The charitable side

Just spent a couple of minutes talking with Seth Levit, who runs the Jason Taylor Foundation for the Dolphins defensive end.

The talk was pretty educational because I have, for a long time, been under the mistaken impression that athletes such as Taylor, or Dan Marino or Jim Kelly lend their names to various foundations because it brings a tax benefit.

Sure, they're doing something charitable, but they're getting a tax break out of it, too. Well, that is absolutely not the case, according to Seth.

He tells me that Taylor's foundation and all the others are 501c3 organizations and that the athletes that lend their names to them do it, basically because they have a desire to give back to those not as priviledged as them.

THERE IS NO TAX BENEFIT.

Some guys may do it to get a little more attention than they ordinarily would, but mostly, the intent is pure. That makes me appreciate guys like Chris Chambers, Taylor, Dan Marino, Don Shula and others more because they've made big bucks in their professions and use their names to help kids and the sickly, primarily, have somewhat better lives than they otherwise would.

Kudos, gentlemen.