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HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Michael Jordan was one of Denny Hamlins biggest fans in the pits, rooting on the NASCAR star as he fell short of winning the Sprint Cup championship.Air Jordan still has a 6-0 edge in championship rings over Hamlin.I wish we could have been celebrating with him, Hamlin said. Well have to wait another year for that.Hamlin is a Charlotte Hornets season-ticket holder and developed a friendship with the NBA team owner and basketball Hall of Famer. Jordan arrived at Hamlins pit box via golf cart and watched the race like a true fan, complete with a scanner to follow all the action.Kevin Harvick won Sundays race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the championship. Hamlin led 50 laps before fading to seventh.Its cool for him to take time out and come down here and show support, Hamlin said. Hes a race fan. Hes a huge race fan. When he came in the motorhome earlier today, he brought a big group with him and talked about how hes converted all these people into being race fans. He knows everybody and he knows the sport.Jordan, who won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, put in a ticket request with Hamlins team.I told him we could do better than that, Hamlin said, smiling.Hamlin had the A-list advantage in his NASCAR championship drive. Harvick had UFC fighter Donald Cowboy Cerrone and country singer Jake Owen in his corner.Hamlin also tweeted a photo Saturday night of his meeting with rapper Lil Wayne. Hamlin was out Saturday night for a low-key 34th birthday party with family and friends on South Beach. Hamlin, wide-eyed in the photo for the late night, ran into the rapper and tweeted: Thanks for @LilTunechi for coming down and wishing us luck for tomorrow!! Bday dinner complete time for some sleep!Championship contender Ryan Newman wondered if Jordan, a noted Hanes pitchman, had a good-luck gift for Hamlin to wear under his firesuit.Did he bring some underwear for you, Newman asked.No, Hamlin said, laughing. Duncan Keith Jersey . 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Martin Havlat Jersey . - A mixed martial arts fighter who changed his name to War Machine was ordered Friday to stand trial in Nevada state court on 34 felony charges including attempted murder, sexual assault and kidnapping that could get him life in prison for allegedly attacking his porn star ex-girlfriend and her friend.SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Zito has known for months he would be leaving the Giants after seven up-and-down years in San Francisco. The sides formally parted ways Saturday, when the Giants declined to exercise Zitos $18 million contract option for next season and instead owe the left-hander a $7 million buyout. Also Saturday, San Francisco declined its $3 million mutual option for outfielder Andres Torres and must pay him a $500,000 buyout. The biggest decision still facing general manager Brian Sabean and assistant GM Bobby Evans is due by Monday: Whether to exercise right-hander Ryan Vogelsongs $6.5 million club option that includes a $300,000 buyout. Because the 35-year-old Zito realized this moment was coming, he recently took out a full-page newspaper ad to thank the fans for standing by him through a tough tenure on this side of San Francisco Bay. The 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner across the water for the Oakland Athletics, Zito just completed a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Giants. Zito pitched Game 5 of the NL championship series at St. Louis last year with his team facing elimination as the Giants rallied to win the series in seven games, then won Game 1 in a surprising World Series sweep of the Tigers — after he was left off the post-season roster for all three rounds in 2010. Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy each has credited Zito for his work to find his rhythm again despite the struggles, not to mention his class during difficult situations on and off the field. Both of his parents died in recent years, including his father, Joe, this past season. "On the field and off the field, a lot of things happened in these years," Zito said. "I got married and became a Christian, lost both my parents. Just so mucch.dddddddddddd And on the field, obviously had some lows there for a while and also this year, and then the World Series in 2012 for me was such an incredible experience. Im so grateful I got to experience that and be a part of it and help bring it home for San Francisco. The way it worked, Zito was replaced in his final start and didnt get a curtain call or chance to tip his cap to the crowd at AT&T Park on Sept. 25. "Theres not a lot of chance for closure, I think, in sports," he said. "Guys sign contracts, they come to cities, theyre kind of like the citys own. And theres never really goodbyes. But thats National League baseball. Youve got to pinch hit." Zito had a 63-80 record with a 4.62 ERA in 197 starts and 208 appearances for the Giants. His buyout is payable in installments with 1 per cent interest each Jan. 15 from 2014 through 2020. "Theres lots of stuff that he could complain about. Ive never heard him say a negative word about anything," fellow lefty starter Madison Bumgarner said. "Hes a lot tougher than people realize. Hes a gentleman in the game and hes a competitor. Hes truly a good teammate, one of the best teammates Ive had in my short career so far. It would definitely be hard to top him." Zito and Torres, another member of the 2010 World Series team, now become free agents. Torres, 35, batted .250 with two homers and 21 RBIs in 103 games this past season. Zito has said he still wants to pitch next season somewhere. "Just going to go home this off-season, take a few weeks off and see what my heart tells me," he said. "My bodys still healthy and my minds fairly healthy. Its been injured here and there along the way, but I think I can manage." ' ' '