Gordon Graham's world record tomato resulting from a toppled plant left in a sprawl is a fluke.
Besides that, we do not have any other details such as when the plant was toppled. Right? We don't know at what stage of development that record tomato was when the plant toppled over. We are lacking too much info to assume that growing plants in a sprawl, start to finish, will yield a higher percentage of giant tomatoes than growing the vines in cages or staked and pruned to one or two stems with all surplus blossoms and fruit pruned off other than the one or two largest developing fruit.
Besides that, most of what we are talking about is conjecture anyway.
If you really want to grow giant tomatoes, your best bet is to consult Meissner at one of the message sites he uses, or read his book and follow his directions. He has proven results even if not yet up to the 7-something pound record. I believe he is getting 5 and 6 pounders out of his current gardens. And he doesn't grow his vines in a sprawl. Rather he follows a very regimented pruning, feeding, and irrigation regimen.
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