Sports 101

Sports in 1998 included magical and dramatic images, stunning upsets, and frustrating moments. Below are the top 10 sports stories of 1998 as voted by the Monitor staff's sports enthusiasts:

1. The Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa home run race. First baseman McGwire hits a record 70 for the St. Louis Cardinals and right fielder Sosa 66 for the Chicago Cubs.

2. The Yankees pile a record 125 wins and take the World Series against the San Diego Padres in four straight games.

3. Michael Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls to a third straight NBA championship, the team's sixth overall.

4. The US women's ice hockey team earns a gold-medal at the Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Tara Lipinski, 15, is the youngest figure skater to win a gold.

5. France's soccer team wins the World Cup in a stunning upset of Brazil.

6. The our de France doping scandal. The Festina team is disqualified after its officials and riders admit to the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

7. Veteran quarterback John Elway leads the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl win, the first American Football Conference team to do it in 14 years.

8. The NBA lockout delays the 1998-99 season, with close observers saying it will be canceled altogether in January.

9. Player salaries go ballistic. Right-handed pitcher Kevin Brown signs an unheard of seven-year, $105 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

10. The ABL, a nine-team women's basketball league, files for bankruptcy, unable to compete with the rival WNBA.

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