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The Miami Dolphins have been a pleasant surprise halfway through the 2020 NFL season, but the franchise is making an even bigger impact off the field this year.

The Dolphins announced Tuesday morning that they will be donating $75 million to cancer research. The contribution marks the largest in professional sports history. With the large number of CEOs and owners who only care about their own pockets, it’s refreshing to see team CEO Tom Garfinkel use his wealth and power for such a great cause.

The Dolphins look like a playoff team in 2020

The Dolphins have been one of the biggest laughing stocks in the NFL over the past decade. Miami has only managed one winning season over the last 11 years, but the team is finally showing some signs of life in 2020.

The Dolphins currently sit at 5-3 eight games into the season. They’ve won four straight games to put themselves right in the heart of the AFC playoff race. What’s more, it looks as if the Dolphins have finally found the franchise quarterback they’ve been searching for ever since Dan Marino retired in 2000.

Tua Tagovailoa, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, took over the starting job two weeks ago and has led the Dolphins to two straight upset wins against the LA Rams and the Arizona Cardinals.

Miami isn’t just set up well for this season, either. Barring injuries, Tagovailoa gives the Dolphins a chance to compete in the AFC for years to come. Dolphins fans, rejoice. You’re no longer the basement-dwellers of the AFC.

The Dolphins make $75 million contribution to cancer research

As much good as the Dolphins have done on the field this season, it pales in comparison to the work the franchise is doing off the field.

On Tuesday morning, the team announced it will be making a $75 million contribution to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami, Fla.

“The new Dolphins Challenge Cancer Movement will make a $75,000,000 gift benefiting the life-changing work of @SylvesterCancer,” the Dolphins Twitter account said in a post Tuesday. “This is the largest gift by a sports organization and will set the stage for a year-round effort to raise funds to benefit Sylvester. #OneTeamOneFight”

The Dolphins’ donation is the largest in sports history

The Dolphins’ $75 million donation to cancer research isn’t just the largest in team history. It’s also the largest charitable contribution ever offered by a sports franchise.

“I think it signifies a move from a single event to year-round battle,” Tom Garfinkel, the Dolphins’ CEO and vice chairman, said at a news conference on Tuesday. “And the word ‘challenge’ is really the important word, that we take on the challenge and we want to continue to fight this terrible disease.”

The Dolphins may not have been the most talented NFL team in recent years, but they’ve always been a stand-up organization that sees the bigger picture outside of the sport.

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Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.