1998 Formula Shell Zoom Masters season, Championship
John Best teamed up with the streak-shooting Donald Williams for the Centennial Cup and Governors Cup tournament. Shell beat Ginebra in their semifinal playoff, 78-75 in overtime on October 4, to reach the Centennial Cup finals against Mobiline, Williams finish that game with 39 points and hitting eight triples. In a one-game championship on October 6, Shell lost to Mobiline in overtime by a point, 66-67.


1998 Formula Shell Zoom Masters season, Championship
In the Governor's Cup, John Best and Donald Williams wouldn't be denied as the Zoom Masters exact revenge on the Mobiline Phone Pals, the two teams played in the finals after they knock off San Miguel Beermen and Purefoods respectively in sudden-death playoffs when all four semifinalist finish with identical 12 wins and 9 losses. Shell won over Mobiline in an exciting seven-game series by coming back from a 2-3 series deficit to win the last two games and clinch their third PBA title and the first in six years.


1998 Four Nations Tournament (women's football)
The 1998 Four Nations Tournament was the first edition of this invitational women's football tournament held in China with four national teams participating in a round robin format. It was held from January 18 to 24, 1998, in the city of Guangzhou.


1998 France rugby union tour of Argentina and Fiji
The 1998 France rugby union tour of Australia and Fiji was a series of matches played in June 1998 in Argentina and Fiji by France national rugby union team.


1998 Frankfurt Galaxy season
The 1998 Frankfurt Galaxy season was the sixth season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Dick Curl in his first year, and played its home games at Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany. They finished the regular season in first place with a record of seven wins and three losses. In World Bowl '98, Frankfurt lost to the Rhein Fire 34–10.


1998 Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic
The 1998 Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts in Scottsdale, Arizona in the United States that was part of the International Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. It was the 11th edition of the tournament and was held from March 2 through March 9, 1998. Unseeded Andre Agassi, who entered the competition on a wildcard, won the singles title, his third at the event after 1993 and 1994.


1998 Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic, Finals, Doubles
Cyril Suk /  Michael Tebbutt defeated  Kent Kinnear /  David Wheaton 4–6, 6–1, 7–6


1998 Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic – Doubles
Luis Lobo and Javier Sánchez were the defending champions, but Sánchez did not participate this year. Lobo partnered Daniel Orsanic, losing in the first round.


1998 Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic – Doubles
Cyril Suk and Michael Tebbutt won the title, defeating Kent Kinnear and David Wheaton 4–6, 6–1, 7–6 in the final.


1998 Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic – Singles
Mark Philippoussis was the defending champion, but lost in the second round this year.


1998 Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic – Singles
Andre Agassi won the title, defeating Jason Stoltenberg 6–4, 7–6(7–3) in the final.


1998 Freedom Union leadership election
A leadership election for the Freedom Union (US)  was held in the Czech Republic on 17 January 1998. Jan Ruml was elected the first leader of the party when he defeated businessman Karel Cieslar and Mayor of Kutná Hora Ivo Šanc.


1998 Freedom Union leadership election, Background
Freedom Union was founded in 1998 as a split from the Civic Democratic Party. It was a result of a political crisis that started during 1997.


1998 Freedom Union leadership election, Voting
Ruml received 214 votes. Hus rivals Cieslar and Šanc received 47 and 29 votes respectively. 290 delegates voted.


1998 French Figure Skating Championships
The 1998 French Figure Skating Championships (French: Championnat de France Elite) were held from December 12 to 14th, 1997 in Besançon. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. The event was one of the selection criteria for the 1998 Winter Olympics, the 1998 World Championships, and the 1998 European Championships.


1998 French Grand Prix
The 1998 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Magny-Cours on 28 June 1998. It was the eighth race of the 1998 FIA Formula One World Championship.


1998 French Grand Prix
The 71-lap race was won by German driver Michael Schumacher, driving a Ferrari. It was Schumacher's third victory of the season. Northern Irish teammate Eddie Irvine finished second, with Finn Mika Häkkinen third in a McLaren-Mercedes, having started from pole position.


1998 French Grand Prix, Report, Background
The race was originally dropped due to a dispute over television broadcasting rights in France. Though TF1 had the rights, rival channel France 3 obtained a judgement from a French court to allow all channels to operate on the grounds of the circuit.


1998 French Grand Prix, Report, Background
Jos Verstappen replaced Jan Magnussen at the Stewart team for the remainder of the season.


1998 French Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
Mika Häkkinen of McLaren-Mercedes took pole position, beating Michael Schumacher by 0.2 seconds. David Coulthard qualified third, and Eddie Irvine took fourth place. Throughout the qualifying session, Schumacher and Häkkinen exchanged first place, until Häkkinen finally took the pole.


1998 French Grand Prix, Report, Race
At the beginning of the race, Verstappen stalled his Stewart, meaning that a restart was required. At the second start, Häkkinen was overtaken by Michael Schumacher and Irvine. Schumacher then began to pull away, sometimes at one second a lap, with Irvine holding both the McLarens behind him. On lap 20, Häkkinen tried an ambitious move on Irvine. His attempt failed, and he spun into the gravel trap. However, he managed to keep his car going, pitted for fresh tyres, and rejoined in fourth place. However, he regained third place when Coulthard had problems with his pit stop.


1998 French Grand Prix, Report, Race
Coulthard went into the pits, but due to a fuel filling problem, had to do another lap, and then go into the pits again. After this second set of pits, Häkkinen was back behind Irvine, and Schumacher was some way in front. On the final lap, on the final corner, Häkkinen made an attempt to overtake Irvine, after Irvine was very slow through the chicane before the final corner. Irvine just held off Häkkinen to take second, by only a tenth of a second. However, both drivers were 19 seconds behind Schumacher. After Coulthard's misfortune in the pitlane, he finished sixth, scoring one world championship point. It was Ferrari's first one-two for 8 years, the previous being at the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix, Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell scoring the one-two.


1998 French Open
The 1998 French Open was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor clay courts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. The tournament was held from 25 May until 7 June. It was the 102nd staging of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam tennis event of 1998.


1998 French Open, Seniors, Men's doubles
Jacco Eltingh /  Paul Haarhuis defeated  Mark Knowles /  Daniel Nestor, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3


1998 French Open, Seniors, Women's doubles
Martina Hingis /  Jana Novotná defeated  Lindsay Davenport /  Natalia Zvereva, 6–1, 7–6(7–4)


1998 French Open, Seniors, Mixed doubles
Venus Williams /  Justin Gimelstob defeated  Serena Williams /  Luis Lobo, 6–4, 6–4


1998 French Open, Juniors, Boys' doubles
José de Armas /  Fernando González defeated  Juan Carlos Ferrero /  Feliciano López, 6–7, 7–5, 6–3


1998 French Open, Juniors, Girls' doubles
Kim Clijsters /  Jelena Dokić defeated  Elena Dementieva /  Nadia Petrova, 6–4, 7–6


1998 French Open – Boys' Doubles
José de Armas and Luis Horna were the defending champions, but Horna was unable to compete in Juniors as he turned 18 years old.


1998 French Open – Boys' Doubles
De Armas teamed up with Fernando González and successfully defended his title, by defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero and Feliciano López 6–7, 7–5, 6–3 in the final.


1998 French Open – Boys' Singles
Daniel Elsner was the defending champion, but was unable to compete in Juniors as he turned 18 years old.


1998 French Open – Boys' Singles
Fernando González won the title by defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero 4–6, 6–4, 6–3 in the final. González became the first Chilean player to win this tournament, and the only one until 2013 after it was won by Cristian Garín.


1998 French Open – Men's Doubles
The 1998 French Open was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor clay courts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris] France. The tournament was held from 25 May until 7 June. It was the 97th staging of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam tennis event of 1998.


1998 French Open – Men's Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1998 French Open – Men's Singles
Carlos Moyá defeated Àlex Corretja in an all-Spanish final, 6–3, 7–5, 6–3 to win the Men's Singles tennis title at the 1998 French Open. Gustavo Kuerten was the defending champion, but he was eliminated in the second round by Marat Safin, who was appearing in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.


1998 French Open – Men's Singles Qualifying
Players who neither had high enough rankings nor received wild cards to enter the main draw of the annual French Open Tennis Championships participated in a qualifying tournament held in the week before the event.


1998 French Open – Mixed Doubles
Venus Williams and Justin Gimelstob defeated Serena Williams and Luis Lobo in the final, 6-4, 6-4, to win the Mixed Doubles title at the 1998 French Open.


1998 French Open – Mixed Doubles
Rika Hiraki and Mahesh Bhupathi were the defending champions, but chose not to compete together. Hiraki played with Paul Kilderry and lost in the third round, while Bhupathi teamed up with Rennae Stubbs and lost in the second round.


1998 French Open – Women's Doubles
Gigi Fernández and Natasha Zvereva were the defending champions, but Fernández retired from tennis at the end of 1997. Zvereva partnered Lindsay Davenport, and the pair lost in the final to Martina Hingis and Jana Novotná 1–6, 6–7(4–7).


1998 French Open – Women's Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1998 French Open – Women's Singles
Fourth-seeded Arantxa Sánchez Vicario won the title, defeating Monica Seles in the final 7–6(7–5), 0–6, 6–2, to win the Women's Singles tennis title at the 1998 French Open. This marked the last time Sánchez Vicario defeated Seles at any tournament. It was also the last major final in which either Sánchez Vicario or Seles played.


1998 French Open – Women's Singles
Iva Majoli was the defending champion, but lost to Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals.


1998 French Open – Women's Singles
Martina Hingis had a chance to hold all four Grand Slam tournaments at once, having won the 1997 Wimbledon Championships, 1997 US Open and 1998 Australian Open, but she lost to Seles in the semifinals.


1998 French Open – Women's Singles Qualifying
The qualifying rounds for the 1998 French Open were played from 21 to 23 May 1998 at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.


1998 French cantonal elections
Cantonale elections to renew the first series of cantons general councillors were held in France on 15 and 22 March 1998.


1998 French cantonal elections, Electoral system
The cantonales elections use the same system as the regional or legislative elections. There is a 10% threshold (10% of registered voters) needed to proceed to the second round.


1998 French motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1998 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the fifth round of the 1998 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on 31 May 1998 at Le Castellet.


1998 French motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (500cc)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round five has concluded.


1998 French regional elections
Regional elections were held in France on 15 March 1998. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 regions, which, though they don't have legislative autonomy, manage sizeable budgets.


1998 French regional elections
The parliamentary right, led by the conservative Gaullist Rally for the Republic and the centre-right Union for French Democracy won the presidency of 15 of the 26 regions, the rest were won by the French Socialist Party and its allies (Communists, Greens, Radicals). The far-right National Front obtained good results, increasing its number of seats. The far-left and Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Tradition also won seats on various regional councils.


1998 French regional elections
The election was held using a one-round proportional system (with a 5% threshold), later abolished for the 2004 elections.


1998 Fresno State Bulldogs football team
The 1998 Fresno State football team represented California State University, Fresno in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season, and competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Led by head coach Pat Hill, the Bulldogs played home games at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California.


1998 Fresno State Bulldogs football team, Team players in the NFL
The following finished their college career in 1998, were not drafted, but played in the NFL.


1998 Friendship Tournament
The 1998 Friendship Tournament was the 4th edition of the Friendship Tournament, and was held from 17 to 21 October 1998 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Four teams participated: the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Lebanon, and Syria. The United Arab Emirates won the tournament.


1998 Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional election
The Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional election of 1998 took place on 14 June 1998.


1998 Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional election
Forza Italia, at its first appearance in a regional election, became the largest party with 20.6%, while Lega Nord Friuli-Venezia Giulia came second with 17.3%, but the combined score of all regionalist parties was 26.3%.


1998 Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional election
After the election a government led by Roberto Antonione (Forza Italia) and composed of Forza Italia, Lega Nord, National Alliance, Christian Democratic Centre and Friuli Union was formed.


1998 GP Ouest–France
The 1998 GP Ouest-France was the 62nd edition of the GP Ouest-France cycle race and was held on 30 August 1998. The race started and finished in Plouay. The race was won by Pascal Hervé of the Festina team.


1998 Gabonese presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Gabon on 6 December 1998. Incumbent President Omar Bongo, in power since 1967, sought a seven-year term against five other candidates. It was Gabon's second multi-party presidential election and, despite low turnout and polling problems, Bongo won the election with 66.88% of the vote.


1998 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
In late July 1998, the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) called for Bongo to run for re-election, praising him as a "trump card for the third millennium". Also in July, the opposition National Woodcutters' Rally (RNB) split into two factions, one headed by Paul Mba Abessole and one headed by Pierre-Andre Kombila, after Kombila was expelled from the party.


1998 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
Pierre Mamboundou of the Union of the Gabonese People (UPG) ran as the candidate of the High Council of the Resistance, a coalition of opposition parties that included the UPG, the African Forum for Reconstruction, the Mebiame Group, MORENA–Original and the Socialist Emancipation Movement of the People. The Gabonese Progress Party (PGP) of Pierre-Louis Agondjo Okawé supported Mamboundou.


1998 Gabonese presidential election, Opinion polls
The publication of opinion polls was prohibited by the National Communication Council during the week immediately preceding the election.


1998 Gabonese presidential election, Results
According to final results from the Constitutional Court, Bongo won the election with 66.88% of the vote. Mamboundou officially placed second with 16.54% of the vote. Mamboundou denounced the official results as an "electoral coup d'etat" and called on the people to begin a "graduated response" by engaging in a stay at home ("ghost city") protest. Following the election, he alleged that commandos sent by the government tried to kill him on 12 December 1998. While Mamboundou's call for people to stay at home was mostly ignored in Libreville, Port-Gentil was reportedly "paralysed".


1998 Gabonese presidential election, Aftermath
Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane was Bongo's campaign manager during the election, and he was subsequently appointed as Prime Minister in January 1999.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak
The 1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that struck portions of the southeastern United States on March 20, 1998. Particularly hard hit were rural areas outside of Gainesville, Georgia, where at least 12 people were killed in an early morning F3 tornado. The entire outbreak killed 14 people and produced 12 tornadoes across three states with the town of Stoneville, North Carolina, being also hard hit by the storms.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Meteorological synopsis
Prior to March 20, several days of severe weather dumped heavy amounts of rain in the Southeast, particularly in North Carolina. On the day of the severe weather outbreak, temperatures were in the 40s across the Appalachian Mountains and the North Carolina Piedmont region, while temperatures in the 60s and 70s further south creating a sharp contrast between air masses across the Southeast.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Meteorological synopsis
A strong storm cell moved across northern Georgia during the early morning hours. This supercell produced the Gainesville area tornado, before producing scattered reports of large hail and high wind damage farther northeast in Appalachian North Carolina. As this first bout of severe weather slowly dissipated, a line of storms rapidly developed east of the mountains over the western Carolinas during the early afternoon. Moving into a warmer environment where CAPE values were high (over 1000 j/kg), the line of storms evolved into several supercells, including two particularly prolific storms that moved across central and northern North Carolina from Charlotte to the Virginia border.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Confirmed tornadoes, Gainesville, Georgia
Touching down at around 6:25 AM EST in northwestern Hall County, this powerful pre-dawn F3 tornado traveled into southern White County, leaving a 13-mile long damage path through rural areas outside of Gainesville, Georgia, before dissipating at around 6:40 EST. It heavily damaged Lanier Elementary School and unroofed North Hall High School, while damaging or destroying several businesses. The school system did not fully recover until the next fall.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Confirmed tornadoes, Gainesville, Georgia
At North Hall, the gymnasium was used as a temporary classroom until the end of the school year, while students at Lanier were temporarily relocated in three other area schools that were not affected by the tornado. About 40 homes were completely destroyed and another 130 were damaged to varying degrees. 45 mobile homes were also damaged or destroyed, with 11 of the fatalities who were inside those structures. The other fatality occurred when a tractor-trailer was carried by the funnel and slammed into a school bus, killing the driver.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Confirmed tornadoes, Gainesville, Georgia
Eight chicken houses were also destroyed and about 100,000 chickens were killed. 40 cattle were also killed by the storm. In addition to the 12 fatalities, over 150 people were injured. A police officer was also killed after being hit by a car while assisting a motorist who was involved in an accident during the storm. The fatality was not directly attributed to the tornado itself. Since recordkeeping began, this storm stands as the second deadliest Georgia tornado since 1950 and the deadliest since an F4 killed 18 on April 30, 1953, south of Macon. The damage figures were estimated at between $15 million and $20 million with the majority of the damage in Hall County.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Confirmed tornadoes, Gainesville, Georgia
The immediate Gainesville area is no stranger to deadly tornadoes. It was the site of the fifth deadliest tornado in United States history on April 6, 1936, during the Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak, where two tornadoes merged into a very large F4 killing 203 including 70 at the Coopers Plant Factory. The tornado occurred only 12 hours after an F5 struck Tupelo, Mississippi, killing at least 216 (with others being unaccounted for), making it the fourth deadliest tornado on record including storms before 1950. Another tornado hit Gainesville in 1903 killing at least 100.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Confirmed tornadoes, Gainesville, Georgia
The 1998 season, an El Niño year, had several deadly tornado outbreaks in addition to the Gainesville tornado including the Kissimmee Tornado Outbreak in Florida on February 23, the Birmingham, Alabama tornado on April 8, the Mississippi and Tennessee Valley outbreak on April 16 and the Spencer, South Dakota/Eastern tornado outbreak and derecho on May 30–31.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Confirmed tornadoes, Stoneville, North Carolina
At about 3:25 PM an F3 tornado developed about one mile southwest of Mayodan in Rockingham County, North Carolina, touching down in an open field near the Western Rockingham Middle School. The tornado then almost immediately struck Unifi Plant No. 5, a textile manufacturing complex, tearing the roof and wall off of one of its buildings. The tornado proceeded to destroy several homes, cause extensive damage to the West Side Baptist Church, and strike an apartment complex and an abandoned elementary school. Over 190 residences in Mayodan were damaged by the storm.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Confirmed tornadoes, Stoneville, North Carolina
The tornado proceeded past Mayodan, crossing the Mayo River and traveling several miles across forests and farmland. Between Mayodan and U.S. Route 220 it struck the home of farmer Powell Hickman, throwing him from his residence and killing him. At about 3:30 the tornado entered the town of Stoneville, North Carolina, traveling north along a rail line into the main business district along Henry Street. It caused extensive damage to commercial structures. Beth Mitchell, a national champion shag dancer, died when her car was thrown into a repair garage. At 3:49 the tornado, after traveling 12 miles, dissipated about three miles northwest of the town of Eden.


1998 Gainesville–Stoneville tornado outbreak, Confirmed tornadoes, Stoneville, North Carolina
A total of 500 to 600 residences were affected by the tornado, along with numerous businesses; while several vehicles (including a fire truck) were also tossed some distance. Canceled checks from Stoneville were found 53 miles away in Huddleston, Virginia, while other debris was found scattered in and around the Martinsville area. Total casualties amounted to two dead and 27 injured. The tornado was the strongest on-record to have ever struck Rockingham County.


1998 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council election
Elections to Gateshead Council in Tyne and Wear, England were held on 7 May 1998. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party kept overall control of the council.


1998 Gator Bowl
The 1998 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the North Carolina Tar Heels from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The 53rd edition of the Gator Bowl, it was played at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 1, 1998. The game was the final contest of the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 42–3 victory for North Carolina.


1998 Gator Bowl
Virginia Tech was selected to play in the Gator Bowl following a 7–4 regular season. Facing the unranked Hokies were the No. 7-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. The Heels had gone 10–1 during the regular season and were ranked seventh in the Associated Press poll heading into the game. North Carolina narrowly missed an at-large selection to a higher-prestige Bowl Alliance postseason game and was playing under new head coach Carl Torbush for the first time. Torbush had taken over for former head coach Mack Brown on December 8, after Brown announced that he was departing to take the position of head coach at Texas.


1998 Gator Bowl
The game kicked off on January 1, 1998, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. From the opening kickoff, North Carolina dominated every aspect of the game. In the first quarter, the Tar Heels scored 16 unanswered points, including a defensive touchdown. North Carolina added six points in the second and third quarters before Tech scored its first points of the game—a 40-yard field goal by kicker Shayne Graham. The Tar Heels rounded out the game by scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels set school records for largest bowl game margin of victory, most points scored in a bowl game, and most touchdown passes in a bowl game. The eventual 42–3 loss was Virginia Tech's largest bowl loss in school history.


1998 Gator Bowl
Quarterbacks Chris Keldorf and Nick Sorensen were named the most valuable players of their respective teams, and each team saw multiple players selected in the 1998 NFL Draft, which followed the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection
During the 1997 college football season, the Gator Bowl selection committee held contracts with both the Big East and Atlantic Coast Conferences. In exchange for guaranteeing to pay a total of $3.2 million to the participating teams, the committee held the right to the second pick of bowl-eligible teams from each conference. Each conference's champion was awarded an automatic spot in a Bowl Alliance game, and it was expected that the Gator Bowl would select each conference's second-place team unless other circumstances arose.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection
Prior to the final week of the regular season, it appeared that circumstances might indeed throw that plan into confusion. North Carolina, the ACC's second-place team, had risen to No. 5 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 7 in the Associated Press college football poll, and was considered to be a candidate for an at-large Bowl Alliance selection. If North Carolina was selected for a higher-tier bowl game, the door would be opened for Notre Dame to play in the 1998 Gator Bowl—a circumstance provided for if neither the first nor second-place ACC team was available to play.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection
In the end, however, ACC runner-up North Carolina was bypassed by Bowl Alliance officials, leaving the team available for the Gator Bowl. Facing the Tar Heels were the Virginia Tech Hokies, second-place finishers in the Big East Conference. Gator Bowl officials considered inviting Big East third-place West Virginia due to its reputation for bringing large numbers of fans to bowl games, but decided against inviting the Mountaineers out of recognition that North Carolina and West Virginia played each other in the 1997 Gator Bowl.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection, North Carolina
The North Carolina Tar Heels began the 1997 college football season having gone 10–2 in 1996, a year that ended with a 20–13 win over West Virginia in the 1997 Gator Bowl. Hopes were high for the Tar Heels heading into the 1997 season, with some writers and fans picking North Carolina to have a chance to compete for the national championship. The Tar Heels bore out those hopes in the first game of the season, beating Big Ten opponent Indiana, 23–6.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection, North Carolina
North Carolina rose to No. 7 in the national college football polls, and the victory over Indiana was followed the next week by a 28–17 win over No. 17 Stanford University. The two season-opening wins were followed by six more in succession. The Tar Heels beat Maryland, 40–14, on September 20, and Virginia on September 27 by a score of 48–20. Prior to the win against Virginia, North Carolina, rose from No. 7 to No. 5 in the polls, and remained at that level after the win.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection, North Carolina
Texas Christian University fell 31–10 to the Tar Heels on October 4, and Wake Forest lost to North Carolina, 30–12, on October 11. After a week of inactivity, in which the Tar Heels rose to No. 4, North Carolina defeated in-state rival NC State by a score of 20–7, and after another week and a half, the Tar Heels beat Georgia Tech narrowly, 16–13, in a Thursday night game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection, North Carolina
In their ninth game of the season, the Tar Heels lost to No. 2 Florida State, 20–3. The loss was the sole losing effort for the Tar Heels in the 1997 season, and came at the hands of the eventual Atlantic Coast champion Seminoles. During the game, the Tar Heels also lost their then-starting quarterback, Oscar Davenport, to a broken ankle. North Carolina recovered from the loss to win its final two games: 17–10 against Clemson, and 50–14 over Duke. Despite having only one loss, the Tar Heels were denied a chance to participate in a Bowl Alliance game and instead accepted a bid to the 1998 Gator Bowl.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech Hokies began the 1997 college football season having gone 10–2 the previous season, ending with a 41–21 loss to Nebraska in the 1996 Orange Bowl. The Hokies began the new season with hopes of repeating the success that saw the team reach consecutive Bowl Alliance games in the previous two seasons, but the loss of much of the starting lineup that led the Hokies in those years left some people's skeptical about Tech's chance to reach a third Bowl Alliance game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
In the Hokies' first three games of the season, however, they answered their critics with wins. A season-opening 59–19 win against Rutgers was followed by a 31–3 win over Syracuse and a 23–13 triumph against Temple. A 50–0 shutout win against Arkansas State University saw the Hokies elevated to the No. 14 position in the national college football polls. This, however, was followed by a 24–17 loss to Miami (Ohio) that dropped the Hokies to No. 23. Tech rose again to No. 19 with a victory against Boston College. At No. 21 West Virginia, however, the Hokies lost, 30–17.


1998 Gator Bowl, Team selection, Virginia Tech
The loss returned Tech to No. 23 in the polls. A recovery to No. 19 followed victories over the University of Alabama-Birmingham and the University of Miami. In the final two games of the season, however, The Hokies lost to Pittsburgh, 30–23, and Virginia, 34–20. The dual losses dropped Tech out of the polls for the first time since the opening week of the season, and the Hokies prepared for the Gator Bowl after recording a 7–4 regular-season record.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup
Pregame media coverage of the contest focused on North Carolina's rejection by the Bowl Alliance, the Tar Heels' new coach, and questions about whether a lightly regarded and unranked Virginia Tech team could compete with a top-five North Carolina squad. This latter fact was reflected in the game's point spread. On December 9, shortly after the matchup was announced, spread bettors favored North Carolina to win by 12 points. Several sports commentators, including Lou Holtz and Craig James, said North Carolina deserved a more prestigious bowl game due to its high ranking. "The Alliance has not served its purpose," Holtz said in an interview. "It's politics as usual." The game was the 27th meeting between the two teams, continuing a matchup that first started in 1895. Despite that early beginning, the two teams hadn't played each other since 1946.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup
Tickets to the game sold quickly at first, but trailed off as the game approached. Virginia Tech sold 5,000 tickets in the first three days after the Hokies were selected, but one week later, Tech managed to increase that total to just 8,300. In an effort to spur sales at the school, Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver asked fans to buy tickets even if they did not plan on attending the game. The tickets could then be donated to charity.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup
As an incentive for Gator Bowl officials to select Virginia Tech, the school agreed to sell 18,000 tickets—more than the minimum 11,500 North Carolina agreed to sell. When a shortfall resulted in Tech selling just 11,000 tickets, the school was forced to purchase the remaining 7,000, costing Virginia Tech $245,000. At North Carolina, tickets sales were even slower, with about 6,000 having been sold through the school two weeks after the matchup was announced. The Gator Bowl ticket office sold approximately 22,000 tickets directly to fans in the same timeframe, and Gator Bowl officials predicted a crowd of between 50,000 and 55,000 people at the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup
Reduced ticket sales were a concern for Gator Bowl officials, who eyed an expiring television contract with NBC following the game. If attendance and viewership of the game's broadcast were low, it could have a negative effect on negotiations for future contracts with NBC or its rival, CBS.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Brown and Torbush
Following the conclusion of the regular season and prior to North Carolina's acceptance of the invitation to play in the Gator Bowl, Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown received an offer from the Texas Longhorns to become that school's head coach. A day and a half after Texas extended the offer, Brown resigned his position as North Carolina's head coach and accepted the Texas job. He replaced John Mackovic, who was fired three days earlier after finishing the season with a 4–7 record.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Brown and Torbush
Immediately after Brown's resignation, the question of his replacement and who would coach the team during the Gator Bowl arose. Brown offered to stay on to coach the team through the bowl game, but the proposal was met with hostility from some North Carolina players who felt betrayed by the coach's resignation. School administrators' first choice to replace Brown was then-Georgia head coach Jim Donnan, who previously characterized the North Carolina head coaching position as his "dream job." Donnan rejected the administrators' offer, however, saying that he had a commitment to his then-current players.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Brown and Torbush
Following Donnan's rejection of the North Carolina offer, several Tar Heel players approached North Carolina athletics director Dick Baddour, demanding that he hire Brown's defensive coordinator, Carl Torbush, as the team's new head coach. Torbush and UNC offensive coordinator Greg Davis were considered the two likeliest remaining candidates, but after Davis indicated his intention to follow Brown to Texas, UNC administrators acquiesced to the players' demand and named Torbush as North Carolina's new head football coach.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Players' brawl
On the same day Mack Brown announced his acceptance of the Texas head coaching position, seven North Carolina football players allegedly assaulted a North Carolina student, severely injuring him. All seven were charged with offenses ranging from misdemeanor assault to simple assault. Among the players charged were defensive leader and All-American linebacker Kivuusama Mays and two other starters on North Carolina's defense. At the time, UNC policy dictated the immediate suspension of any player charged with a felony, and punishment for lesser charges to be decided on a case-by-case basis. After investigating the incident, North Carolina school officials cleared six of the seven accused players to participate in the Gator Bowl with judicial charges still pending. The seventh accused player, backup defensive tackle Ricco McCain, was suspended indefinitely from the team while legal action proceeded.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Players' brawl
The North Carolina coaching staff and administration was criticized for allowing the accused players to participate in the game, with at least one critic saying the school only did so in order to better its chances to win the game. Following the game, three of the players—Varian Ballard, Greg Harris and Ricco McCain—were found guilty of simple assault. Two others were found not guilty and charges were dismissed against another. The seventh player, Kivuusama Mays, pleaded no contest to the charge.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, North Carolina offense
On the field, North Carolina's offense was led by quarterback Chris Keldorf. Keldorf was plagued by injuries during his college career, but still managed to set a North Carolina single-game passing record when he threw for 415 yards against Texas Christian University. He replaced original starting quarterback Oscar Davenport, who broke his ankle midway through the regular season. Keldorf finished the season having completed 104 of 181 passes for 1,448 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. With Keldorf and Davenport splitting command during the regular season, North Carolina averaged 27.8 points and 379 yards per game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, North Carolina offense
The favorite passing target for Keldorf and Davenport was wide receiver Na Brown, who set a school record by catching 55 passes during the regular season. Overall, North Carolina's offense averaged 262 passing yards per game during the season.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, North Carolina offense
On the ground, North Carolina's rushing game was led by running back Johnathan Linton, who finished the season with 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was the 24th player in North Carolina history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season and against Georgia Tech became the first Tar Heel in school history to rush for more than 100 yards and have more than 100 yards receiving in the same game. In a practice just before the game, however, Linton strained a ligament in his right knee, putting his presence at the game in doubt.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, North Carolina offense
Linton's backup was Mike Geter, who played in 11 games this year and had 55 rushes for 245 yds and 5 receptions for 20yds. Geter was the team's 2nd Leading Rusher behind Linton North Carolina fullback Deon Dyer, who rushed 25 times for 90 yards during the regular season, was not expected to play in the Gator Bowl due to a fractured fibula suffered in the Tar Heels' 10th game of the season.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Virginia Tech offense
During the regular season, the Hokies averaged 29.3 points per game and scored at least 21 points in 22 consecutive games—a streak dating to the 1995 season. Virginia Tech's offense was led on the field by quarterback Al Clark, who passed for 1,476 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ran for 344 yards during the regular season. At the beginning of December, however, Clark underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in order to repair damaged cartilage in the joint.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Virginia Tech offense
Due to the long recovery time involved with the surgery, it was questioned if he would play in the Gator Bowl or if he would be able to play at full strength. Four days prior to the game, Clark's presence at the game was put even more in doubt when he caught the flu and developed a 102-degree fever. Clark's backup, redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Sorensen, completed 11 of his 21 pass attempts during the season for 140 yards and two touchdowns.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Virginia Tech offense
Also injured was Virginia Tech wide receiver Ricky Scales. Scales didn't play for 10 weeks during the regular season because of surgery to an injured tendon. Despite playing in only four games during the season, he finished the regular season as the Hokies' No. 5 receiver, catching 13 passes for 298 yards. Scales' injury caused the Hokies to be ranked among the worst in the Big East in receiving yardage, averaging less than 180 yards per game through the air. As the game moved closer, however, Scales recovered from his injury and appeared near full strength.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Virginia Tech offense
Virginia Tech's rushing offense, led by running back Ken Oxendine, led the Big East in rushing yards, averaging 215.3 yards per game. Oxendine entered the Gator Bowl as the No. 5 rusher in Virginia Tech history to that point, and accumulated 904 rushing yards and 13 receptions during his final season as a Hokie. Oxendine was supported by fullback Marcus Parker, who ran for 363 yards and four touchdowns during the regular season. Parker also found success in the passing game, becoming Tech's leading receiver for the season by catching 20 passes for 212 yards.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Virginia Tech offense
He was the first Virginia Tech runner since 1969 to lead the team in receptions. Backing up Oxendine was running back Lamont Pegues, a transfer student from Clemson who accumulated 85 carries for 391 yards and five touchdowns. All three players were assisted by Virginia Tech's offensive line, which was led by Gennaro DiNapoli. DiNapoli was named to the All-ACC team, but was predicted to face a tough task in stopping North Carolina's top-ranked defense.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, North Carolina defense
North Carolina's defense was among the best in the country during the regular season, finishing the year ranked second in total defense (209.3 yards per game) and fifth in scoring defense (13 points per game). The Tar Heels also were ranked second in the country in terms of rushing yards, allowing an average of 77.9 rushing yards per game during the regular season. Those statistics were due to the performance of three consensus first-team All-America defenders: defensive end Greg Ellis, linebacker Brian Simmons and cornerback Dré Bly.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, North Carolina defense
Ellis had 87 tackles during the season (18 for loss) to lead the team in both categories. Another defender, linebacker Kivuusama Mays, was a third-team All-American. Simmons in particular felt confident enough to guarantee prior to the game that the Tar Heels would win if they held Virginia Tech to 20 points or less. No team had scored more than that total since the 1995 season.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, North Carolina defense
Other North Carolina defensive players also performed well during the season. Defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday was named a first-team All-ACC selection after earning 64 tackles—13 for loss. Fellow defensive tackle Russell Davis finished just behind Holliday in total tackles with 60.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, North Carolina defense
The Tar Heels faced a setback on defense when first-team All-ACC defensive back Robert Williams was involved in a car accident that injured his face, neck, and shoulder. Despite requiring more than 20 stitches, however, Williams recovered from his injuries to play in the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Virginia Tech defense
The Hokies' defense, which appeared strong in the first games of the season, faltered in later games, allowing 129 points in its final five games. During the entire season, the Hokies allowed only 185 points. One of the stars of the Virginia Tech defense was defensive tackle Nat Williams, who had a team-best 8.5 tackles for loss amid 52 total tackles. Linebacker Steve Tate was the team's leader in tackles, recording 104. Former walk-on defensive tackle Kerwin Hairston was fifth on the team in tackles (69) and tied for third in sacks (3.5) and quarterback hurries (eight). Starting linebacker Cory Bird was predicted to miss the game due to a knee injury.


1998 Gator Bowl, Pregame buildup, Virginia Tech defense
Virginia Tech's special teams squad was more highly regarded than its defense. Overall, Virginia Tech was 14th nationally in net punting and 37th in kickoff returns. Punter Jimmy Kibble was the No. 10 player in the country at his position, averaging 45.1 yards per kick during the regular season. Because of Virginia Tech's success at blocking kicks—the Hokies blocked seven during the season—North Carolina made a special effort to prepare for Virginia Tech's kick blockers on special teams. Virginia Tech placekicker Shayne Graham set Big East single-season records for field goals made (19) and points scored by kicking (92) during the season. He was 35 of 36 on extra points and 19 for 23 on field goals, but caught the flu prior to the Gator Bowl.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary
The 53rd edition of the annual Gator Bowl game kicked off on January 1, 1998. An estimated 54,116 fans were in attendance at the game, which was held in Jacksonville's Alltel Stadium, since renamed Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The game was televised on NBC, and an estimated 5.1 million Americans watched the broadcast, giving the game a television rating of 3.7, 12th highest of the 21 bowl games that season. Charlie Jones, Bob Trumpy, John Dockery were the sportscasters of the broadcast.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary
During the week prior to the game, the weather had been cold and rainy, with temperatures in the mid-40s and more than two inches of rain. At kickoff, the weather was clear, with temperatures near 55 degrees. North Carolina won the ceremonial pre-game coin toss to determine first possession and elected to play defense to begin the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
The game's opening kickoff was returned to the Virginia Tech 22-yard line, and the Hokies ran the first play of the game—a pass from quarterback Al Clark to fullback Marcus Parker. The play went for nine yards, but the Hokies needed two runs by running back Ken Oxendine to pick up the remaining yard and the first down. From the Tech 32-yard line, the Hokies earned one yard on two plays before Clark completed a seven-yard pass to wide receiver Angelo Harrison. Still short of the first down, the Hokies were forced to punt. The ball rolled out of bounds at the North Carolina 19-yard line, and with 12:16 remaining in the first quarter, North Carolina prepared for its first possession of the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
On the Tar Heels' first play of the game, running back Jonathan Linton ran up the middle for a three-yard gain. After the gain, Carolina quarterback Chris Keldorf completed a 31-yard pass to tight end Alge Crumpler for a first down at the Virginia Tech 47-yard line. Now inside Virginia Tech territory, Linton ran for a five-yard gain, which was followed by a pass from Keldorf to Linton, who gained 26 yards on the play. Following the catch, North Carolina had a first down at the Virginia Tech 16-yard line.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Linton left the field limping slightly, and backup running Mike Geter replaced him, then ran for four yards up the middle. Geter was stopped for no gain on the next play, and a third down pass by Keldorf fell incomplete. North Carolina kicker Josh McGee entered the game to attempt a 29-yard field goal, which was good. With 9:15 remaining in the quarter, North Carolina took a 3–0 lead.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
North Carolina's post-score kickoff was returned to the Virginia Tech 25-yard line, and the Hokies prepared for their second possession of the game. Parker was stopped for no gain on a run attempt, and another attempt on the next play was stopped for a loss of a yard. Facing third down, Clark attempted to scramble for the first down, but was stopped after a gain of six yards. Having gone three and out, the Hokies punted again. The kick was downed at the 36-yard line, and North Carolina's offense returned for its second possession of the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
On the first play of the drive, Linton gained two yards on a run up the middle of the field. On the next play, Keldorf completed a 62-yard pass to Octavus Barnes, who had broken free of the Virginia Tech defense. Barnes sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown, and after the extra point kick, North Carolina led 10–0 with 6:07 remaining in the quarter.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Following the kickoff by North Carolina and a short return, Virginia Tech took over at its 26-yard line. On Tech's first play, Clark completed a seven-yard pass to Williams. Running back Lamont Pegues then was stopped for a one-yard loss, and Clark's third-down pass attempt fell incomplete. After again going three and out, Tech punted. The kick was returned to the North Carolina 14-yard line, and the Tar Heels began their third possession of the game. The first play of the drive was a pass from Keldorf to Crumpler, who gained 10 yards and a first down.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
From the Tar Heels' 24-yard line, Linton gained one yard on a short run, then Keldorf threw a 30-yard pass to wide receiver Na Brown. The play gave the Tar Heels a first down at the Tech 44-yard line, and Linton gained four yards with a running play on first down. Two incomplete passes later, North Carolina punted for the first time in the game. The ball rolled into the end zone for a touchback, and the Hokies' offense started at the 20-yard line with 2:49 left in the quarter.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
A one-yard rush was followed by a pass to running back Ken Oxendine that lost three yards. Following the negative-yardage play, North Carolina committed a five-yard penalty that gave the Hokies a third down and seven. Despite the extra yardage provided by the penalty, Clark's pass attempt on third down was incomplete and the Hokies again prepared to punt. During the kick, however, North Carolina defender Quinton Savage broke through the Virginia Tech offensive line and blocked the punt by Jimmy Kibble.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Tar Heels' defender Dre Bly picked up the loose ball and ran into the end zone for North Carolina's second touchdown of the game. Following the play, North Carolina was penalized 15 yards for excessive celebration and the resulting 35-yard extra point kick was no good. Despite the missed kick, North Carolina extended its lead to 16–0 with 1:03 remaining in the first quarter.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, First quarter
Virginia Tech's kick returner slipped during the subsequent kickoff, and the Hokies' offense started at its 13-yard line. Oxendine gained three yards on the first play of the drive, then Clark was sacked for a nine-yard loss. The sack was the final play of the first quarter, and North Carolina had a 16–0 lead with three quarters still to be played.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The second quarter began with Virginia Tech in possession of the ball and facing a long third down after a quarterback sack on the final play of the first quarter. On the first play of the quarter, Tech quarterback Al Clark was sacked by Brian Simmons, and this time he fumbled the ball. The loose ball was picked up in the end zone by Carolina defender Greg Ellis for the Tar Heels' third touchdown of the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Because North Carolina missed its extra-point kick following its previous touchdown, Tar Heels' head coach Carl Torbush ordered the team to attempt a two-point conversion in order to gain the missed extra point from the previous play. A pass attempt by Keldorf fell incomplete, but with just seven seconds elapsed in the second quarter, North Carolina led 22–0.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The Tar Heels' kickoff was returned to the Hokies' 24-yard line. Clark scrambled for one yard, then completed a five-yard pass. Facing third down and four, Clark scrambled for a first down at the Tech 38-yard line. Following the first down, Parker gained two yards on a running play. Clark then completed a 10-yard pass to Parker, and the Hokies were aided by a 15-yard personal foul facemask penalty against North Carolina during the play. Following the pass and penalty, Tech entered North Carolina territory for the first time and had a first down at the Tar Heels' 35-yard line.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
On the first play inside Carolina territory, Clark completed a 35-yard pass to Parker for an apparent touchdown, but the play was negated by a 15-yard penalty against Virginia Tech. From the 50-yard line, Pegues ran for four yards and Clark threw two incomplete passes, forcing a punt. The kick was downed at the Carolina 10-yard line, and the Tar Heels' offense took over with 10:40 remaining before halftime.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
Linton ran for nine yards, then picked up a first down with a five-yard gain on second down. Keldorf completed a 12-yard pass to Barnes for a first down, Linton ran seven yards to the Carolina 43-yard line, then gained another first down with a run to the 50-yard line. From midfield, Keldorf attempted a deep pass on first down, but the ball fell incomplete. On second down, Keldorf completed a four-yard pass to Linton but was sacked on third down by the Virginia Tech defense. The sack forced Carolina to punt for the second time in the game, and the ball rolled out of bounds at the Virginia Tech 11-yard line.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
From that point, Pegues rushed for 13 yards on the first play of the drive, giving the Hokies a first down at their 24-yard line. Two more rushes by Pegues gained seven yards, then North Carolina committed a five-yard offsides penalty, giving the Hokies a first down at the 36-yard line. Clark threw an incomplete pass, Pegues was tackled for no gain on a running play, then Tech committed a five-yard delay of game penalty. On third down, Clark was sacked for a loss, and Tech punted. The kick was partially blocked, allowing North Carolina to return the ball to the 45-yard line of Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels thus began a drive inside Virginia Tech territory with 3:33 remaining in the first half.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The first play of the drive was a six-yard run by Linton, and it was followed by an incomplete pass from Keldorf to Crumpler. Crumpler made up for the missed pass on the next play, when he caught a short pass for a first down from Keldorf. Now at the Hokies' 31, Linton ran straight ahead for a two-yard gain. Linton's run was followed by two incomplete passes by Keldorf, but rather than punt, the Tar Heels attempted to try to convert the fourth down.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
The fourth-down pass fell incomplete, and the Tar Heels turned the ball over on downs at the Tech 30-yard line. Clark completed a six-yard pass to Parker, then threw an incomplete pass downfield with less than a minute remaining on the clock. On third down, Clark completed a nine-yard pass to Michael Stuewe for a first down. A first-down pass attempt was batted down by the North Carolina defense, but on second down, Clark completed a pass to Stuewe for a first down at the Tar Heels 40-yard line.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Second quarter
After a deep pass went incomplete, Clark was sacked and fumbled the ball for the second time in the first half. The loose ball was picked up by Vonnie Holliday with 13 seconds remaining, and the Tar Heels' offense returned to the field. North Carolina tried a deep pass in an attempt to get into scoring position before the end of the half, but Keldorf was sacked and the Tar Heels kneeled on the football to end the half with a 22–0 lead.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Because Virginia Tech began the first half in possession of the football, North Carolina received the ball to begin the second half. The Hokies' kickoff was returned to the 39-yard line, Virginia Tech committed a 15-yard personal foul penalty, and North Carolina began the first possession of the second half at the Virginia Tech 46-yard line. The first play of the half was a short run by Linton, and after two incomplete passes by Keldorf, the Tar Heels prepared to punt.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Rather than kick, however, North Carolina faked a punt and had punter Brian Schmitz pass the ball to linebacker Brian Simmons, who normally played defense. Simmons gained 28 yards and a first down on the play, which allowed the Tar Heels to continue their drive. Now at the Hokies' 13-yard line, North Carolina committed a five-yard delay of game penalty. On the next play, Linton made up the lost yardage, gaining six yards and advancing the ball to the Tech 12-yard line. The running play was followed by a pass from Keldorf to Linton for an eight-yard gain.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Needing one yard to gain a first down, North Carolina was stopped on third down then attempted to convert the fourth down rather than kick a field goal. Keldorf ran the ball straight ahead and gained the needed yardage, gaining a first down at the three-yard line. Two plays later, Linton ran across the goal line and into the end zone for the Tar Heels' first touchdown of the second half. The extra point kick was partially blocked by the Virginia Tech defense and was no good, but the Tar Heels still extended their lead to 28–0 with 9:43 remaining in the quarter.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
Virginia Tech returned North Carolina's kickoff to their 22-yard line, and the Hokies began their first drive of the second half. Quarterbacking the Hokies was backup quarterback Nick Sorensen, who replaced starter Al Clark. On the drive's first play, running back Ken Oxendine broke free of the North Carolina defense for a 36-yard gain and a first down at the North Carolina 42-yard line. Sorensen scrambled for a two-yard gain, then completed a pass to wide receiver Shawn Scales at the 27-yard line for another first down.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
A run by Marcus Parker gained one yard, Sorensen was tackled for a two-yard loss, then threw an incomplete pass. Facing fourth down and needing 11 yards, Tech coach Frank Beamer attempted to convert the fourth down rather than punt, and Sorensen scrambled for a first down at the 16-yard line. From there, Oxendine was stopped for a loss of five yards, Sorensen was sacked for a seven-yard loss, and Sorensen completed a short pass to Parker. Beamer elected not to attempt to convert another fourth down and instead sent kicker Shayne Graham into the game to attempt a 40-yard field goal. The kick was good, and with 4:37 remaining in the quarter, Tech cut North Carolina's lead to 28–3.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
The Hokie kickoff rolled into the end zone for a touchback, and North Carolina started its second drive of the half from its 20-yard line. The first play of the drive was a three-yard run, and it was followed by a six-yard pass from Keldorf to Linton. Needing a single yard for a first down, the Tar Heels rushed straight ahead and gained two yards and the first down at the 31-yard line.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Third quarter
North Carolina continued to move the ball efficiently: Linton gained two yards on a rushing play, then Keldorf threw a short pass to Linton that gained 37 yards after Linton broke free of the Virginia Tech defense. The play resulted in a first down at the Virginia Tech 31-yard line. There, however, Keldorf was sacked for a three-yard loss. After the sack, Keldorf completed a 21-yard pass to Crumpler for a first down at the 13-yard line. Keldorf then attempted to scramble for a gain, but was stopped for no gain. That play was the final one of the quarter, which ended with North Carolina still in possession of a firm lead, 28–3.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
The fourth quarter began with North Carolina in possession of the ball and facing a second down and 11 on the Tech 14-yard line. On the first play of the quarter, Keldorf completed a 14-yard pass to Barnes for a touchdown. The extra point was good, and the Tar Heels extended their lead to 35–3 with 14:55 remaining in the game. North Carolina's kickoff was returned to the Tech 34-yard line, and the Hokies' offense began the first full drive of the fourth quarter.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Tech's first play of the drive was a trick reverse to Scales, who gained 29 yards and a first down on the trick play. After an incomplete pass by Sorensen from the Carolina 37-yard line, Pegues rushed for four yards, then the Hokies were stopped for no gain on third down. Tech attempted to convert the fourth down, but Sorensen's pass fell incomplete and Virginia Tech turned the ball over on downs with 12:39 remaining.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Following the turnover, the Tar Heels had a first down at their 32-yard line. Linton was stopped for no gain on a rushing play, passed for no gain, then completed a nine-yard pass to Brown. Failing to gain the first down, the Tar Heels punted and the ball was returned to the 30-yard line. Oxendine gained two yards on a rush up the right side, then Sorensen ran for one yard on the left side of the field. On third down, Sorensen scrambled for a first down before fumbling the football.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
The loose ball was picked up by Tech lineman Derek Smith, and the Hokies' drive continued. After a rush for no gain, another running play resulted in a Tech fumble, their second of the drive. Unlike the previous fumble, however, this one was recovered by North Carolina's Russell Davis, and the Tar Heels offense was put into position for another scoring attempt.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
After the turnover, North Carolina had a first down at the Tech 34-yard line. Keldorf threw an eight-yard pass to Crumpler, North Carolina, was stopped for a one-yard loss on a running play, then the Tar Heels earned a first down with a four-yard run by Geter. On first down, Keldorf threw an incomplete pass. Second down resulted in a 15-yard gain and a first down on a run by Geter along the left side of the field. Now at the Tech eight-yard line, Geter ran straight ahead for a five-yard gain.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Geter was stopped for a two-yard loss on the next play, but North Carolina recovered from the loss with a five-yard pass from Keldorf to Carrick for a touchdown. The extra point kick was blocked, but a penalty against Virginia Tech allowed Carolina kicker Josh McGee another chance at the extra point. The second attempt was successful, and the kick gave the Tar Heels a 42–3 lead with 5:01 remaining in the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
The Hokies returned North Carolina's kickoff to the Tech 35-yard line, and the Hokies began their final possession of the game. Sorensen completed a four-yard pass, then ran for 19 yards and a first down at the North Carolina 42-yard line. A shovel pass by Sorensen gained three yards, but he lost three yards on the next play and was sacked for a six-yard loss on third down. A fourth-down pass was batted down by the Carolina defense, and the Tar Heels' offense returned to the field with 2:41 remaining in the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Backup quarterback Kevin Carty came onto the field for the Tar Heels, and handed the ball to Dominique Williams, who ran the ball twice for one yard. On third down, he broke free of the Virginia Tech defense and gained 20 yards and a first down at the Tech 33-yard line. Two more rushes gained three yards and ran the remaining time off the game clock. Time expired, and North Carolina won the 1998 Gator Bowl, 42–3.


1998 Gator Bowl, Statistical summary
In recognition of their performances during the game, North Carolina quarterback Chris Keldorf was named the most valuable player of the winning team, and Virginia Tech backup quarterback Nick Sorensen was named the most valuable player of the losing team. Keldorf finished the game having completed 12 of his 28 pass attempts for 290 yards. On the opposite side of the ball, Sorensen completed four of eight passes for 24 yards and carried the ball 10 times on the ground for a total of 19 yards. Al Clark, the quarterback whom Sorensen replaced, finished the game having completed nine of 17 pass attempts for 66 yards.


1998 Gator Bowl, Statistical summary
North Carolina's receivers benefited from Keldorf's passing proficiency. Octavus Barnes caught three passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns, while Alge Crumpler caught five passes for 77 yards. Virginia Tech's leading receiver was Parker, who caught four passes for just 32 yards. On the ground, North Carolina's Linton carried the ball 20 times for 68 yards and a touchdown. He also was the game's second-leading receiver in terms of yardage, catching six passes for 81 yards. The Tar Heels' Geter was second on the team in rushing, accumulating 25 yards on seven carries. For Virginia Tech, running back Ken Oxendine led all Hokie rushers with 39 yards on 10 carries.


1998 Gator Bowl, Statistical summary
Barnes' 62-yard touchdown reception from Keldorf was the sixth-longest scoring play in Gator Bowl history at the time of the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects
Virginia Tech's loss dropped it to a final 1997 record of 7–5, while North Carolina's win raised it to a final record of 11–1. The Tar Heels also rose in the final college football polls of the season, finishing in fourth place in the Coaches' Poll and sixth in the Associated Press media poll. Virginia Tech's defeat was its worst loss since a 45–0 shutout by Tulane in 1983. Jacksonville businesses and hotels benefited from the influx of out-of-town guests.


1998 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects
At least 25,000 fans arrived from outside of the Jacksonville area, injecting an estimated $30 million extra into the city's economy. Many fans praised the stadium, facilities, and attractions available for visitors. NBC's television coverage of the game was not given as high marks, however, and at least one commentator called the broadcast "sloppy" and "routine".


1998 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects
Though they were concerned by low attendance at the game, Gator Bowl officials were able to renegotiate a sponsorship agreement with Toyota Motor Company after the game's previous contract expired following the game.


1998 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects, Coaching changes
Though North Carolina head coach Carl Torbush was confirmed in his position prior to the Gator Bowl, several assistant coaching positions were not filled at the school until after the game. On January 11, Torbush hired then-Texas A&M running backs coach Ken Rucker to fill the new position of special-teams coach. To fill Torbush's former job as offensive coordinator, he hired Texas A&M offensive coordinator Steve Marshall, who filled the position until 1999.


1998 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects, NFL Draft
In the weeks following the game, several players from each team announced their intentions to enter the 1998 NFL Draft. North Carolina defender Dre Bly was among a handful of eligible players (the National Football League requires a player to be at least three years out of high school) who declined to enter the draft, instead choosing to return to school for another year.


1998 Gator Bowl, Postgame effects, NFL Draft
North Carolina had seven players taken in the draft, three of whom were selected in the first round: Greg Ellis was taken with the eighth pick, Brian Simmons with the 17th pick, and Vonnie Holliday with the 19th pick. The four remaining selections were Omar Brown (103rd overall), Kivuusama Mays (110th), Robert Williams (128th), and Jonathan Linton (131st). Virginia Tech had no players taken in the first round during the 1998 draft, but four players were taken in later rounds: Todd Washington (104th overall), Gennaro DiNapoli (109th), Ken Oxendine (201st), and Marcus Parker (202nd).


1998 Generali Open
The 1998 Generali Open was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts in Kitzbühel, Austria that was part of the International Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. It was the 43rd edition of the tournament and was held from 27 July until 2 August 1998. Second-seeded Albert Costa won the singles title.


1998 Generali Open, Finals, Singles
Albert Costa defeated  Andrea Gaudenzi, 6–2, 1–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1


1998 Generali Open, Finals, Doubles
Tom Kempers /  Daniel Orsanic defeated  Joshua Eagle /  Andrew Kratzmann, 6–3, 6–4


1998 Generali Open – Doubles
The 1998 Generali Open was a men's tennis tournament played on Clay in Kitzbühel, Austria that was part of the International Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. It was the forty-third edition of the tournament and was held from 27 July – 2 August 1998.


1998 Generali Open – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1998 Generali Open – Singles
The 1998 Generali Open was a men's tennis tournament played on Clay in Kitzbühel, Austria that was part of the International Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. It was the forty-third edition of the tournament and was held from 27 July – 2 August 1998.


1998 Generali Open – Singles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1998 Gent–Wevelgem
The 1998 Gent–Wevelgem was the 60th edition of the Gent–Wevelgem cycle race and was held on 8 April 1998. The race started in Ghent and finished in Wevelgem. The race was won by Frank Vandenbroucke of the Mapei team.


1998 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 1998 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia during the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Bulldogs completed the season with a 9–3 record.


1998 Georgia Southern Eagles football team
The 1998 Georgia Southern Eagles football team represented the Georgia Southern Eagles of Georgia Southern University during the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Eagles played their home games at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. The team was coached by Paul Johnson, in his second year as head coach for the Eagles.


1998 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 1998 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's coach was George O'Leary. Tech played its home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.


1998 Georgia gubernatorial election
The 1998 Georgia gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. Incumbent Democratic Governor Zell Miller was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, therefore creating an open seat. To replace him, State Representative Roy Barnes won the Democratic Party's nomination after a close and highly contested primary election, while businessman Guy Millner, who had run for Governor and the United States Senate in the previous four years, won the nomination of the Republican Party.


1998 Georgia gubernatorial election
In the general election, Barnes was able to defeat Millner by a margin of victory larger than Governor Miller's victory over Millner four years prior, which was in part due to the unpopularity and controversy of Mitch Skandalakis, the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia. As of 2021, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Governor of Georgia.


1998 Georgian attempted mutiny
The Georgian Armed Forces mutiny of October 1998 was an abortive attempt of a rebellion organized by a group of officers led by Colonel Akaki Eliava in western Georgia against the government of President Eduard Shevardnadze.


1998 Georgian attempted mutiny
The mutiny had its roots in the Georgian civil war of 1991–1993. Akaki Eliava, a leader of the revolt, was among the most active supporters of the late president Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who was ousted in a coup in 1992 and defeated in a subsequent attempt to regain power in 1993. Eliave was arrested, but later granted amnesty and he rejoined Georgia’s armed forces.


1998 Georgian attempted mutiny
On October 18, 1998, approximately 200 Georgian soldiers led by Eliava left their barracks at the town of Senaki in western Georgia and marched on Kutaisi, the second largest city in the country. The government forces under the personal command of Defense Minister David Tevzadze intercepted the rebels before reaching the city. Next day, after a brief shootout which left at least one rebel dead, the mutineers agreed to return to their barracks. 31 rebels were arrested, but Colonel Eliava and his 30 followers escaped.


1998 German Athletics Championships
The 1998 German Athletics Championships were held at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark in Berlin on 3–5 July 1998.


1998 German Figure Skating Championships
The 1998 German Figure Skating Championships (German: Deutsche Meisterschaften im Eiskunstlaufen) took place from December 12 through 14th, 1997 in Berlin. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, ice dancing, and precision skating.


1998 German Formula Three Championship
The 1998 German Formula Three Championship (German: 1998 Deutsche Formel-3-Meisterschaft) was a multi-event motor racing championship for single-seat open wheel formula racing cars that held across Europe. The championship featured drivers competing in two-litre Formula Three racing cars built by Dallara and Martini which conform to the technical regulations, or formula, for the championship. It commenced on 18 April May at Hockenheimring and ended at Nürburgring on 4 October after ten double-header rounds.


1998 German Formula Three Championship
Van Amersfoort Racing driver Bas Leinders became the first Belgian champion of the series. He clinched the title, winning seven of 20 races. Robert Lechner won the rookie championship and finished as runner-up with wins on home soil at Salzburgring, losing 21 points to Leinders. Wolf Henzler was victorious at Nürburgring. The other race winners was Pierre Kaffer, Christijan Albers, Timo Scheider, Thomas Jäger and Thomas Mutsch.


1998 German Formula Three Championship, Calendar
With the exception of round at Salzuburg in Austria, all rounds took place on German soil.


1998 German Grand Prix
The 1998 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Hockenheimring on 2 August 1998. It was the eleventh round of the 1998 FIA Formula One World Championship. The 45-lap race was won by Mika Häkkinen for McLaren from pole position, with teammate David Coulthard finishing second and Jacques Villeneuve finishing third for Williams.


1998 German Grand Prix, Qualifying
Mika Häkkinen took pole position ahead of teammate David Coulthard. Jacques Villeneuve qualified in third, in a new long-wheelbase Williams. Ralf Schumacher was fourth.


1998 German Grand Prix, Qualifying
Michael Schumacher, Häkkinen's main championship rival, qualified ninth after a series of problems throughout practice. Ferrari's long-wheelbase chassis, making its Grand Prix debut, was dismissed by Schumacher after he tried it during the Friday practice sessions. Back in his old car, he spun off on his first lap during first practice on Saturday, and then suffered an engine failure early in second practice.


1998 German Grand Prix, Qualifying
There were also various mutterings that the Ferraris were off the pace as McLaren had threatened to protest about the Italian team's new braking system, and some were sure it had been removed to the team's obvious detriment.


1998 German Grand Prix, Race summary
Come the race, the McLarens were dominant, running first and second throughout and only stopping once each. Ralf Schumacher, running on a light fuel load due to his two-stop strategy, looked to be the only driver capable of troubling them in the first part of the race. He managed to stay with the McLarens but he could not pass them.


1998 German Grand Prix, Race summary
Lap 24 saw Jos Verstappen retire the Stewart-Ford with a gearbox failure, as Rubens Barrichello retired with the same problem 3 laps later. Villeneuve took over third place when Schumacher made the first of his stops, and this was where he stayed to the finish. By the end, Villeneuve was catching the McLarens because Häkkinen had not taken on enough fuel at his stop, and the Finn had to slow down to reduce his fuel consumption.


1998 German Grand Prix, Race summary
Damon Hill, who also one stopped came through to take his first points of the year, finishing ahead of Michael and Ralf Schumacher in fifth and sixth places respectively.


1998 German Masters
The 1998 German Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place between 8–13 December 1998 at the Best Western Rheinhotel in Bingen am Rhein, Germany.


1998 German Masters
John Parrott won in the final 6–4 against Mark Williams.


1998 German Masters, Prize fund
The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:


1998 German Skeleton Championship
The 32nd German Skeleton Championship 1998 was organized on 11 January 1998 in Altenberg.


1998 German federal election
Federal elections were held in Germany on 27 September 1998 to elect the members of the 14th Bundestag. The Social Democratic Party emerged as the largest faction in parliament for the first time since 1972, with its leader Gerhard Schröder becoming Chancellor.


1998 German federal election, Issues and campaign
Since German reunification on 3 October 1990, the unemployment rate in Germany had risen from 4.2% to 9.4% in 1998, with the Federal Labor Office registering more than 4 million unemployed. The unified Germany had to fight economic and domestic difficulties even as it actively participated in the project of European integration. Most people blamed the centre-right coalition government of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) for the economic difficulties. Longtime Chancellor Helmut Kohl's government was regarded by many as not having fully implemented the unification after eight years, in view of the mass protests in many eastern German towns due to job losses and social welfare cuts.


1998 German federal election, Issues and campaign
The 1998 campaign began with both the CDU and SPD questioning who would lead their parties. There had been rumours that Helmut Kohl would resign and allow Wolfgang Schäuble to take the reins of the CDU but these rumours were rendered obsolete when Kohl announced in April 1997 that he would seek the chancellorship for a sixth term. The two contenders for the SPD nomination were Oskar Lafontaine, the party's chairman, and Gerhard Schröder, Minister-President of Lower Saxony.


1998 German federal election, Issues and campaign
On 1 March 1998, Schröder led the SPD to a huge victory in the Lower Saxony state election, gaining an unusual absolute majority for the second time and effectively receiving the SPD nomination for federal chancellor. Schröder had announced he would withdraw his bid for the nomination if he received below 42 percent of the popular vote. In the 1998 general elections, Schröder received 47.9 percent. Following this election Lafontaine withdrew his bid and Schröder was inaugurated in the May 1998 convention. For the SPD, Schröder offered a new face for the party. He gave the party a new vigor, one that was lacking in the CDU after Kohl proclaimed his nomination. Many in the CDU questioned if Kohl had made the right choice for the party.


1998 German federal election, Issues and campaign
The CDU campaign was based on the experience and reputation of Kohl. One of the CDU's main slogans was 'Safety, not Risks.' "Kohl exploited his familiarity and experience, as well as his status as Europe's longest serving head of government." The SPD on the other hand ran the campaign using strategies developed in the United States and the United Kingdom. The SPD set up election headquarters and introduced 'rapid rebuttal units' not unlike those used by Bill Clinton in his successful presidential bid in 1992. The SPD avoided direct attacks at Kohl but rather focused on their message of a "new center".


1998 German federal election, Issues and campaign
The FDP had usually ridden on the coattails of the CDU, and was mostly disapproved in the polls. With the SPD well ahead in the polls, many of the voters from the CDU had less incentives to vote for the FDP. The FDP was also having trouble projecting a coherent platform to voters. The Greens too were having issues concerning their platform.


1998 German federal election, Issues and campaign
The two factions in the Greens, the fundamentalists and the pragmatists, had problems settling on their platform since the founding of the Green party.


1998 German federal election, Issues and campaign
The major issue of the 1998 campaign was unemployment. In 1996, the unemployment rate in Germany surpassed the government's "limit" of 4 million unemployed people. Both parties blamed high labor costs, high taxes and the high welfare costs as the causes of the problem. During the campaign, Schröder used this issue against Kohl calling him 'the unemployment chancellor.' Unemployment was worst in the former East Germany. While the national rate stood at 9.4 percent, former East Germany was suffering with unemployment at 20 percent. Many in the former East Germany blamed Kohl for the slow economic recovery.


1998 German federal election, Issues and campaign
Another issue at hand were Germany's tax and welfare reforms. While the CDU/CSU had offered proposals to reduce benefits in healthcare and pensions, the SPD controlled Bundesrat secured the passage of the bill. The proposed bill also offered tax cuts that were to benefit the rich, something the SPD opposed. While Kohl continually pushed the issue of European integration, the issue fell short from voters' minds. Schröder, on the other hand, almost ignored the issue. Many voters in Germany had other concerns besides the European Union.


1998 German federal election, Post-election, Results
Toward the end of the campaign, polls placed the CDU/CSU and FDP coalition in a tie with the SPD and Green coalition. Despite these polls, the final numbers told a different story. The SPD-Green coalition won an unexpectedly large victory, taking 345 seats and earning a strong majority in the Bundestag—the first centre-left absolute majority in post-World War II Germany. The SPD won 40.9 percent of the vote, due to an increase of 4.5 percent from 1994.


1998 German federal election, Post-election, Results
The CDU/CSU-FDP coalition was severely mauled. It had gone into the election with a solid majority and 341 seats, but was cut down to 288 seats. The CDU/CSU was particularly hammered; it lost 6.2% of its 1994 vote, and lost 109 electoral districts to the SPD. Germany's mixed-member proportional system, in which a slate of statewide delegates are elected alongside the electorate delegates, softened the blow somewhat, so the CDU/CSU only suffered a net loss of 49 seats. It was still the CDU/CSU's worst defeat ever. By contrast their junior coalition partner, the FDP, saw their vote hold up well and netted a loss of just 4 seats.


1998 German federal election, Post-election, Results
The SPD swept all Single-member constituency seats in the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saarland, Bremen, Hamburg and (for the first and last time) Schleswig-Holstein. Chancellor Kohl lost his own constituency of Ludwigshafen, though he was still re-elected to the Bundestag through the Rhineland-Palatinate CDU party list and he had not won the seat in the 1983 and 1987 elections. Future Chancellor Angela Merkel only narrowly won her constituency of Stralsund – Rügen – Grimmen with only 37,3 percent of the vote; the only time she got less than 40 percent of the vote.


1998 German federal election, Post-election, Results
A new government was formed by a coalition between the SPD and the Greens, with the SPD's Gerhard Schröder as chancellor and Greens leader Joschka Fischer as vice-chancellor and foreign minister. It was the first Red-Green coalition government at the federal level in Germany, as well as the first purely centre-left government in post-World War II Germany.


1998 German federal election, Post-election, Results
Helmut Kohl stepped down as chairman of the CDU, as did CSU chairman Theodor Waigel.


1998 German federal election, Post-election, Legacy
The 1998 German election was historic in many ways. It resulted in a centre-right government being succeeded by a left-wing one—the first in postwar Germany (the SPD's previous term in government had been at the helm of a centre-left coalition).


1998 German federal election, Post-election, Legacy
In addition, it brought to an end the sixteen-year rule of Helmut Kohl – the second-longest of any German chancellor, and the longest tenure for a democratically elected head of government in German history. It has been compared to the defeat of Winston Churchill in 1945 – both were seen as conservative wartime leaders, and in both cases both were turned out of office by the electorate once the war was over. Churchill was ousted before World War II was even over, while Kohl managed to hang onto power for two more terms after the reunification of Germany (which is often considered to be the end of the Cold War).


1998 German motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1998 German motorcycle Grand Prix was the ninth round of the 1998 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on 19 July 1998 at the Sachsenring.


1998 German motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (500cc)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round nine has concluded.


1998 Gerry Weber Open
The 1998 Gerry Weber Open was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 6th edition of the Gerry Weber Open, and was part of the International Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. It took place at the Gerry Weber Stadion in Halle, Westfalen, Germany, from 8 June through 15 June 1998. Second-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov won his second consecutive singles title at the event.


1998 Gerry Weber Open, Finals, Doubles
Ellis Ferreira /  Rick Leach defeated  John-Laffnie de Jager /  Marc-Kevin Goellner 4–6, 6–4, 7–6


1998 Gerry Weber Open – Doubles
Karsten Braasch and Michael Stich were the defending champions, but Stich retired after the 1997 season and Braasch played with Jens Knippschild, but lost in the first roundEllis Ferreira and Rick Leach won the final 4–6, 6–4, 7–6 against John-Laffnie de Jager and Marc-Kevin Goellner.


1998 Gerry Weber Open – Singles
Yevgeny Kafelnikov was the defending champion and defended his title with 6–4, 6–4 against Magnus Larsson.


1998 Girabola
The 1998 Girabola was the 20th season of top-tier football competition in Angola. The season began on April 1, 1998. Primeiro de Agosto were the defending champions.


1998 Girabola
The league comprised 16 teams, the bottom three of which were relegated to the 1999 Gira Angola.


1998 Girabola
Primeiro de Agosto were crowned champions, winning their 7th title, while Chicoil, Kabuscorp and SECIL Marítima were relegated.


1998 Girabola
Alberto Ferreira aka Betinho of Petro de Luanda finished as the top scorer with 14 goals.


1998 Giro d'Italia
The 1998 Giro d'Italia was the 81st edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro began on May 16 with a brief 8 km (5 mi) prologue that navigated through the streets of the French city Nice. The race came to a close on June 7 with a mass-start stage that ended in the Italian city of Milan. Eighteen teams entered the race that was won by the Italian Marco Pantani of the Mercatone Uno–Bianchi team. Second and third were the Russian rider Pavel Tonkov and Italian Giuseppe Guerini.


1998 Giro d'Italia
In the race's other classifications, overall winner Marco Pantani also won the mountains classification, Mariano Piccoli of the Brescialat-Liquigas team won the points classification, and Saeco Macchine per Caffè rider Gian Matteo Fagnini won the intergiro classification. Mapei–Bricobi finished as the winners of the Trofeo Fast Team classification, ranking each of the eighteen teams contesting the race by lowest cumulative time. The other team classification, the Trofeo Super Team classification, where the teams' riders are awarded points for placing within the top twenty in each stage and the points are then totaled for each team was won by Team Polti.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Teams
A total of 18 teams were invited to participate in the 1998 Giro d'Italia. Each team sent a squad of nine riders, so the Giro began with a peloton of 162 cyclists. The presentation of the teams – where each team's roster and manager were introduced in front the media and local dignitaries – took place on the Apollon Concert Hall. Out of the 162 riders that started this edition of the Giro d'Italia, a total of 94 riders made it to the finish in Milan.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Teams
The 18 teams that took part in the race were:


1998 Giro d'Italia, Pre-race favourites
Several riders were considered to be potential contenders for the victory before the race began. These included the winners of the previous two editions, Ivan Gotti (Saeco Macchine per Caffè) and Pavel Tonkov (Mapei–Bricobi). Alex Zülle (Festina–Lotus), who had won the Vuelta a España in both 1996 and 1997, was also considered a strong challenger. Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno–Bianchi) had come back to the Giro the previous year from injury, only to retire after a crash which occurred when a cat ran into the peloton. He went on to win two stages of the 1997 Tour de France and was therefore also a challenger at the 1998 Giro.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Route and stages
The route for the 1998 Giro d'Italia was unveiled by race director Carmine Castellano on 22 November 1997 in Milan. It contained three time trial events, all of which were individual. There were eleven stages containing high mountains, of which four had summit finishes: stage 11, to San Marino; stage 14, to Piancavallo; stage 18, to Passo di Pampeago; and stage 19, to Plan di Montecampione. The organizers chose to include no rest days. When compared to the previous year's race, the race was 82 km (51 mi) shorter, contained the one less rest day, as well as one more individual time trial. After a five-year absence, RAI broadcast the event, replacing Reti Televisive Italiane (RTI) who had shown the race since 1993.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Route and stages
There were a total of seven stages that started outside Italy. The 1998 Giro d'Italia began with a prologue around the French city of Nice, which also served as the start for the race's first stage. Stage 11 finished in San Marino and the twelfth stage began there as well. The Giro's twentieth stage ended in Mendrisio. Stage 21 began in Mendrisio ended in Lugano, which also served as the start for stage 22.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Race overview
The race started in the French city of Nice with a prologue time trial, which was won by Zülle, who established an early lead over his general classification rivals. Pantani was aggressive from the early stages on, including an attack at the Capo Berta climb during stage 2. However, the first road stages saw race victories by sprinters, before Zülle took another victory on stage 7, at the ski resort of Laceno.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Race overview
On stage 14 to Piancavallo, Pantani was victorious, but only took out 13 seconds on Zülle and Tonkov. On the next day, a long time trial in Trieste, Zülle caught Pantani on the road and finished 3:26 minutes faster, gaining a stronger grip on the race leader's jersey.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Race overview
Pantani however still remained convinced that he could win the race, considering that three stages in high mountains lay ahead, a terrain that favoured him. On stage 17 into Sëlva, Pantani attacked with Giuseppe Guerini (Team Polti) on the climb of the Marmolada. Zülle cracked and lost four minutes, while Pantani, who gave the stage win to Guerini, took the leader's pink jersey. Tonkov hit back by winning the following stage at Alpe di Pampeago and now was just 27 seconds behind Pantani.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Race overview
Stage 19 to Montecampione saw Pantani and Tonkov engage in a fight for the victory on the final climb, while Zülle lost more than thirty minutes on both riders. Pantani was eventually able to leave Tonkov behind, winning the stage and exceeding his advantage to 1:27 minutes. The race had to be decided during the final time trial from Mendrisio to Lugano. Originally considered the weaker time trialist, Pantani managed to pull out another five seconds on Tonkov and sealed his victory in the Giro d'Italia. Serhiy Honchar won the stage, thirty seconds ahead of Pantani in third. Two months later, he also won the Tour de France, becoming only the seventh rider to win both races in the same year.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Classification leadership
Four different jerseys were worn during the 1998 Giro d'Italia. The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on mass-start stages – wore a pink jersey. This classification is the most important of the race, and its winner is considered as the winner of the Giro.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Classification leadership
For the points classification, which awarded a purple (or cyclamen) jersey to its leader, cyclists were given points for finishing a stage in the top 15; additional points could also be won in intermediate sprints. The green jersey was awarded to the mountains classification leader. In this ranking, points were won by reaching the summit of a climb ahead of other cyclists. Each climb was ranked as either first, second or third category, with more points available for higher category climbs. The Cima Coppi, the race's highest point of elevation, awarded more points than the other first category climbs.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Classification leadership
The Cima Coppi for this Giro was the Passo Sella and was first climbed by the Italian Marco Pantani. The intergiro classification was marked by a blue jersey. The calculation for the intergiro is similar to that of the general classification, in each stage there is a midway point that the riders pass through a point and where their time is stopped. As the race goes on, their times compiled and the person with the lowest time is the leader of the intergiro classification and wears the blue jersey. Although no jersey was awarded, there was also one classification for the teams, in which the stage finish times of the best three cyclists per team were added; the leading team was the one with the lowest total time.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Classification leadership
The rows in the following table correspond to the jerseys awarded after that stage was run.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11
The 1998 Giro d'Italia was the 81st edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro began in Nice, France, with a Prologue individual time trial on 16 May, and Stage 11 occurred on 27 May with a stage to San Marino. The race finished in Milan on 7 June.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Prologue
16 May 1998 — Nice to Nice, 7 km (4.3 mi) (ITT)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 1
17 May 1998 — Nice to Cuneo, 162 km (101 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 2
18 May 1998 — Alba to Imperia, 160 km (99 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 3
19 May 1998 — Rapallo to Forte dei Marmi, 196 km (122 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 4
20 May 1998 — Viareggio to Monte Argentario, 239 km (149 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 5
21 May 1998 — Orbetello to Frascati, 206 km (128 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 6
22 May 1998 — Maddaloni to Lago Laceno, 160 km (99 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 7
23 May 1998 — Montella to Matera, 235 km (146 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 8
24 May 1998 — Matera to Lecce, 191 km (119 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 9
25 May 1998 — Foggia to Vasto, 169 km (105 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 10
26 May 1998 — Vasto to Macerata, 212 km (132 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Prologue to Stage 11, Stage 11
27 May 1998 — Macerata to San Marino, 214 km (133 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22
The 1998 Giro d'Italia was the 81st edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro began in Nice, France, with a Prologue individual time trial on 16 May, and Stage 12 occurred on 28 May with a stage from San Marino. The race finished in Milan on 7 June.


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 12
28 May 1998 — San Marino to Carpi, 202 km (126 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 13
29 May 1998 — Carpi to Schio, 168 km (104 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 14
30 May 1998 — Schio to Piancavallo, 165 km (103 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 15
31 May 1998 — Trieste to Trieste, 40 km (25 mi) (ITT)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 16
1 June 1998 — Udine to Asiago, 236 km (147 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 17
2 June 1998 — Asiago to Sëlva, 215 km (134 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 18
3 June 1998 — Sëlva to Passo di Pampeago, 115 km (71 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 19
4 June 1998 — Cavalese to Plan di Montecampione, 243 km (151 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 20
5 June 1998 — Darfo Boario Terme to Mendrisio, 143 km (89 mi)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 21
6 June 1998 — Mendrisio to Lugano, 34 km (21 mi) (ITT)


1998 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 to Stage 22, Stage 22
7 June 1998 — Lugano to Milan, 102 km (63 mi)


1998 Giro del Trentino
The 1998 Giro del Trentino was the 22nd edition of the Tour of the Alps cycle race and was held on 27 April to 30 April 1998. The race started in Arco and finished in Riva del Garda. The race was won by Paolo Savoldelli.


1998 Giro di Lombardia
The 1998 Giro di Lombardia was the 92nd edition of the Giro di Lombardia cycle race and was held on 17 October 1998. The race started in Varese and finished in Bergamo. The race was won by Oscar Camenzind of the Mapei team.


1998 Gloucester City Council election
The 1998 Gloucester City Council election took place on 5 May 1998 to elect members of Gloucester City Council in England.


1998 Gold Flake Open
The 1998 Gold Flake Open was an ATP tennis tournament held in Chennai, India. The tournament was held from 6 April to 13 April.