It’s fair to say that Sports Illustrated was relatively “new” when this October 5, 1959 issue hit the newsstands. And while the NFL had been around for four decades by then, it was about to really take off in terms of popularity and viewership. Encapsulated and Graded Fine 6.0 by CGC, this example is the lone representative at its tier with only two graded higher."This "Dark Era Print" heirloom ranks #3 on the "Hardest to Find" list. Featuring Johnny Unitas on the front cover, the publication previews the upcoming football season with text appropriately declaring "Bigger Than Ever." In the wake of Baltimore’s overtime win in “The Greatest Game Ever Played” to culminate the 1958 campaign, the game has enjoyed an unrivaled spike in fan fervor in virtually every season since.