The 15 best Hoosier moments in 'Parks and Recreation'

The town of Pawnee, Ind. — home of the NBC comedy "Parks and Recreation" — is fictional, but if you didn't know that, the number of references to actual Hoosier culture might make you think otherwise.

The show's creators and writers have done their homework, rarely letting you forget it's taking place in Indiana. At the very least, the state's name is mentioned more than 60 times over the first 112 episodes. At the most, the show has actually come to Indianapolis (mentioned more than 40 times throughout its first six seasons) to film. Even when the references are fictional, such as the "Hoosiermate.com" dating website featured in one episode, the show still tips its Hoosier hat.

With the seventh and final season of "Parks and Recreation" premiering Jan. 13, we wanted to go back through the show's first six seasons to note the best Hoosier references. And no, the time they booked Larry Bird's aunt Tilda to sign autographs at Pawnee's Harvest Festival unfortunately didn't make the list.

Note: Take these characters' understanding of Indiana history with a grain of salt. They are not actually from Indiana.

1. Any time early '90s Pacers star Detlef Schrempf made an appearance

Schrempf may not have achieved immortality in the NBA, but as a "Parks & Rec" favorite, he'll live on in syndication forever, offering an outlet for well-meaning Indiana athletes who may not have had the best of luck in their careers.

Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari): "We didn't hire you to give us business advice, we hired you to look pretty and shoot baskets. So why don't you head over there and do your thing?"

2. The true story behind how Indianapolis was founded

Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler): "(Nathanial Bixby Mark) was a pioneer who was killed by a tribe of Wamapoke Indians. He traded them a baby for the city that is now Indianapolis. They cut his face off and made it into a dreamcatcher. And they made his legs into rainsticks. That's the great thing about Indians, back then, is they used every part of the pioneer."

Be honest: Doesn't the fictional account of Indianapolis' founding sound much more exciting than the truth, that a fur-trader settlement was made the capital city by the legislature?

3. The way the show recognizes just how deadly serious we take our Big Ten rivalries

Whether this disagreement between Wisconsin and Indiana alumni was enough to drive a wedge between real-life couple Will Arnett and Amy Poehler, we'll never know.

4. And what they learned about how Hoosiers would respond if you took away their kids' basketball leagues

"Apparently in Indiana, if you don't provide a basketball league, people get very upset and, quite frankly, throw things at you and call you names like 'Turdboy.' "

Basketball may not be the end-all, be-all that it once was in the state, but it still holds a powerful sway, as Ben (Adam Scott) learns.

5. Jerry Gergich's love affair with Muncie

Jerry (Jim O'Heir): "My wife and I have a time-share."

Tom: "In MUNCIE?"

6. When Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), who is obsessed with meat, chose St. Elmo Steak House as the place for his bachelor party

Ron: "Tonight we eat something's flesh! I want meat!"

7. Any time Indiana Pacers player Roy Hibbert made an appearance, especially the time he was hired to hand out shrimp cocktails

Roy: "This is all you want me to do? Pass out shrimp to people at the party?"

Tom: "Yes! And stop asking questions."

8. Any time Ron Swanson dressed up as former Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight

"Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys into men, from men into gladiators, and from gladiators into Swansons."

Even fans of skim milk have to agree with the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness: old wooden sailing ships are beautiful.

9. Especially when Ron Swanson, dressed up as Bob Knight, threw a chair like Bob Knight once did

"Take this uniform off. ... you don't deserve to wear it."

Though the plastic patio furniture doesn't have quite the heft as Bob Knight's chair, the point is still made.

10. The way we can all relate to how much Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) loves the Colts, and how amazing it would be to catch a touchdown pass from Andrew Luck

Andy: "I'm dead ... I'm dead, and this is what heaven is like. I knew it."

A heartfelt moment for the stumbling Andy that can't even be hurt by Chris' (Rob Lowe) mispronunciation of Jim Irsay's last name as "EAR-say."

11. How you can never go wrong going as "a Pacers player" or "a Colts player" when you don't have a costume on Halloween

When your girlfriend is throwing a Halloween party and you're dressed identically to the costume a gay male is wearing as "a straight man," no shame in breaking out a jersey.

12. This rendition of "The Last Supper" using famous people from Indiana

Really, why wouldn't you go with Logansport, Ind.'s own Greg Kinnear as Jesus for a Hoosier "Last Supper"? That meal would be the best Talk Soup ever.

13. When Andy Dwyer got married in a Reggie Wayne jersey, because we all wish we could do the same thing

Because, sad to say, many of us would consider athletic jerseys "formal wear."

14. April Ludgate stealing Andrew Luck's wallet and Donna Meagle turning down Robert Mathis

It may not quite measure up to Brett Fav-ruh in "There's Something About Mary," but Colts quarterback Andrew Luck does the Horseshoe proud with a simple declaration: "You guys are weird."

15. And, of course, the time The Indianapolis Star made an appearance

We violated every ethical standard for time-traveling newspapers by giving out that copy of an edition from 2017, but the fruit basket the producers sent the newsroom was so nice!