January 18, 1983 ....

[Tugg Speedman]

For some reason I have always remembered this and I spent a few minutes with Google and filled in the gaps ...

January 18, 1983 MU played a home game against Tennessee Tech.  MU won 78-59 in a laugher.  It was an unremarkable game that nearly everyone has forgotten.  I remember it for one incident and I may be the only one that remembers.

About midway through the first half, a Tennessee Tech sub entered the game.  His name was Perky Plumlee, an awkward 6' 7" forward.   I remember this because the MECCA announcer said his name dripping with sarcasm, the arena crowd laughed specifically at this name, several from the student section starts humming the theme song of deliverance loud enough for Perky to hear on the floor.  Perky seemed genuinely bothered by this and did not play well.  

I remembered this because I thought the treatment by the MECCA crowd was over the top bordering on cruel.  I remember it because it was uncharacteristic of the MECCA crowd during my years as a student at MU.  Yes, we can boo the opposing team, we can hope they do bad, we call them names (some unprintable) and we can make fun of air-balls.  But in this case, the MECCA crowd got on him because of his name, and nothing else.  He was a sub in a game that MU was in complete control.  He was a sub that was not going to effect the outcome of the game.  But, the crowd was bored so it decided to give it to Perky because of his name, and only because of his name.

Millard "Perky" Plumlee is a deeply religious man, married a woman named Leslie.  They settled in as a tight-knit Christian family in Winona Lake, Ind.

They had four kids ...  Miles, Mason, Marshall and Madeline.  

Of course Miles and Mason have been the bedrock of Duke basketball success for the last many years.  They were instrumental in Duke's 2010 National Championship win over Butler.  Miles Plumlee is willing Duke to a victory tonight. Marshall is an injured freshman on Duke's bench.

As I watch the Duke/MSU game I could not help but thinking if the Plumlees were a few years younger, Buzz is the kind of man that could talk to a deeply religious family.  Maybe the Plumlee's would have listened, maybe not.  If Buzz did get a chance to call, would Perky remember January 18, 1983 and would that have affected his opinion of MU?  Would that have mattered to his three sons?

Just thinking out loud as I watch Duke/MSU.

http://www.clashentertainment.com/sports/130-sports/3499-dukes-plumlee-brothers-rely-on-encouraging-words

[wardle2wade]

Very entertaining and well-written story.  This post needs more love.

[Skatastrophy]

 Great story, well written!

[jsglow]

Outstanding.  I would have been in the student section that evening but don't have recollection of the events you describe.  If I participated in any way in this boorish behavior, I ask forgiveness.  Blessings to the Plumlee family.

It's a good reminder to us all.  I am very close friends with folks associated with Butler and had a chance to spend some time with them in Lexington.  For 40 minutes we did battle on the court.  And then the game ended and mutual congratulations were in order and enjoyed.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Something tells me Perky Plumlee from Tennessee Tech got razed when his name was announced at quite a few road venues; he may not remember Milwaukee as being specifically bad.

[Tugg Speedman]

Something tells me Perky Plumlee from Tennessee Tech got razed when his name was announced at quite a few road venues; he may not remember Milwaukee as being specifically bad.

Probably ... but the reason why I remember this for 30 years was how it affected Perky Plumlee.  

Then I read Mason Plumlee's Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_Plumlee

His parents are Perky (a former Tennessee Tech basketball player) and Leslie (née Schultz) Plumlee (a former Purdue women's basketball player who set the school single-game rebound record with 25). The two met at a basketball camp during the summer of 1979. His grandfather Albert "Bud" Schultz played basketball at Michigan Tech (1944), his uncle William Schultz played basketball at Wisconsin-Eau Claire (1971–72), and his uncle Chad Schultz played basketball at Wisconsin-Oshkosh (1983–86).

Here's a pure guess ...

In January 1983 Perky had been dating Leslie Schultz for four years.  The entry makes it sound like the Schultz family is from Wisconsin.  Maybe they attended the game that night and watching the MECCA crowd ridicule him and his name embarrassed him in front of the Schultz family and that is why he seem so affected by it.

[The Equalizer]

I remembered this because I thought the treatment by the MECCA crowd was over the top bordering on cruel.  I remember it because it was uncharacteristic of the MECCA crowd during my years as a student at MU.  Yes, we can boo the opposing team, we can hope they do bad, we call them names (some unprintable) and we can make fun of air-balls.  But in this case, the MECCA crowd got on him because of his name, and nothing else.  He was a sub in a game that MU was in complete control.  He was a sub that was not going to effect the outcome of the game.  But, the crowd was bored so it decided to give it to Perky because of his name, and only because of his name.

We didn't treat Wisconsin's John Ellenson -- a transfer from Marquette -- much better.  Its not like he was going to be a star at Marquette--only played 22 games his freshman season and averaged 1.1 points. 

But the fact that he transferred seemed to bring out the worst in the MU crowd.

Lets hope Henry's dad is a forgiving man.