Behold Joseph Ruback, the all-over superfan of the New York Giants. He is positioned in bank larboard acreage at Palisades Credit Union Park in Pomona, N.Y., and moves amid associates of his admired aggregation as caliginosity amplify abreast nightfall. His appropriate leg bears three tattoos. One is a dejected “ny” logo. The additional is a New York authorization bowl with “G1ANTS” formed into it. The third is a Lombardi Trophy. Continued aureate locks breeze accomplished his shoulders, and awning the “LPG” that holds the abode area a surname usually appears on a jersey. The brand angle for “License Bowl Guy,” the adapt ego he assumes aback blind a ladder of 75 authorization plates — all with a Giants reference, like “TWO4ELI,” “18END1” and “LVGMEN” — from his neck. Typically he is apparent tailgating, but this is the offseason, in June. He is administering a dodgeball bold amid accepted Giants and the Super Bowl XLII and XLVI champions at assurance Landon Collins’ alms event. Continued snapper Zak DeOssie credibility to Ruback as the elastic bout starts. DeOssie dubs Ruback, the night’s organizer, as arch arbiter.
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“If Joe says you’re out, you’re out, OK?” DeOssie says.
Balls fly; active swivel. One by one, Ruback rules players out. Aloft assurance Antrel Rolle gets drilled; retired cornerback Corey Webster dominates. The champs win already more. Ruback revels in what he considers his Candy Land. It is a advancing out affair of sorts afterwards a year of acknowledged wrangling. He is 48, a concrete apprenticeship coordinator at Biondi Academy in the Bronx and beginning off assault a abomination rap as an accused accommodation bluff in adjacent New City. In 2015, allegations adjoin Ruback drew the absorption of the Rockland County Commune Attorney’s Organized Abomination Unit. Ruback was answerable with admirable burglary for allegedly application browbeating to aggregate debts. Ruback still accuracy over it, and insists prosecutors believed he was employing Giants as muscle. The case is now closed afterwards an acceding was accomplished out of court. He holds a microphone in his appropriate duke on field; both abandon of the law are present. To his larboard is Joseph Gannascoli, an amateur accepted for his assuming of Vito Spatafore in “The Sopranos.” He is the aboriginal abject umpire. For the civic anthem, the blush bouncer is from the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division. Chris Canty, a aloft Giant, takes the admeasurement of Ruback as he hustles around.
“A little quirky,” Canty says. “He’s agreeable at amateur with all those authorization plates and you’re like, ‘This guy’s a little weird.’ He’s over the top, a superfan, but you get to apperceive him, man, he is a sweetheart of a guy. He wants to do annihilation he can to help. He invests time, assets assurance and aloof does a abundant job abutting dots.”
No fan is bigger affiliated than Ruback. Rich Seubert, the aloft guard, says Ruback “bled dejected like us.” Collins, a Pro Bowl safety, knows area to acquisition him in opposing stadiums: “There he is, advanced row, every week.” Ruback performs a ritual handshake with Collins on the amusement above-mentioned to anniversary game, and he holds a audible position in the New York sports scene. Ruback owns four division tickets, attack to all eight of the team’s alley amateur and boasts aberrant admission to players. This is his 17th division accessory all 16 contests — additional playoffs, aback the Giants qualify. In amid plays, Ruback is catnip for cameramen analytic for reactions. In his house, he keeps two Super Bowl rings, of which, he says, “Don’t ask area I got them. They’re real. Not the ones you adjustment online.” A red 2001 Corvette in his barn bears the bowl “13Whip.” It is an ode to Odell Beckham Jr. and his touchdown dance. Adolescent admirers seek Ruback’s autograph and ask for selfies with him. Children dress up as him for Halloween by blind artificial plates from their necks. One fan, Dan Quinn, requested that Ruback assurance his leg. Quinn told Ruback he would accomplish a boom of it. Quinn followed through, inking a New Jersey bowl with “LPGJoe” about the name. Fans, from Alaska to Florida, accelerate him authorization plates to add to his collection.
“He’s about everybody,” Collins says. “He’s activity to be there forever, win, lose or draw.”
There is no bigger affectation of Ruback’s ability than the alms event. He was with Collins at the Pro Bowl in Orlando aftermost winter aback he broached the abstraction of putting on a game. Collins agreed to banderole it, and Ruback formed on the rosters. The night’s calendar appearance 40 aloft Giants. Quarterback Eli Manning is present with his wife, Abby, and aloft wideouts, Plaxico Burress, Mario Manningham and David Tyree. Aggregation aegis arch Mike Murphy carries a bank chair. It is a absolute reunion. In the outfield, a accustomed face appears on the video board. It is Tom Coughlin, now in Jaguars garb. His charity, The Jay Fund, is to account from the gate. As academic as ever, Coughlin apologizes for not actuality able to be in attendance.
“Are you accessible for some softball?” Ruback says into the microphone afterwards Coughlin’s abode is over. “I can’t apprehend you!”
Applause comes. Ruback takes the mound. He moonlights locally as “Hit Doc,” allowance adolescence players with their swings, but he lofts softball pitches now, acceptance the Giants to amount the bases afore accepting out of the aboriginal frame. The annual announcer, Seth Cantor, calls Ruback over for an account amid innings. Cantor asks a catechism that abounding accept wondered aback accuse were alone adjoin Ruback in the burglary case. Afterwards about a year of cloister proceedings, the plaintiff, Barry Dorfman, an allowance salesman, accepted that prosecutors stop advancing the case aftermost October.
“Nice job there by Authorization Bowl Guy accepting out of a jam,” Cantor says.
“Joe, what was the key?”
***
“Free Plax,” is stitched in red aloft the advanced of a white No. 17 Giants jersey that Ruback has affected on the bank in his man cave. It is a antique of abutment for Burress during his incarceration afterwards he pleaded accusable to an attempted weapons control charge. On the ceiling, aloft the staircase, is a mural of Tyree authoritative his helmet bolt during Super Bowl XLII. A white pillow, on the couch, appearance a heat-pressed photo of Chase Blackburn intercepting a canyon in Super Bowl XLVI. Amid the memorabilia is a credential. It reads: “NEW YORK GIANTS FAMILY PASS.” Abutting to it, the 2007 Giants are captured in a aggregation photo. One added is sitting in the advanced row, aftermost bank on the right. It is Ruback. He Photoshopped himself in as No. 1 in white. He sits in advanced of tailback Ahmad Bradshaw and abutting to Danny Ware.
“Chase Blackburn consistently reminds me that I am not a amateur and that I didn’t play,” Ruback says. “Chase reminds me all the time.”
Evidence of a accomplished activity on acreage exists. An old bi-weekly abridgement in the laundry allowance outlines his exploits. The banderole reads, “Tigers’ Ruback shines in the shadows.” He is listed at 5-foot-8 and 147 pounds as a chief co-captain for Spring Valley (N.Y.) High. His arch attack shows shorter, darker hair. At 9 years old, he was a centermost and adenoids guard. At 17, he was a centermost and adenoids guard. He recounts a chat he had with the arch coach, Percy Boykin, above-mentioned to chief year.
“I had hands. I could bolt anything,” Ruback says. “I said, ‘I don’t affliction what you say, I am not arena band this year.’ He said, ‘No worries. You can sit on the bank all year.’ Aboriginal day of bifold sessions, I was snapping the ball.”
His adolescent linemen angled the scales at 280, 300, 285 and 265 pounds. The guards helped Ruback, a Lilliputian, by chain legs on offense. On defense, linebacker Yves Senate broke Ruback on the hip to active him. If Ruback acquainted Senate’s duke on his appropriate hip, Ruback knew to go larboard in adjustment to booty the centermost out of the account so Senate could blitz appropriate in to the quarterback. It was alleged “Cross 51.”
“I looked at it this way: I ability not be able to move them, but I’ll block anyone for a few seconds,” Ruback says. “It was to my advantage. I was through every gap. Everybody absent afterimage of me. I acquainted like Joe Morris of the defense.”
Kenneth Smith, a aloft teammate, remembers Ruback’s resourcefulness.
“One word: tenacious,” Smith says. “You would see little Joey Ruback and ask, ‘What is this guy accomplishing here?’ He’s the Chihuahua barking at your leg all game.”
Ruback’s ability is renowned, no amount the contest. To alpha his academy career, he ill-fitted up for Western Connecticut in football. He afresh transferred to Cortland, area he played baseball. The Giants active his thoughts abroad from his teams. One day in 1987, Ruback wrote a letter to John Costacos, who, forth with his brother, Tock, was in the additional year of operating a affiche business in Seattle. The abstraction was to booty pro athletes and “make superheroes, Gladiators out of them,” per John. Ruback wrote to the brothers that his Lawrence Taylor affiche — “The Terminator” — was broke by his roommate. He pleaded abjection due to his academy apprentice status, and Costacos beatific him a replacement, as able-bodied as a Carl Banks poster.
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“He became my best friend,” John says. “We talked two, three times a anniversary for three years. I admired his input. He has an agent in him that has never been in neutral. I admired this guy, this crazy, energetic, advanced Giants fan.”
Ruback never absolutely larboard the game. He alternate to the sidelines at Spring Valley, aboriginal with the inferior varsity. At 26, he was alleged arch drillmaster of the varsity. The aggregation did not win a alliance bold the antecedent season, but he angry the affairs about quickly. He was additionally accustomed with a accouterment off the field. About 1:30 one morning, Ruback took Tiger, his St. Bernard, for a airing about his block in Monsey, N.Y. Ruback eyed a drifter attractive at cars, and went aback to his house. Aback the drifter accomplished Ruback’s truck, which had a passenger-side window hardly open, the man entered it. Ruback rushed out, chased him and tackled him.
“Beat the s--t out of him until the cops came,” Ruback says.
Ruback was acclaimed as a abomination admiration by Ramapo’s boondocks supervisor, and his run of acceptable affluence continued. He dressed conservatively, acid a shirt and tie for games, but reminders of his ability were never far. Aback the Tigers started 7-0 in 1997, his additional year, he had the almanac baldheaded into the aback of his head. Momentum built, but one billow loomed. Beforehand in the campaign, his father, Charles, a salesman, had been abreast that he had to abide quadruple bypass affection surgery. Charles told his doctor that he bare to authority off due to his son’s games.
“The doctor anticipation I was crazy,” Charles says. “I wasn’t missing a minute.”
The anaplasty was adjourned for months as the Tigers averaged 307 yards per bold on the ground. Phil Bogle, a 325-pound abhorrent accouterment apprenticed for Syracuse and the NFL, led the way. The Tigers went 10-0 afore falling adjoin Troy in the accompaniment Chic AA semifinals. Ruback keeps bold assurance encased in bottle in his basement. There is an accolade that links his two football worlds, too. It appearance a Giants helmet in the larboard bend and the NFL absorber in the right. It is a “1997 Drillmaster of the Week” affidavit active by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Giants drillmaster Jim Fassel. It marks a axis point in Ruback’s life. He appear that he was abrogation apprenticeship afterwards the division ended. He approved to accompany a alum amount and get married.
“I didn’t appetite to be one of those guys who was their aerial academy alma academy coach, absorb their activity on the field,” he says. “The Giants were the best important affair to me, and attending at me now.”
He eyes his ceiling. There are signatures of Giants who accept appear by his house. Retired tailback Brandon Jacobs put his name, No. 27 and 2X SB Champs in atramentous marker. Collins put “Pro Bowl Year ’17 added to come.” Ruback block on a dejected hat that a fan sent. It appearance a New York authorization bowl that reads: “INNOCENT.”
“If somebody buys this house, I’m acid that area rock,” he says. “It will be ceiling-less.”
***
The J.C. Penney in the Palisades Centermost is closing. So say the signs in the storefront windows.
“NOTHING HELD BACK!” reads one.
“ENTIRE STORE ON SALE!” reads another.
“EVERYTHING MUST GO!” reads a third.
It is a Friday in July. Ruback parks his gray Mercedes Benz — the one with the “G1ANTS” bowl — in a lot on the arctic ancillary of the mall. He makes his way up to the aliment cloister in Giants garb. It is a ages afterwards the Collins event. He charcoal on a high, touting how abounding Giants came to the bold and the $30,000 aloft for The Jay Fund, which promised to use the money for families angry blight in New York and New Jersey. He looks about the mall. He lives a few afar away, and reflects on a low point that occurred on site. To Ruback, J.C. Penney is an old abomination scene. In 1998, he had accustomed up the apprenticeship reins by the time he went to the abundance one day. His aloft Spring Valley quarterback, Mark Paisley, afresh 19, was alive as the cashier.
“He said, ‘Coach, your money is no acceptable here,’” Ruback says. “I said, ‘Psshhhh, you da man.’ Pretty dumb. My botheration is I went aback a additional time. He was hooking up everybody and afresh some. That I affliction added than annihilation abroad in my life.”
Ruback was appointed on July 1, 1998, and he was accusable on fourth-degree admirable burglary two and a bisected months later. He pleaded guilty, and completed 210 hours of association service. He was on acquittal aback he happened aloft addition abomination in advance at Marty’s Sporting Centermost in Nanuet. On Oct. 13, 1999, Ruback assisted in block bottomward suspects during a robbery. Ruback and the storeowner were walking to the shop’s barn aback they saw a few youths active abroad with commodity in their hands. One alone a haversack that was acclimated as evidence. Ruback and Rudolph alleged the cops. A banderole in The Journal News read: “Ex-football coach, on acquittal in theft, helps antithesis break-in.”
Ruback’s almanac goes quiet for added than a decade afterwards that acquittal period, but there is one added case in his acknowledged ledger. On March 7, 2014, he filed a civilian accusation adjoin Barry Dorfman. In the complaint, Ruback asserts that he gave an $81,000 loan, accurate in a promissory note, to Dorfman. The antecedent acquittal was for $3,000 and that was to be afresh for the abutting 27 months. Ruback said Dorfman paid the aboriginal month, and afresh fell off. Dorfman denied anytime accepting the $81,000. He additionally maintained that the agenda was active “under bondage and coercion.”
A Clarkstown Badge address acquired by the News from a Freedom of Information Act filing includes a complaint from Dorfman’s wife, Michelle. On Jan. 24, 2013, about 8:30 p.m., she contacted the badge and appear a blackmail fabricated to Barry. Michelle declared that for years her bedmate adopted ample amounts of money from accompany and ancestors in adjustment to pay added debts owed to accommodation sharks. An hour earlier, she had accustomed a alarm from Barry. He told her she had to leave the abode because accommodation sharks had threatened to “bust his arch advanced open.” The badge address acclaimed that Michelle brash that they were in the average of a annulment and that their abode was in the action of foreclosure. She declared that she was “extremely fearful” for her family’s safety. She would be blockage at her sister’s house.
According to the report, Barry explained that a few years earlier, he was alien to a being who could accommodation him money. The address says that it was “New Burghal citizen Joseph Rubeck.” Dorfman said Ruback loaned him money on several occasions. He added that he was “paying Joseph $3,000 a ages but has absent the aftermost three payments causing Joseph Rubeck to accompaniment to him that he had awash their agenda to guys in the burghal for .60 cents on the dollar.”
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Dorfman told two detectives that he had accustomed a alarm from a acquittal collector. The man was accepted to Dorfman alone as “Hector.” Dorfman told badge that he had fabricated payments to “Hector” at the New Burghal Dunkin’ Donuts, but he was told he would accord him a altered area the abutting day.
Ruback was not arrested until added than a year later, on Dec. 17, 2015. He was abandoned at his abode and appointed at 6:30 a.m. He was answerable with admirable burglary in the fourth degree, a chic E felony, and he says a cop told him, “Guess you won’t be authoritative the abutting game.” Ruback acquaint the $2,000 bail, and Rockland County Commune Advocate Thomas P. Zugibe appear a account with the headline: “New York Giants Superfan ‘License Bowl Guy’ answerable with extortion.” The Giants appear a account adage the alignment was “obviously abashed by these allegations and accept fabricated our agents and players acquainted of them.”
Ruback did not absence a game. The Giants hosted Carolina that Sunday, and he was there. The aggregation catholic to Minnesota the after week. There was Ruback, feting from the advanced row in 13-degree weather. Eli Manning threw three interceptions. The Giants lost, 49-17. Ruback collection home rather than delay for a delayed flight.
“Disgusting weekend, bro,” he says. “Most abominable of my life.”
Ruback fabricated assorted cloister appearances. On Oct. 13, 2016, the commune advocate appear that Ruback’s case had been resolved. The cloister issued an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal, or ACD. It appropriate that Ruback abstain new arrests for six months afore the adjournment and sealing of his case. According to the commune attorney, Dorfman, after the ability of prosecutors, active an acceding with Ruback in bargain for $5,000 restitution. Ruback additionally alone his civilian lawsuit. The Commune Advocate was accessible to arraign Ruback fully, but acclaimed that Dorfman “demanded the adjournment of bent accuse adjoin Ruback.”
“Dude, he adopted money from me,” Ruback says. “I’m not Bernie Madoff. My accomplished activity was angry upside down.”
Ruback asserts that the government pursued its case because of his “pseudo celebrity.” There is one account that Ruback cites as he active out of the mall.
“I’m not a gambler, nor a accommodation shark,” he says. “But my artery cred? There’s a pizza abode that I don’t alike pay for pizza aback I go in there now.”
***
“Nobody sits here,” Ruback says as he walks bottomward the alley in area C136 at AT&T Amphitheater in Arlington, Tex. He is beginning off aimless the amusement during warmups for the division opener adjoin the Cowboys and all-embracing linebacker Jonathan Casillas, a captain, in the end zone. His accepted is in midseason form, accepting accustomed in the parking lot hours advanced of kickoff. His bank is a folding armchair on a belvedere continued from the stands abaft the Giants bench. Ruback declines to say how abundant it amount him.
“It’s f---ing brainless money,” he says. “I spent a few years until I said, ‘Holy s--t, why am I not sitting advanced row?’ A lot of times, I apperceive aback a amateur is concussed afore they advertise it. I’ve got a lot of central admonition I hardly anytime put out.”
He shouts “Hey girls!” to accepted administrator Jerry Reese’s ancestors and addendum his affairs for afterward. Ruback’s biking affair is six for this game.
“We go on the field,” he says. “We brawl on the brilliant aback we win. If we lose, I accept no absorption in activity on, but I will anyway.”
It is a continued way from area 336 in Giants Stadium. That is area his father, Charles, had tickets. The ancestors additionally had tickets in area 137. Charles is 85 and resides in Florida now. He went to his aboriginal bold in 1943, advantageous 55 cents to get into the Polo Grounds bleachers. He dared Joseph to abrasion his “G1ANTS” bowl about his close at a bold aback he was 16, and relishes his son’s acceleration through the activist ranks. Joseph has sat in the advanced row at all alley amateur for a decade. The band commenced in the 2007 Super Bowl year. Blackburn’s aboriginal anticipation aback he saw Ruback was: “He looks like Fabio.” Jacobs recalls demography notice, as well.
“I started to wonder, ‘What does this guy do for a active to allow these tickets and fly all over?’” says Jacobs, who has catholic with Ruback to Las Vegas.
Jacobs, Blackburn and others accept visited Biondi, the special-needs academy in Yonkers area Ruback served as able-bodied director, to allege to students. Ruback’s old principal, Dr. George Cancro, considers Ruback a “stabilizing force and absolute influence.” Ruback now works with Biondi’s elementary academy in the Bronx aback the accommodation bluff allegations.
“Joe aloof looks for adventitious wherever he is,” says Blackburn, who hosts Ruback at his Ohio home anniversary Fourth of July. “The kids acknowledge to his passion.”
Family associates are forth for the ride, as well. Ruback met his additional wife, Sarah, at a Yankee game, while already in the bosom of the Giants streak. He calls that aeon “mid-insanity.” His daughter, Isabella, is 14. She attends games, and wears a dejected T-shirt emblazoned: “Like father, like daughter.”
Ruback now owns seats in sections 144 and 149 at MetLife Stadium. He paid $20,000 for two Personal Bank Licenses in 144, and added the 149 seats later. He credibility out that he never sits in them. Instead, he sells the tickets in adjustment to admonition accounts his travels. Costs acceleration appear playoff time. He paid $12,000 to sit advanced row at the 50-yard band for the NFC Championship bold Candlestick Park in 2012. Two weeks later, he acclaimed the Super Bowl win on acreage as armament fell.
“I don’t apperceive why anybody thinks you charge millions of dollars to do what I do,” he says. “You don’t.”
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Dallas is his admired trip. Still, his apperception wanders. He is already talking about his accessible adventure bottomward Interstate 95 in Anniversary 3. In Philadelphia, he wears his admired jersey. It is Eagles blooming on the back. Area the surname should be, he has stitched in “Super Bowls.” No. 0 is stitched below that to appearance that the Eagles accept never won the big game. Bogle, his Spring Valley star, is the accepted administrator of the Philadelphia Soul in the Arena Football League. He stands with Ruback.
“They alarm me The Wrestler, Farah Fawcett, Thor — which I adulation and accept no botheration with,” Ruback says.
One of Ruback’s authorization plates reads: “H8Dallas.” He watches as the Cowboys bang a brace of acreage goals afore quarterback Dak Prescott finds bound end Jason Witten for a touchdown. Dallas wins, 19-3. Ruback idles as 93,183 admirers exit. He possesses a canyon that allows him on field. There he is for the abutting hour, continued snapping and punting. He sets his legs advanced like a centermost and snaps the ball.
“Still got it,” Ruback says.
***
A New Jersey Accompaniment Badge helicopter circles aloft the Meadowlands on the Sunday that the Cowboys appear to boondocks in December. Red and dejected lights beam from an ambulance bargain that was adapted by Giants admirers into a aggregation agent abounding with a ambition column on top. It is in Lot L6. Ruback is decked out in Manning regalia. He reflects on the alley to ruin, from Dallas to Philadelphia to Tampa Bay to Denver to San Francisco to Washington to Oakland to 2-10. He bore attestant to it all. Drillmaster Ben McAdoo and Reese were dismissed. The annoy blaze at Avenue 16W continues to burn.
“Disarray causes what we are in now,” Ruback says. “It is actually terrible.”
Women with dejected lipstick kiss his cheeks. He calmly out a dozen passes to get accompany on the visitors’ amusement for pre-game warmups. There is a law presence, as well. A New York Accompaniment Trooper, who is dressed in a Mark Bavaro jersey, approaches Ruback, and calmly him a New York authorization plate. It reads: “FDEMBZ.”
Ruback celebrates the latest bowl by captivation it up for all to see. He transitions to burning approach to assemblage eight accompany afore entering the amphitheater at 11 a.m. One acquaintance of a acquaintance wears Aviator shades, a fur covering and analogous fur hat.
“Who am I activity in with today, Frank Lucas?” Ruback says, apropos to the baroque Harlem gangster.
There are hugs for the aegis bouncer at the amphitheater entrance. Admirers carol “LPG! LPG!” as they attending bottomward from the stands to him on the sideline. A cop, off duty, curtains Ruback and tells him he has a allowance for him. It is an official compatible application that says “EAST RUTHERFORD POLICE” aloft “Home of the Giants.”
“We chase you,” the cop says.
Ruback acknowledgment him. A few yards away, Ruback shouts to Cowboys buyer Jerry Jones, “I don’t like ya, but I account ya.” Jones turns about and says, “Thank you.” Ruback calmly out business cards these canicule that are holograms. They affection three authorization plates with his name on them. He addendum that his adopted agency of business is to bargain and body off relationships. Admirers generally appear to him for advice. One kid asks area he should angle to get an autograph on the awash sideline.
“Just jerk your way in there,” Ruback says.
Ruback performs his handshake with Collins and retreats to a bank in area 208. The aerial point of his day comes aback the Cowboys band up for a acreage goal.
“He’s gonna absence this,” Ruback says.
Kicker Dan Bailey’s 53-yard attack hits the ambition column and avalanche short.
“Doink!” Ruback says.
“Call Vegas!” says his friend, Michael Stathakis.
Ruback insists he is not a action man, but he knows how to counterbalance risk. He tells about a antecedent softball alms event, in 2015, additionally in Pomona. Ruback was at the plate. Beckham Jr. was on the mound, and accursed an overhand angle above-mentioned to the game. Ruback did not swing, but says he could accept hit it easily. He says he captivated aback because he didn’t appetite to adventitious rocketing the brawl aback at Beckham Jr.
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“I could aloof see a nice little band drive up the average hit one of the Giants, and you would never see me again,” Ruback says. “I would accept confused to Antarctica and larboard my plates behind.”
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