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Couple Buys Sweater from Goodwill, Turns Out To Be Vince Lombardi's

Vince Lombardi has generated plenty of goodwill among Green Bay Packers fans for years.  Now, Goodwill has generated some Vince Lombardi.

Call it The Greatest Sweater Ever Purchased. At least, if you're a Packers diehard. 

The lucky couple bought the sweater for $0.58 from a Goodwill store in North Carolina last summer, reports news station WLOS ABC 13.

It wasn't until Sean McEvoy was watching a documentary on famed Packers coach Vince Lombardi did he realize the significance of the worn out garment hanging in his closet. A closer examination revealed the ink inscription, "Lombardi 46" on a fabric tag. 

McEvoy's first instinct was to contact the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. But when the museum suggested he donate the item, he and his wife - who own a vintage clothing store - decided to auction the item off, instead.

Auction house Heritage Auctions describes the sweater as "the earliest known team-issued garment" of Lombardi's illustrious career, which included coaching the Packers to five NFL championships in seven years.

In these days of Under Armour and Fitbit, the McEvoys hope this decidedly retro sweater - perfect for a mild day at the Frozen Tundra - will fetch as much as$20,000.

The winning bidder also receives a copy of the 2011 hardcover, Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. The book retails for $25.69.

No word on whether current Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has recently donated any of his old sweaters to Goodwill.

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