Who is the guy wearing the license plate chain around his neck at every Giants game? That’s probably never a question you thought you would ask yourself. But in the wild world of sports fandom, it is a completely acceptable question.
The answer is Joe Ruback, better known as License Plate Guy.
“I knew when I was about 12 that I wanted a Giants license plate,” Ruback told amNewYork. “I remember turning 16… went to the DMV to get the plate. I remember getting there and being told that Giants was taken. I remember crying like a baby. It was my mom’s idea for the G1ANTS (G1) plate, and it’s been on my car ever since.”
While Ruback has become famous for wearing license plates around his neck, it didn’t start as his idea. It all started when a family member dared him to do so. And, after the Giants picked up the win in the first game Ruback wore his plate, he’s worn it ever since.
“My dad dared me to take it off my car and wear it to a game,” Ruback said. “I was like, ‘I’m not taking a license plate off my car,’ and he was like, ‘Why not?’ and I think it was the peer pressure from my siblings that got me to do it. I remember taking the laces off one of my shoes, taking the plate off, and wearing it to a game.”
Ruback’s G1 plate was the first of 111 different New York Giants-styled license plates, and depending on the game or the city the game is in dictates how many plates Ruback takes with him. Ruback, who is normally in the front row behind the Giants bench, brings as many license plates as he needs.
“I’ve been doing this travel thing for so long that I now know how many plates to bring to what stadium before they hit the ground,” Ruback said. “So, in Washington, eight plates before they hit the ground. But in Seattle, it’s 11 plates. I normally bring a dozen or less on the road.”
You may be wondering, how does License Plate Guy get so many plates? Well, Ruback is very specific about what plates he can and can’t wear to games. While he does use his Jeep to get new plates every few years, he also allows fans to send him plates. But Ruback won’t wear just any plate, as they all need to be DMV-issued.
“I have plates not only from different states but from different countries,” Ruback said. “I’ve never sat down and thought about how many states exactly, but I have plates from everywhere from Nebraska to California, to Florida, to North Dakota, and they’re all DMV issued. As long as you can put the plate on your car, I’ll rock it!”
This upcoming weekend, the Giants will head to Munich, Germany, to take on the Carolina Panthers. In his numerous trips overseas to London for Giants games, Ruback has always brought nearly all his plates overseas for the games. Including bringing them to some known landmarks in the area. And ahead of his trip to Germany, Ruback is hopeful to do the same.
“The last three times we went to London, we won,” Ruback said. “The Giants don’t lose in overseas games, and I like to bring all my plates there to bring them out. One time, we were in London, I brought all my plates to Abbey Road. That was pretty cool. I want to bring them all, but 111, I don’t think I’ll meet the 50-pound baggage limit.”
The best part of Ruback’s fandom is his ability to connect with fans. Many of the people who send him license plates have personal connections to them. Often, they come from the car of a family member or loved one, which Ruback finds to be one of the best parts of his collection.
“I have fans all over the country that send me license plates,” Ruback said. “They don’t only send them to me because they know I’ll rock it or wear it on TV. The stories I get behind the plates are really cool. And I always tell them to give me their name and address because if they ever want the plates back when I’m done doing what I’m doing. I’ll give it to you. But no one ever took me up on that.”
