Sports briefs for March 2, 2004

Tuesday, March 2, 2004 | 10:28 a.m.

Pete Rose hasn't been able to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he'll be inducted into World Wrestling Entertainment's hall of fame this month as a prelude to Wrestlemania.

Rose, baseball's all-time hits king, participated in three Wrestlemania events in the late 1990s for WWE.

"He has a deep, abiding respect for what we do," WWE chairman Vince McMahon told the New York Times.

The induction, for which Rose will be paid, will occur March 13 and will be repeated the next night at Madison Square Garden at this year's Wrestlemania. Rose will be presented by Kane, his 300-pound nemesis in the previous shows.

Webber's school balks

Chris Webber's high school, Detroit Country Day, refused to forfeit the three Michigan state championships he helped win. A day earlier, the state high school athletics board ruled that Webber should have been ineligible because of his relationship with a former University of Michigan booster. Whether to forfeit the championships was left up to the school, but Country Day headmaster Gerald Hansen said there was no basis to support the claim that Webber should have been ineligible.

Ronaldo re-ups

Three-time FIFA world player of the year Ronaldo signed a contract extension that will keep him with Real Madrid through 2008.

Dolezel honored

Las Vegas Gladiators quarterback Clint Dolezel today won the Arena Football League offensive player of the week award for his performance Sunday in the victory against New Orleans. Dolezel threw four touchdown passes, including the 500th of his AFL career.

Rebels sweep

Playing for the first time in more than two weeks, the UNLV men's team won every set and swept Cal Riverside 7-0 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex. With 55th-ranked Henner Nehles breezing to a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles, the Rebels evened their record at 3-3.

Devils get help

The New Jersey Devils acquired center Viktor Kozlov from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Christian Berglund and defenseman Victor Uchevatov.

Air Force hires AD

Former astronaut Michael Bloomfield, captain and linebacker of the 1980 Air Force football team, was hired as the school's athletic director.