973, and Betty Stöve in the 1972 tournament)
• 1981-84 Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver (four-peat)
• 1991-94 Natasha Zvereva (four-peat: her partners were Larisa Neiland in the 1991 tournament, and Gigi Fernández in 1992-94)
• 1992-94 Gigi Fernández (her partner was Natasha Zvereva, see above)

US Open

Men's Singles

• 1881-87 Richard Sears (seven-peat)
• 1890-92 Oliver Campbell
• 1898-1900 Malcolm Whitman
• 1907-11 William Larned (five-peat)
• 1920-25 Bill Tilden (six-peat)
• 1979-81 John McEnroe
• 1985-87 Ivan Lendl
• 2004-08 Roger Federer (five-peat)

Women's Singles

• 1909-11 Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman
• 1912-14 Mary Browne
• 1915-18 Molla Mallory (four-peat)
• 1920-22 Molla Mallory
• 1923-25 Helen Wills
• 1927-29 Helen Wills
• 1932-35 Helen Jacobs (four-peat)
• 1938-40 Alice Marble
• 1943-44 Pauline Betz
• 1948-50 Margaret Osborne duPont
• 1951-53 Maureen Connolly
• 1975-78 Chris Evert (four-peat)

Men's Doubles

• 1882-87 Richard Sears (six-peat: his partners were James Dwight in 1882-84 and 1886–87, and Joseph Clark in the 1885 tournament)
• 1882-84 James Dwight (his partner was Richard Sears, see above)
• 1899-01 Holcombe Ward and Dwight F. Davis
• 1904-06 Holcombe Ward and Beals Wright
• 1907-10 Fred Alexander and Harold Hackett (four-peat)
• 1912-14 Maurice McLoughlin and Tom Bundy
• 1921-23 Bill Tilden (his partners were Vincent Richards in 1921-22, and Brian Norton in the 1923 tournament)
• 1928-30 George Lott (his partners were John F. Hennessey in the 1928 tournament, and John Doeg in 1929-30)

Women's Doubles

• 1894-98 Juliette Atkinson (five-peat: her partners were Helen Hellwig in 1894-95, Elisabeth Moore in the 1896 tournament, and Kathleen Atkinson in 1897-98)
• 1909-11 Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman (her partners were Edith Rotch in 1909-10, and Eleonora Sears in the 1911 tournament)
• 1912-14 Mary K. Browne (her partners were Dorothy Green in the 1912 tournament, and Louise Riddell Williams in 1913-14)
• 1915-17 Eleonora Sears (her partners were Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman in the 1915 tournament, and Molla Mallory in 1916-17)
• 1918-20 Marion Jessup and Eleanor Goss
• 1937-41 Sarah Palfrey Cooke (five-peat: her partners were Alice Marble in 1937-40, and Margaret Osborne duPont in the 1941 tournament)
• 1937-40 Alice Marble (four-peat: her partner was Sarah Palfrey Cooke, see above)
• 1941-50 Margaret Osborne duPont (ten-peat: her partners were Sarah Palfrey Cooke in the 1941 tournament (see above), and Louise Brough in 1942-50)
• 1942-50 Louise Brough (nine-peat: her partner was Margaret Osborne duPont, see above)
• 1951-54 Shirley Fry Irvin and Doris Hart
• 1955-57 Louise Brough and Margaret Osborne duPont
• 1958-62 Darlene Hard (five-peat: her partners were Jeanne Arth in 1958-59, Maria Bueno in 1960 and 1962, and Lesley Turner Bowrey in the 1961 tournament)
• 2002-04 Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez

ATP World Tour Finals

Singles

• 1971-73 Ilie Năstase
• 1985-87 Ivan Lendl

Doubles

• 1978-84 Peter Fleming and John McEnroe (seven-peat)

WTA Tour Championships

Singles

• 1983-86 Martina Navratilova (five-peat^[12])
• 1990-92 Monica Seles

Doubles

• 1980-85 Martina Navratilova (six-peat: her partners were Billie Jean King in the 1980 edition, and Pam Shriver in 1981-85)
• 1981-85 Pam Shriver (five-peat: her partner was Martina Navratilova, see above)
• 1986-90 Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver (five-peat)
• 1996-98 Lindsay Davenport (her partners were Mary Joe Fernández in the 1996 edition, Jana Novotná in 1997, and Natasha Zvereva in 1998)

Golf

US Open

• 1903-05 Willie Anderson

The Open Championship

• 1868-72 Young Tom Morris (four-peat)
• 1877-79 Jamie Anderson
• 1880-82 Bob Ferguson
• 1954-56 Peter Thomson

PGA Championship

• 1924-27 Walter Hagen (four-peat)

The National Football League

However, in the National Football League (NFL), a Super Bowl championship three-peat has never been accomplished. Two-time defending Super Bowl champions who failed to three-peat include the Green Bay Packers (1968), Miami Dolphins (1974), Pittsburgh Steelers (twice: 1976, 1980), San Francisco 49ers (1990), Dallas Cowboys (1994), Denver Broncos (1999), and New England Patriots (2005). None of these teams returned to the title game in the third season (indicated in parentheses).

The Buffalo Bills 90-93 went to 4 consecutive Super Bowls which is a feat unmatched in NFL history, however they managed to lose every appearance.

In the early years of the NFL, decades before the introduction of either the term three-peat or the Super Bowl, the Packers won three consecutive NFL titles from 1929-31. This was achieved without playing any postseason playoff games, as the league title was determined at that time from the season standings. In addition, the Packers won the NFL championship in 1965, at a time when the rival NFL and AFL played separate exclusive championships. They then followed that 1965 championship with their first two Super Bowl victories in 1966 and 1967, thereby winning championships three years in a row.

It is well-noted that there has never been a three-peat winner of the Indianapolis 500 nor the Daytona 500.

Related terms

There have been efforts to come up with a similarly clever name for the potential fourth consecutive championship in the year following a three-peat. But attempts such as quat-row have thus far failed to catch on, and most fans simply use the term four-peat. Since the term three-peat came into usage, however, only one team in major American sports has been able to achieve it - Hendrick Racing/Jimmie Johnson NASCAR team, who won 5 championships in a row.

The wordplay of three-peat is clearer if repeat is stressed on the first syllable; this pronunciation is uncommon outside North America. Other English-speaking people may instead talk of a hat trick of championships, or simply a three-in-a-row.

There are also terms for winning three different trophies in the same season:

• Triple Crown - various sports
• Treble (association football)
• Grand slam - Philippine Basketball Association

References